by Roohi

Created on: February 02, 2009   Last Updated: February 08, 2009

The acai berry is the latest fruit to join the super food bandwagon. After being confined to Brazil for centuries, its potential benefits were finally discovered and acknowledged only a few years ago. This small round purple fruit which is almost the size of a blueberry is packed with wonderful nutrients. No wonder it has become one of the most popular fruits among today's nutritionists.

The acai berry is found on the palm trees of Amazon rainforests. It tends to deteriorate rapidly once it's harvested. These days the acai berry can easily be found in health food stores in the form of juices or added to energy drinks or even in some beauty products. Here are some of the medicinal benefits of this wonderful fruit which is called acai berry:

* The benefits of acai berry for the heart and cardiovascular system The acai berry is considered to have ten to thirty times more anthocyanins than red wine. These anthocyanins together with the healthy omega fatty acids become a potent combination for fighting heart disease and keeping your heart healthy. The acai berry also helps in regulating cholesterol levels in your blood. Healthy fats, dietary fibers and plant sterols present in the acai berry also help promote cardiovascular health.

* Benefits of acai berry for anti-ageing The ample amount of antioxidants present in the acai berry makes it a very popular food for those who want to prolong their life and prevent premature ageing. Antioxidants reduce the effects of free radicals and this slows down the process of ageing. It is believed that acai berry contains about ten times more antioxidants than red grapes.

* Benefits of acai berry as a beauty product The wonderful antioxidants present in the acai berry are believed to help prevent the occurrence of wrinkles. They are also supposed to prevent the facial skin from the damaging effects of the sun. It is even supposed to be beneficial for acne.

* Benefits of acai berry as an energy drink The acai berry is believed to increase the energy level and stamina of an individual. This is why it has become very popular as an energy drink and is found in sports drinks and often used by athletes.

* Benefits of acai berry for the immune system The acai berry has all the necessary vitamins and minerals and essential amino acids which are necessary for boosting the immune system. By increasing immunity, the acai berry prevents the individual from frequent occurrence of colds and flu.

* Other benefits of acai berry The above mentioned benefits are not all that is there to the acai berry. It is also believed to help in fighting the cancer cells. It is supposed to help in controlling diabetes. This fruit is also supposed to be wonderful for improving vision.

The acai berry may be a very small fruit but it is definitely packed with nutrients. Research may not be enough to prove some of its supposed benefits. But one thing is surely true. The acai berry is one of those fruits which are packed with nutrients such as antioxidants, healthy fats and essential amino acids. And research has proved that these nutrients found in the acai berry are indeed beneficial to the health of an individual.

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