INFORMATIONS ON ACAI BERRY

TREASURE OF THE AMAZON

Acai Berry Benefits

Acai isn’t called nature’s perfect food for nothing. Here are just some of the health benefits that research has shown you can get from consuming the acai berry.

Acai Berry Increases Energy & Stamina

• Jiu-jitsu fighters and soccer players in Brazil often have a large meal of acai berry pulp before a competition. Why? Aside from being a perfect source of nutrition and carbohydrates, the high levels of antioxidants in the acai berry lead to a drastic increase in energy levels and stamina. Taken on a regular basis, the acai berry strengthens the immune system to the point where the body isn’t constantly fighting off infections and disease. This frees up even more energy for other uses.

Acai Berry Fights Cancer & Disease

Free radicals are nasty little molecules that come from pollutants, pesticides, cigarette smoke, etc. They attack the cells in the body, cause diseases, and can even damage DNA. Antioxidants are the body’s fuel for strengthening cells and fighting off free radicals. As you know by now, the acai berry is jam packed with these powerful antioxidants.

There are some exciting studies regarding the acai berry’s ability to fight cancer.

Acai Berry Fights Obesity

Acai Berry Boosts the

Immune System

The acai berry's natural combination of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, amino acids, phytosterols, and amino acids work together to help your body function better, process food easier, and burn fat more efficiently. It's one of the best things you can put into your body to keep it healthy. Subsequently, when your body is healthy and well-balanced, it will be much easier for you to reach your perfect weight.

The powerful antioxidants in the acai berry antioxidants in the acai berry, combined with the essential fatty acids, work as an anti-bacterial and anti-viral agent while simultaneously boosting the immune system.

Acai Berry Maintains Good Cholesterol & Fights Heart Disease

The essential fatty acids and antioxidants in the acai berry fight bad cholesterol (LDL) while simultaneously maintaining good cholesterol (HDL) and fighting heart disease. The same fatty acids also aid in the absorbency of necessary vitamins like Vitamin A, E, D, and K.

The acai berry also contains phytosterols, a group of plant phytochemicals that reduce cholesterol absorption in the intestines. Studies show that these plant compounds can reduce cholesterol in humans by up to 15%

Acai Berry Improves Vision

British pilots in World War II reportedly ate large amounts of bilberry jam before dangerous missions as they swore it drastically improved their night vision. Billberry is also popular in Japan where it is used to relieve eye strain from excessive staring at computer monitors. Modern scientists have tracked these results down to a rare type of antioxidant in the bilberry called “anthocyanins”. Not surprisingly, these antioxidants are also found in the acai berry.

On a somewhat related note, other antioxidants in the acai berry fight various eye related diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Acai Berry Helps With Digestion

Acai Berry Promotes a More Peaceful Sleep

The acai berry contains enzymes and other vital nutrients that aid in the digestion process. A functioning digestive system will not be plagued with acid reflux and other ailments. Acai also contains a healthy amount of fiber which helps your digestive tract process food.

Your ability to sleep can be frequently affected by stressed muscles. Acai contains amino acids that relax your muscles and allow for a more restful sleep. It also contains Vitamin B which helps to regulate the dopamine and serotonin (both neurotransmitters that impact sleep) production in the brain.

Acai Berry & Sex

Endurance, Energy...and More?

Brazilian people are some of the most active and healthy in the entire world. Walk the beaches of Rio de Janeiro and you’ll invariably see fit (and usually half naked) people swimming, surfing, playing soccer, cycling, jogging, and practicing Brazilian JiuJitsu. You’ll also notice that many of them are eating bowls of dark purple acai from one of the many juice bars that line the beaches.

On a recent trip to the Amazon, NBC’s Matt Laurer was surprised, and more than a little amused, to find that the acai drink he had just finished is commonly referred to as “Amazon Rainforest Viagra”.

The Amazon native who gave him the drink certainly wasn’t lying to him. People in Brazil wholeheartedly believe that acai gives you strength, energy, endurance, and is great for sex. Some doctors even recommend acai to couples who are having difficulty getting pregnant!

Acai Berry & CancerThe popularity of the acai berry is growing

every day. As a result, more and more nutritionists and scientists are researching its unique nutritional qualities and healing abilities. It was only a matter of time before someone ran experiments regarding the acai berry’s ability to fight cancer. The exciting results of that experiment are below, but first let’s cover a few things that may help you understand the acai berry’s cancer fighting abilities a little better.

• Free Radicals & Antioxidants• Free radicals are nasty little molecules that come from pollutants,

pesticides, cigarette smoke, etc. They attack the cells in the body and can even damage DNA. Free radical damage within cells has been linked to a range of disorders including cancer, arthritis, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes.

• Your body, of course, has a way to fight back. It does so in the form of antioxidants, which strengthen cells and fight off free radicals.

ORAC Attack

The USDA has a method of measuring the levels of these antioxidants in foods. It’s called the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity score (ORAC for short). Where does the Acai berry measure up on this score? Well, it pretty much blows away the competition. Take a look below.

It’s been estimated that 80-90 percent of the world’s population fails to consume even half of the recommended antioxidant intake to fight the free radicals the body encounters in a day. Foods with a high ORAC score (like the acai berry) are worth their weight in gold to the health-conscious person.

Acai Kills Cancer Cells in Lab Study

Talcott adds “A lot of claims are being made, but most of them haven’t been tested scientifically. We are just beginning to understand the complexity of the acai berry and its health-promoting effects.”

The Final Word

While the acai berry certainly isn’t proven to cure cancer, exciting research indicates that, at the very least, the high level of antioxidants may help your body fight it. Hopefully further research will reveal more benefits of this amazing food.

Now that you know how the acai berry theoretically fights cancer; let’s talk about that experiment we mentioned earlier.

The University of Florida published a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that found that acai berries triggered a self destruct response in up to 86% of human cancer cells.

• Assistant Professor Stephen Talcott says “This was only a cell-culture model and we don’t want to give anyone false hope. We are encouraged by the findings, however. Compounds that show good activity against cancer cells in a model system are most likely to have beneficial effects in our bodies.” The University will now study the effect of acai antioxidants on healthy human subjects.