It comes with an astonishing little berry that grows only inside the rainforests of Brazil. This nutritional powerhouse is found out to have a few of the highest antioxidant and anthocyanins levels of any food grown on Earth. It has ten times the antioxidant levels of red grapes and two times the antioxidant levels of blueberries. This small little berry also boasts ten to thirty times the antioxidant levels of red wine. What is this astonishing little berry that is so nutritious and life enhancing? It is the acai berry.
The acai fruit contains several specific substances with high antioxidant activity called anthocyanins and flavonoids. The anthocyanins are the substance that makes the deep red, purple and blue colors which are found in many healthy foods. Foods that are high in anthocyanins are extremely nutritious plus they are usually very deeply colored from deep reds to deep purples to almost black. This can include blueberries, red grapes, and plums and of course, the acai fruit.
Stress creates unstable atoms and molecules in the body that are called free radicals. A free radical can be described as a molecule or atom that has a single unpaired electron. An antioxidant such as anthocyanins and flavonoids will pair up the random electron and thereby stabilize the molecule. Both anthocyanins and flavonoids are strong antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals and other stessors.
Food with high antioxidants are characterized by what is called an ORAC score. An ORAC score measures the capacity of a substance to subdue oxygen free radicals in a test tube. The ORAC score is depicted as a number and the higher the ORAC number the stronger the antioxidant properties of the substance. The acai berry and many products made with the acai fruit have very high ORAC scores. The antioxidant properties of the acai fruit are completely off the charts.
Amazingly for a fruit, the acai fruit is also high in essential fatty acids which are crucial to good health and amino acids which are the building blocks of proteins. Nearly half of the edible part of the acai fruit is composed of fat and 74% of that fat is the unsaturated healthy fats Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9. The acai fruit is also comprised of 19 different amino acids.
Vitamins and plant sterols are also lavish in the acai fruit. Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and E are all present within this tiny little powerhouse. The acai fruit also contains potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper and zinc. Three plant sterols are also found in the acai berry and these substances have been shown to provide numerous health benefits.
Despite many of these amazing health benefits one of the best things about the acai berry is that it is quite tasty and it provides a healthy dose of fiber. Acai berry products range from dried berries to a delectable juice and even various products made from the extract. Acai berries may be used in desserts, smoothies and more.
Analysis will continue being conducted on the acai fruit but the findings so far have been pretty astonishing. The acai fruit can aid in weight loss and the prevention of diseases. The acai berry offers enormous nutritional advantages that are beneficial to human health.
Health and weight loss by the acai berry diet. For more information on wellness articles visit us at our blog!
