Well what is it about acai berries that delivers sustained energy?
Fibre and carbohydrates, however these don’t provide sustained energy in all foods. Carbs, when eaten, delivery sugar into the blood. Certain Carbs cause the sugar to be released very fast, and others more slowly. The glycemic Index (GI) measures the rate of sugar rise caused after a food is consumed. If the GI is low then the food is digested and absorbed more slowly, delivering a slower rise in blood sugar. Foods such as highly processed bread and lollies cause blood sugar to increase very fast.
A blood sugar that is too high or too low is dangerous for our bodies. So when sugar rises, it stimulates our organ, the pancreas, to release insulin into the blood. Insulin tells all our cells to open up their gates and let sugar in. This then causes the blood sugar level to drop again. When foods that release sugar quickly are consumed, our bodies tend to release too much insulin. Too much insulin means that too much sugar is taken up by our cells, and causes our sugar level to drop to under normal levels. This is what is usually felt after a sugar rush. It does not give you sustained energy and tends to leave people feeling tired and fatigued.
Acai berries have been tested by some companies in Australia and have been found to have a Glycemic Load (GL) of 0.5. GL is a more recent and more accurate way to measure the effect of particular carbs in the blood. It gives a more complete picture than GI as it is also calculated taking into account the actual amount of Carbs that have been consumed. A Gl of 11 or less is considered a low level, and so a food with such a result helps to control blood sugar levels and lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Acai berries have a GL of 0.5, which means it can delver sustained energy.
Dietary fibre can act like a sponge during the digestion of food, particularly the fibre in acai binds to digested food and reduces the rate of digestion. So when eating acai it is less likely a sugar rush will be experienced as the sugar is released slowly. This can also assist in controlling food cravings, which can in turn assist in stopping obesity.
Unlike most juices, most of Acai’s kilo joules come not from sugar but from the healthy unsaturated omega-6 and omega-9 fats. This is one juice that can be consumed guilt free! It can provide a satiated and full feeling due to the high fibre content and at the same time provide sustained energy, unlike other fruit juices! Acai is usually mixed with apple juice, which has a low GI- to provide the same sustained energy as an Acai berry smoothie.
