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If You Don't Learn About ACAI Berries Now, You'll Hate Yourself Later!

These little berries are the newest, hottest thing in the realms of nutrition, skin care, fat loss and diet, and have established an incredible reputation in a hurry. One of Oprah Winfrey's favorite medical specialists, Dr. Nicholas Perricone, has written a book called The Perricone Promise, in which he calls acai berries the "number one super food in the world."  So, what are these berries, where do they come from, and why were they unknown for so many years?  Those are all good questions, and here are the answers.

Acai (think ah-sigh-ee) berries are the fruit of a type of palm tree that grows in tropical regions of Central and South America. The trees grow quickly and are also valued for the high-quality hearts of palm they produce. In recent years, scientists have discovered something that native peoples of the Amazon have known for centuries. The small, dark red berries produced by acai palms are packed full of valuable nutrients, and they can enhance the health and well being of those who eat their pulp or drink their juice. The reason those of us in northern locations are not familiar with acai fruit is that it has a very short shelf life. The berries begin to spoil within a day from the time they are picked, and unless they are treated with special care, they lose many of their nutritional benefits quickly. (More on this later)

Like any new scientific discovery, this one has caused an incredible amount of hype. Unscrupulous marketers are using terms like "miracle" and "wonder fruit" to describe these berries and are making claims that they can cure just about any ailment known to man. What follows is a look at "just the facts" about this remarkable fruit and a truthful analysis of the benefits in can provide in the areas of skin care, anti-aging, weight control and over-all health enhancement.

General Information

Acai berries are a royal purple color and most people agree they taste like a blend of berries and chocolate. They are about the size of grapes, but they have a large pit, which composes about 90% of their make-up. That leaves only about 10% of the fruit that can be consumed as juice or pulp.

Because of their delicate nature, acai berries need to be frozen immediately after they are harvested if their nutritional properties are to be maintained. Some health food stores and juice bars are now offering acai drinks, but if the juice they are using has not been handled with utmost care and been kept frozen during transport, it will have lost many of its benefits.

Some manufacturers like Acai Berry Select freeze-dry the pulp when they process acai, and when done properly, that is a very effective way to keep the nutrients intact. The resulting powder can then be added to other drinks by the consumer or swallowed in capsule form.

Nutritional Properties

So, what exactly is in an acai berry that gets all the experts so excited? Lots of things. Here is a run-down of the most important nutritional elements of acai pulp, and what they can do for you.

v     Antioxidants These are molecules within food that are capable of slowing or stopping the oxidization of other molecules. Think about what happens if you leave a peeled raw potato sitting on the counter for a few hours. It turns a horrible shade of grayish-brown, right? That's because the free radicals found in the air have acted on the potato flesh and caused it to decay rapidly. If you were to sprinkle that potato with lemon juice or another antioxidant, it would retain its color and firmness for a much longer time. Over time, free radicals in our environment do the same thing to our cells, and that is the basic cause of the changes in our bodies we see as we age. Whenever we consume foods that are high in antioxidants, we are helping our systems to defeat these little enemies of youthfulness and good health. 

As you've probably guessed by now, acai berries are very high in antioxidants. In fact, they are about ten times higher in these free-radical fighters than red grapes and contain as much as 30 times the anthocyanins (extra-strength antioxidants) found in red wine. That means that acai berries are one of the most potent fruits you can eat if you want to help your skin (and other cells) fight off the effects of free radicals that attack it.

v     Essential Fatty Acids While many of us tend to think of all fat as "bad," the truth is that we need some fat in our diets in order to be healthy. Certain kinds of unsaturated fats known as Omega fats provide vital benefits for our bodies. Rather than contributing to heart disease and other health problems like saturated fats do, essential fatty acids (EFA's) actually tend to lower cholesterol. They also boost the immune system, help in cell repair and maintain a highly functioning nervous system. And they are vital to maintaining smooth, moist skin.

While you would expect to find EFA's in oils, nuts and fish, there is a surprising amount present in acai berries. About half of the berry is fat, and nearly 75% of that is the healthy unsaturated type. Omega 3,Omega 6 and Omega 9 are all found in this little gem, and that's very unusual for a member of the fruit family.

v     Protein and Amino Acids Most people immediately think of meat when asked to name a food high in protein, but acai berries contain a significant amount of this vital nutrient. More than 7% of the weight of acai pulp is made up of amino acids. These are the building blocks for protein, so it stands to reason that you will get about eight grams of protein if you consume 100 grams of acai pulp. That's great news for your muscles and organs which need protein to maintain their strength and function.

v     Vitamins and Minerals Potassium, copper, zinc, calcium and magnesium are all found in acai berries. These trace minerals serve all sorts of useful purposes in the body such as enhancing brain function, and maintaining vision and hearing. They also help to support the elastin fibers in our skin that keeps it supple and smooth- looking.

      Acai pulp is rich in several vitamins, as well, including A, E, and B1, B2, and B3. These do many jobs including boosting our immune systems to help us fight off disease, promoting the healing of wounds, and repairing and regenerating cells.

v     Phytosterols This is a group of chemicals found in certain plants that can reduce the amount of dietary cholesterol that is absorbed by the large intestine. Clinical studies have shown that a diet rich in phytosterols can reduce cholesterol in humans by as much as 15%. Three phytosterols have been found in acai pulp, and they can all contribute to improving a cholesterol number.

v     Fiber Like many other fruits, acai berries contain fiber that aids in digestion, but they are packed with more of it than the average fruit. Every 100 grams of acai powder contains about 14 grams of fiber.

Health Benefits

Acai berry products like Acai Berry Select are more than just a list of nutrients, however. Not only are many beneficial ingredients present in this fruit, they are found in a combination that truly does benefit the user in unique ways. The combination of EFA's, vitamins and antioxidants provide a potent way to help your skin maintain its elasticity, look plumper, and feel smoother.

Because of the rare mixture of fiber, EFA's, and plant sterols, acai can help promote good cardiovascular function and digestive health. The powerful ingredients in this little berry aid all the major systems of the body.

The antioxidants working along with the many vitamins and minerals give the immune system such a boost, for example, that the body can spend less time and effort fighting off infections like the common cold. Users often report more energy and increased stamina as a result of taking it consistently. In fact, Brazilian athletes, like soccer players, have relied on acai juice and pulp for years as an important part of their training regimen.

Acai can be used as an aid to weight control, as well. Because the amino acids, minerals, antioxidants, and EFA's work together to make bodily functions more efficient, the metabolism is often increased, which helps to burn fat. Acai seems to contain a natural appetite suppressant, and because it helps to build muscles, it can lower a dieter's body fat percentage. Users of acai often find that it is easier for them to hit and maintain their desired weight when they include the berries in their diets.

Those who regularly consume­­­ Acai Berry Select acai pulp, often report improved ability to sleep, enhanced sexual function, reduction of chronic inflammation and pain, increased memory, and a general feeling of well-being.

Clinical Studies

Agricultural Research magazine published an article in February of 1999 that examined the abilities of food to slow the aging process. Entitled, "Can Foods Forestall Aging?" the piece found that free radicals do indeed cause many of the problems we associate with growing older. It also stated that those who consume plenty of fruits and vegetables full of antioxidants will reduce their risk of developing heart disease and cancer, and people who eat a limited amount of these foods will have a higher risk. Brain function and disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's may also be benefited by the consumption of antioxidants on a regular basis.

In 2006, a study was done by the University of Florida, which tested the acai berry's ability to kill cancer cells. In the laboratory, about 86% of leukemia cells were prompted to self-destruct when exposed to acai berries. This, of course, is a very encouraging finding, but it needs to be emphasized that cells dying in a test tube are very different from what happens within a human body.  Much more research needs to be done before claims of acai being a cancer-killer can be verified. 

The bottom line is that acai is a power-packed food that has many useful properties for people. It's no wonder that celebrities like Oprah, Britney Spears, and Rachael Ray use it and proclaim its virtues. While the statements of its abilities to cure every disease and solve all health problems are exaggerated, the fact remains that people, who want to do whatever is in their power to stay healthy, would do well to include acai berries in their diets. The question then becomes, what form should the berry take?

How to Find Quality Acai Products

If you are convinced that acai is worth a try, you need to use caution when deciding which form of the product to take. As already noted, the juice and pulp from the berries are fragile, and easily lose their beneficial properties. While you can find acai juice in frozen form, and blended with other juices in cans or bottles, it is hard to know whether the processing it has undergone has allowed it to retain its nutrients. Pure, frozen acai juice is available from some outlets, but it is very expensive. For these reasons, Dr. Perricone and other experts recommend using an unsweetened, powdered form of the pulp like Acai Berry Select, which is a low calorie way to receive all the benefits of the acai berries.

The best thing about acai berry products as an aid to your skin care regimen has got to be their price point. While creams and lotions or surgical procedures to help fight aging can cost hundreds of dollars a month, acai supplements such as Acai Berry Select can be purchased for $20-50. That is certainly a budget-friendly price for most people. Besides the way acai can improve your skin's texture and moistness, and protect against wrinkles and lines, you also get the added benefits that acai provides to your whole body. If you look for a product that is completely natural, you won't have to worry about side effects, any more than you would worry about side effects from eating an apple.

In short, acai berries are a smart choice for anyone who believes in the healthful benefits of a balanced diet. They are packed with nutrients that help your skin, and many other bodily systems maintain the vigor of youth. When you add acai supplements to an other wise healthy diet, and combine that with sensible exercise and plenty of rest, you are doing whatever is humanly possible to stay active, vital, and beautiful for life.

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