Acai Berries have been heralded by many celebrities and media personalities as a super food with incredible health benefits. Some say it has the power to fight cancer, lower cholesterol and improve memory, digestion and more. It is being consumed more commonly. But what is the Acai Berry exactly?
Acai Berries are actually purple or black-purple fruits that come from the Acai Palm tree. The berry is about one inch (2.5 cm) long and about two pounds (900 g) in weight. To make them more palatable, they are usually soaked in water to soften the hard outer skin and mashed into a dark purple liquid. They often have an earthy flavor that sometimes s described as a cross between dark chocolate and strawberries.
Antioxidant properties have been heralded for their ability to prevent cancer. The acai berries have loads of antioxidants that can help your body fight off disease and aging. Antioxidants can boost your immune system and help you repair cells that become injured by free radicals. They are naturally found in high levels in dark purple grape skins which also contain lots of antioxidants. In addition to helping your body fight off disease, there are also other health benefits associated with the acai berries superfood reputation.
Acai Berries are high in fiber - about 18 times higher than you can find in a regular serving of most vegetables. The high fiber content helps keep your digestive system regular while encouraging regular bowel movements. Many people believe that regular bowel movements clean out the body and that this is where waste material goes. When you consume foods with a lot of fiber like acai berries and other fruits and vegetables, waste material is more easily eliminated from your body. This can increase the speed at which your body empties itself out daily.
A variety of studies on the acai berries weight loss properties have shown that they reduce bad cholesterol and possibly lower total blood pressure. While these results are not yet proven, many people are taking them with caution. Since many of the studies on this superfood come from healthy-eating gurus who know that it is all hype, it's impossible to say for sure if there really is any benefit to eating acai berries. However, the studies that have been done are quite promising and could make dieting easier for even the most difficult of eaters.
Another one of the acai berries weight loss nutritional qualities is that they have a very high nutritional content. Most people only think of fruits and vegetables when it comes to providing essential nutrients. However, the acai berries have several nutrient concentrations, including everything from beta carotene, essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, iron, and antioxidants. They can provide energy and improve the health of your heart. They can also help prevent or treat high blood pressure and diabetes.
It is believed that the acai berries can help fight cancer. Preliminary studies are showing that this to be quite the possibility. In addition, the antioxidants found in these fruits may help prevent damage to the DNA in cells and possibly prevent cancer itself. There are several acai palm trees grown in the Amazon jungle, in Brazil, and Peru. These fruits grow in dark purple and red fruit baskets, so they tend to be the most bitter and expensive.
Despite what you think the nutritional value of the acai berries may be, don't buy their fruit products without trying them first. Many companies sell acai berries with false claims that say their products are made with the freeze dried form of the berry. This is not possible health benefits of acai berries, so when buying these products, look for those that say that they are 100% pure acai berry. If a product does not say this, then it is likely that it is not real.