Posts tagged: Red Wine

The Acai Berry: An Antioxidant Superfood That Has Everything

acai berry
Jamie Clark asked:


The acai berry is one of the world’s most interesting and unique foods. It may also be one of its healthiest. Chock-full of antioxidants, amino acids, AND essential fatty acids, the tiny little acai berry packs a nutritional wallop rarely seen in the natural world. In fact, some experts consider it to be the world’s most “complete” natural food.

Acai berries come from the acai (pronounced ah-SIGH-ee) palm tree of South America. The native peoples of Brazil have eaten the berry for centuries and there are, in fact, many local legends about acai’s incredible healing and sustaining powers. It remains a popular “health and energy” food in that country today. Fortunately for North Americans and Europeans, in the last few years acai berry products have made their way to foreign shores. Now just about anyone can (and should) try this incredibly healthy food for themselves.

To give you an idea of just how powerful this fruit really is, consider the nutritional profile of acai berry pulp:

- 10-30 times the anthocyanins (strong antioxidants) of red wine – an almost perfect essential amino acid complex (the “building blocks” of protein) – 60% Oleic acid, an omega-9 monounsaturated essential fatty acid – 12% Linoleic acid, an omega-6 polyunsaturated essential fatty acid – a full array of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements – large amounts of plant sterols (phytochemicals with numerous health benefits) – significant amounts of natural dietary fiber – natural calcium!

As you can see, there aren’t many things that the acai berry doesn’t have! But the good news doesn’t end there. Acai has a vibrant taste that most people find very, very pleasing. Though difficult to describe, some people compare the flavor of acai to tart, chocolate-covered cherries or blueberry ice cream with a hint of chocolate. Not bad for something so healthy!

A few of the more common benefits reported by people who consume acai berries on a regular basis include:

- Greater energy and vitality – Increased stamina – Improved circulation – Improved digestion – Better sleep – Improved sexual function – Healthier, better-looking skin – Increased sense of overall “well-being”

By now you’re probably aching to try this super-fruit for yourself. Fortunately it’s becoming more and more widely available throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia. Look for acai smoothies and acai berry juices at your local health foods shops. There are also several health supplements on the market which contain dried acai berry powder… but it would be a shame to miss out on the delicious and unique taste of this amazing berry!



What Are the Health Benefits of Acai Berries?

acai berry
Tom Kranz asked:


Have you seen all the ads and wondered what the health benefits of acai berries are? Whether served as a fruit, pulped into juices, or taken in pill form, acai berries are naturally loaded with an extraordinary amount of healthy benefits. You can even find acai berries available on the market in a medicinal powder or included in a red wine.

Acai berries are highly nutritious, and fortified with a wealth of vitamins our bodies need. Find out what benefits pure acai berries, enriched with natural medicinal properties, have in store for you and your family:

Health benefits of Acai berries

Acai berries have many health benefits that you will experience right away and others will appear over time. Acai berries do a remarkable job in helping you to regain strength and detoxify your body. Of the long list of health benefits, acai berries are very rich with antioxidants.

Acai berries provide you with a highest degree of antioxidants. These antioxidants are essential for regulating blood circulation. The berries give your body energy to rejuvenate and feel younger; giving you revitalized strength and stamina. Added to higher energy levels, acai berries provide you with a radiant skin because it is enriched with important Vitamin E. Acai benefits your body by purifying it from the inside. It maintains a good cholesterol level in your body. The power of acai berries fight against cancerous cells and strengthen your immune system.

Diabetes has been commonly diagnosed in an alarming increased rate. Diabetes is a disease that currently strikes every third person. Studies have found that consuming acai berries can lessen the effects of such illnesses as diabetes. The fact is that natural acai berries produce an enzyme, which helps stop the damage diabetes does to a person afflicted with the disease. Diabetes first damages body organs and then reaches the brain. Pure acai berries help to control the sugar level in the blood, and repair the damaged tissues, preventing further damage to diabetes sufferers.

Scientists are encouraged by the findings in a recent University of Florida study to investigate the health benefits of acai berries. The gaining in popularity, acai berry has shown to contain compounds that have many beneficial effects in our bodies. In a cell culture model, acai berries were used to show that antioxidants could destroy cultured cancer cells. The data from the study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, showed extracts from acai berries destroyed up to 86 percent of the leukemia cells tested.

Acai berries are considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants. This study was an important step toward showing the health benefits of acai berries in beverages, dietary supplements, and other products. The acai berry can play an extremely important role in not only maintaining good health but also in preventing future problems such as heart disease and cancer.

The benefits from consuming this very nutritious berry are nearly endless. Acai berries are exceptionally good for not only its nutrients present but also the high nutritional value. Look around, and discover what the health benefits of acai berries are for you and your family. For those who do not like taking pills, you can enjoy acai berries by using frozen whole berries to make a tasty and healthy smoothie.



Why Acai Berries Are Called Superfoods

acai berry
Tom Kranz asked:


Acai has one of the best nutritional values of any fruit, which is why acai berries are called superfoods. For centuries, acai berries were unheard of as a healing fruit beyond the South American rainforest where this incredible berry grows naturally.

The acai berry plant can be seen growing wild above the local palm trees in the South American jungle. Rows of acai palms are cultivated in government projects where the nurseries produce millions of plants each year. Workers, who harvest the acai berries, then blend them to create a healthy fruit pulp. Until a decade ago, private landowners were allowed to deforest half of their land. Now legislation has amended the figure to twenty percent.

One of the many reasons why acai berries are called superfoods is they are a flavorful source of many important nutritious ingredients. The acai berry is an abundant source of compounds called anthocyanins. These anthocyanins are the same nutrients, which give red wine its reputation for being beneficial to your health. Acai berries contain even higher concentration levels of anthocyanin than wine but without the health risks associated with drinking alcoholic beverages.

In this day of pesticides, chemicals, and other environmental toxins, we need valuable antioxidants contained in superfood acai berries on our side. You have probably heard about the benefits of red wine against premature aging, but the natural occurrence of anthocyanins in acai berries is twenty times the rate found in red wine.

At the top of the list of why acai berries are called superfoods is its unique ability to counteract the negative signs of aging. It is agreed on by experts that this anti-aging property is attributed to elevated levels of anthocyanins as well as the antioxidant vitamin mixture discovered inside the healthful fruit.

Due to the high level of anthocyanins in the acai berries, it has been shown to reduce the development of vascular and heart disease. This level of anthocyanins also helps to improve circulation, prevent blood clots, prevent arthrosclerosis, and relax blood vessels.

The acai berry is also an enriched mix of protein, which helps your muscles recover after overexertion. The berries provide dietary fiber to help your body process food, another good reason why acai berries are called superfoods.

The acai berry also promotes a healthy heart. Acai berries contain a high level of omega fatty acids, thought to have a protective effect on the heart and its ability to pump oxygen through the body. Fatty acids contained inside the superfood acai berry has shown to aid lowering levels of cholesterol in the blood.

As the reputation of this superfood fruit continues to grow, its availability is on the rise. Make a toast to your long and healthy life and discover for yourself why acai berries are called superfoods. What other keys to preventing and curing the world’s diseases could the rainforest be holding? Before the earth’s jungles vanish altogether, we need to learn how to contribute to their survival and in turn our own. The acai berry is truly one of nature’s most healing superfoods, and a worthy addition to any healthy diet plan.