Natural Acai Berry

If you haven’t noticed, acai berry is the hottest new superfood trend today. People eat it for its antioxidant properties and others eat it for its weight loss benefits. But even with all of the attention, some people still have questions about natural acai berry.

Where does Acai Berry Grow?

Natural acai berry comes from the acai palm, which is grown in the floodplains and swamps of Central and South America. It was commonly found in rain forests but is now grown and cultivated because of rapid growth of demand.

Why has the Acai Berry Become so Popular?

Most diet trends are started in Hollywood, where being slim and fit is important. As the health benefits became known, it became increasingly popular in Hollywood until it was mentioned on the Oprah Show.

But what is a Superfood?

Superfood is a term used to define foods that are believed to have healing properties (but in most cases, foods that are just really really good for you). These foods can be high in antioxidants, dietary fiber, vitamin C, etc. Superfood is not a legal definition and many dieticians and nutrition experts debate its existence. Superfood does its job as a buzzword.

What makes Acai Berry so Healthy?

Acai berry has a large amount of antioxidants, which help fight free radicals in the body. Acai berry has 20x more antioxidants than the common grape, which was previously touted as very good for you (they still are of course!) Acai berry also contains a high level of essential fatty acids, which have been proven to ease inflammation in the body. It is also high in fiber which helps with digestion. Combine all three of these benefits (antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and fiber) and you have one very healthy fruit.

Where can you Buy Acai Berry?

Natural acai berry is hard to find in common health food stores and supermarkets. Due to its high fatty acid content, acai berry spoils very quickly and is hard to import from Central and South America. That is why freeze-dried and capsule-form are the most common ways to purchase acai berry. This allows acai berry producers to provide the same health benefits while keeping shipping costs down.

The latest superfood is a berry that comes from the Brazilian rain forest called Acai Berry. What exactly makes it a superfood?

First, let’s look at its antioxidant properties

ORAC, or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, is a method of measuring antioxidant capacity of various foods. The measurement was developed by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institute of Health. While the measurement is not official, it is a good way to measure the antioxidant properties of foods such as spices, berries, and legumes (nuts).

The Fight against Free Radicals

Foods high in ORAC are believed to have a positive impact on fighting free radicals in the body. Free radicals are believed to cause premature aging, cancer, along with many other diseases. Free radicals are a byproduct of your normal cell functions and happen naturally in the body.

But as we are exposed to more toxins in our environment, (through smoking, bad diet such as trans fat, radiation, etc), the rate of free radical creation in our body grows exponentially. The more free radicals in our body, the less healthy our cells become. Unhealthy cells lead to many health problems over time. Not only that, but free radical damage is believed to make us age much faster. But we can fight free radicals with antioxidants.

Antioxidants fight free radicals

Antioxidants are reducing agents that slow down or stop the oxidation of our cells (free radical damage). The acai berry is very high in antioxidants, which can cleanse our body of harmful free radical damage. The USDA recommends 2400-3000 units of ORAC in your daily diet, and we, on average, only consume about 1,000

Here is how Acai stacks up against other fruits

• Acai berry has an ORAC score 5,500 (per 100 grams)
• Blueberries have a score of 2,400.
• Bananas score 220
• Apples score 218