The Acai Berry has made a dramatic entry into the world market as a potent antioxidant and supplement product. The berry comes from the Acai Palm that grows naturally in the Rainforest of Brazil. For hundreds of years, the natives of this part of the world have been harvesting and consuming the Acai Berry as a food source in their diet. It is only in recent years that the benefits of the Acai Berry have become known to the rest of the world.
The antioxidant benefits come from the pulp and skin of the berry, although the heart of palm is also consumed as an ingredient in salad. The Acai Berry is a dark purple fruit that has a large pit or seed. In fact, only about ten percent of the berry is made up of the beneficial pulp and skin. The berries are harvested and the seeds and pulp are separated. What is left is a puree that is consumed in a variety of ways in Brazil.
The Acai Berry Emerges As A Superfood
While the people of Brazil were already well aware of the health benefits of the Acai Berry, it is only in recent years that the berry has come under the scrutiny of scientists and nutritionists from America. The news about the nutritional value of the acai berry has made its way into virtually every media market in the United States.
It seems that the acai berry has an impossible reputation to live up to, but there are some amazing qualities of this fruit that will provide health benefits to those who use it. It is mainly the antioxidant properties of the fruit that have given acai its lofty reputation.
Antioxidant Properties Of Acai Berry
In simple terms, antioxidants do just what their name implies. They counteract the effects of oxidation in our body’s tissues. Oxidation is a normal part of the aging process and it is what causes our bodies to break down. Antioxidants are nutrients and enzymes that will stop the progression of this breakdown in the body.
The acai berry has been shown to have a great deal of this antioxidant power and is, in fact, one of the best sources that you can include in your diet. Some of the areas that antioxidants and the acai berry can help you are:
- Boost your immune system. This will help your body’s natural ability to fight off disease
- Weight loss benefits by aiding the body’s natural ability to lose weight
- Improve the body’s ability to digest foods properly
- Reduce or eliminate aches and pains
- Increase your energy
- Help with sleep problems
- Increase your sex drive
- Fight Cancer
- Lower your blood pressure
- Counteract the effects of aging
- Fight inflammation
- Fight heart disease
Using Acai Berry
With all of the benefits of acai berry, it is little wonder that many manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon and developed products to sell to the eager consumers who are clamoring for this wonder fruit. Another of the benefits of acai berry that is rarely mentioned is its wonderful taste. It is used in a number of drink products that are sold in health food stores everywhere. The most common method of using acai berry, however, is in the form of supplements.
In these supplements, the weight loss benefits of the berry are being stressed heavily. The studies have shown that there is a boost to the metabolism from acai berry and it can aid dieters in their weight loss efforts.
One of the problems with the acai berry is that it is an incredibly perishable fruit. It is nearly impossible to bring the fruit to market fast enough because the fruit begins to spoil just a few days after it is harvested. That is the main reason why supplements that are made from the fruit are such a popular way to bring the benefits of the acai berry to the market.
It is important to note that acai berry has to be preserved almost immediately after harvesting. Many of the products that are available on the market use a freeze drying technique that is reported to be the best way to retain the health benefits of acai berry.
