Try a keyword search on acai power and you will be met with page after page of marketing claims and hype. The acai berry does carry powerful health benefits, but its claims of almost magical properties just don’t hold up to scientific examination. This article will separate the myth from fact in regard to the acai berry. The acai berry, correctly pronounced a-sigh-ee, is the fruit of the acai palm, a tree indigenous to the Amazon rain forests of South America. It grows particularly well within Brazil because of the swampy areas. For generations, the natives of this country have used it for food, as well as for its medicinal properties.
There is a powerful concentration of antioxidants within this tiny berry and that is where its acai power comes from. When compared to a similar serving of grapes, it has ten times more antioxidants and twice that in a similar serving of blueberries. It’s smaller and darker than a grape or blueberry, but similar in appearance. The acai berry contains a large seed, surrounded by a small amount of pulp. It’s said to taste like other fruits, with just a slight bitter overtone. It’s not a fruit that can be plucked straight from the tree and eaten raw. First the berries must be harvested and processed before the extracted acai pulp is sold for consumption.
One of the claims that has proved true is the health benefits of acai berries for heart patients. The acai power is related to a couple of specific compounds found within the berry, anthocyanins and phytosterols. In recent studies, these two nutrients have shown to be helpful for those who struggle with cardiovascular problems. For those who have healthy hearts they help keep them in good working order.
Acai berries offer another health benefit. These berries have a high concentration of fiber. This fiber helps keep the digestive tract working smoothly by helping to remove any mucus and toxic buildup within the body. There are also benefits found in acai berries in regard to both physical and mental energy. And finally, these berries appear to help control blood sugar levels for those suffering with diabetes.
The acai berries were originally marketed as a weight loss tool and that is the one claim that has not proved to be accurate. But even without that, the health benefits of acai power are well worth investigating. Fortunately, these benefits hold true whether the berry is found in a juice or powdered form.