The genus Euterpe is named after the Greek goddess of music. The dark purple fruit, about the size of a large blueberry, is produced in branched panicles of to fruits. It has a single large seed that forms the major portion of the fruit and the only edible portion is the pulp surrounding the seed. This Brazilian berry, used for centuries by the natives, suddenly rose in popularity as a health food with anti-oxidant properties after it was publicized in the Oprah Winfrey Show.
After numerous blogs, advertisements, and intensive marketing by companies, the fruit found its way into the market as a dietary supplement and a vital ingredient of beauty products. Acai berry is, no doubt, a nutritious fruit. Analysis of g of dry powder of freeze-dried acai fruit pulp and skin reveals its nutritional content:.
Apart from the above nutrients, acai berry is rich in anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid compound that may have preventive and therapeutic roles in a number of diseases including diabetes and heart disease, because of its anti-oxidant properties.
However, a study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition reports that anthocyanins contribute just 10 percent of the total anti-oxidant capacities of the fruit. Moreover, up to 30 percent of its anti-oxidant capacity is lost during long-term storage. But the good news comes from a study by Texas AgriLife Research scientists, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry which found that both the pulp and the juice of acai berry could significantly absorb anthocyanins into the blood and show anti-oxidant effects.
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Creating a vegan meal plan can…. What are the health benefits of acai berries? Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, R. Health benefits. Share on Pinterest Acai berries are the fruit of a type of palm tree. Share on Pinterest Acai berries may have properties that help protect against cancer. Share on Pinterest Acai berries are rich in fatty acids and contain more antioxidants than other popular berries.
Dietary tips. Share on Pinterest One way of incorporating more acai berries into your diet is to make a smoothie bowl. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals.
Costs associated with obesity may account for 3. Related Coverage. What is a runner's diet plan? They have a dark purple skin and yellow flesh surrounding a large seed.
To make them edible, they are soaked to soften the tough outer skin and then mashed to form a dark purple paste. Acai berries are also sometimes used to flavor food products, including jelly beans and ice cream, while some non-food items like body creams contain acai oil.
Acai berries grow on acai palm trees in the Amazon rainforest. According to a Venezuelan study, acai berries also contain some other trace minerals, including chromium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus 2.
The most notable one among these is anthocyanins, which give acai berries their deep purple color and act as antioxidants in the body. You can also find anthocyanins in other blue, black and purple foods, such as black beans and blueberries. Acai berries contain healthy fats and low amounts of sugar, as well as many trace minerals and plant compounds, including anthocyanins.
Antioxidants are important because they neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals throughout the body. If free radicals are not neutralized by antioxidants, they can damage cells and lead to a number of diseases, including diabetes, cancer and heart disease 3.
Acai berries have an incredibly high amount of antioxidants, edging out other antioxidant-rich fruits like blueberries and cranberries 4. In the case of acai, grams of frozen pulp has an ORAC of 15,, whereas the same amount of blueberries has a score of 4, 4.
This antioxidant activity comes from a number of plant compounds in acai, including anthocyanins 5 , 6. In , researchers gave 12 fasting volunteers acai pulp, acai juice, applesauce or a drink with no antioxidants at four different times and then tested their blood for antioxidants 7. Animal studies have suggested that acai could help improve cholesterol levels by decreasing total and LDL cholesterol 8 , 9 , A study had 10 overweight adults eat acai smoothies twice daily for one month. However, there were a few drawbacks to this study.
It was small, had no control group and received its funding from a primary supplier of acai. In addition, acai contains plant sterols, which prevent cholesterol from being absorbed by your body Many animal studies and at least one human study have suggested that acai may help lower blood cholesterol levels.
While no one food is a magic shield against cancer, some foods are known to stop cancer cells from forming and spreading.
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