For centuries the acai berry has been a rather obscure and unknown food. As it is indigenous to the Amazon rainforest and it is extremely perishable so it has only been in recent history that this amazing fruit has even been available to the majority of the world. The acai berry may be more exotic than most of the fruits that you have heard of but it is just another addition to a long line of extremely healthy fruits such as blueberries, cranberries and pomegranates.
This tiny little purple fruit, that is about the size of a large blueberry grows in bunches on the Amazon palm tree, the same palm that provides hearts of palm. This berry has been a staple food or the natives in the area for hundreds of years. It is a extremely rich source of antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, fiber and Omega 3 fatty acids.
Lately this little fruit has received substantial media coverage from the national news media and talk shows such as Oprah and Rachael Ray. It has been touted as being beneficial for weight loss, disease prevention, anti-aging and more. These claims are likely to be true as this berry does have an extremely high nutritional content. However, it is just a fruit and just another in a long line of healthy, nutrition foods that contribute to great health.
Due to all the claims one may wonder about the possible side effect associated with the consumption of this berry. Just as with any fruit, if you eat too much at one time you may suffer from some intense intestinal distress, however it will be temporary. There are no known long-term negative effects just as with any other fruit.
The national media has given the acai berry quite a bit of coverage lately and it has been featured on the Oprah show and the Rachael Ray show along with many of the nightly national news outlets. Many well-known doctors and nutritionists have expressed their belief is the great benefits of this amazing fruits, but they also frequently mention other healthy foods too, such as broccoli, spinach and blueberries. Most of the name brand acai berry products do not have an official endorsement as the recommendations were made for the actual fruit itself.
There are several key nutrients contained within the acai berry that can contribute to healthy weight loss. The acai berry is high in anthocyanins, which is an antioxidant that has been proven to aid in weight loss in controlled studies involving laboratory mice. The acai berry is also loaded with healthy fiber and essential fatty acids both of which are nutrients proven to aid in weight loss by boosting metabolism and helping a person stay fuller longer.
The acai berry has one of the highest ORACs of any food. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity and it is just a way to measure the antioxidant activity of a food. Antioxidants are crucial to combat free radicals, which are highly unstable substances that can cause disease and the negative problems typically associated with aging.
Basically the acai berry is an extremely healthy naturally occurring fruit. It can be a healthy addition to any nutritional regimen. You can usually find the acai berry is pulp and juice forms, in a powdered extract form or as an addition to other healthy foods, such as meal replacements, smoothies and more. The thing that you need to look for is the way the fruit was processed as flash frozen or freeze-dried are the best methods to preserve the nutritional content. The fruit cannot be found in fresh form outside of Brazil because it is extremely perishable.
Author's Bio
Karen Lynch recently discovered the acai berry and she is very excited about the potential of this new superfood. She has been avidly studying the acai berry health benefits.
