Archive for Berries
Acai Berries and Scientific Study Results From The University Of Florida
Posted by: | CommentsThis berry from the rain forests in South Brazil had demonstrated how its antioxidants destroy cancer cells of humans in experiments conducted using cultures containing cancerous human cells within the confines of its laboratories. Further experiments are on the drawing boards of this University to conduct more studies and tests into the overall aspects of the far-reaching effects that Acai berry as a whole has on human beings of average good health.
Although Acai berry is one of the fruits carrying the most plentiful resources of antioxidants ever found in any fruit, the University studies so far conducted are yet to confirm that this berry actually plays any positive role in the possible prevention of cancer.
Acai berries are the produce of a particular palm tree that is found abundantly in Brazil’s rain forests. It is notorious for its extremely fast perishing characteristics so that if you need to taste a fresh Acai fruit, you have no choice of finding one at any fresh fruit sales outlets, apart from eating one immediately after plucking off an Acai tree. Further research on the health benefits of acai berry is more or less restricted by the fact that it had not been in commercial production for more than about the last five years.
Delving into the history of this wonder berry, we find that South Brazilians had extensively used it in the treatment of various skin conditions and digestive disorders during quite a long period of time. The contribution that acai benefits make to our health and general well being is amply substantiated by several testimonies from people who had experienced the benefits of looking and feeling better in addition to weight loss as a result of taking Acai berry. However, it is felt too early to admit them as scientifically proven facts at this tender stage.
In the face of overbearing testimonials by people who claim to have received umpteen benefits to their health issues through the use of Acai berry, tests and research are continuing at the Florida University with a view to scientifically verifying the truth or otherwise of these claims.
While the research goes on into the properties of Acai berry, with the University of Florida taking it up in all earnestness, we wait in hope of new discoveries in addition to Acai berries and scientific study results of many existing claims of the super goodness of Acai that sometimes appear to border on myth and fantasy.
Benefits Of Acai Berries
Posted by: | CommentsIf you have’nt notices, a lot of people are becoming more health-conscious than ever. They watch what they eat, exercise regularly, and take in supplements to make sure that they stay fit and healthy. The latest trend in staying healthy today is taking in acai berry, or supplements that contain it’s extract. In fact, many Hollywood celebrities are incorporating the acai fruit into their diet and lifestyle.
A Little Bit About The Acai Berry
Acai berry is actually a fruit that comes from Euterpe oleracea, or the acai palm tree, which can be found in Central and South America. It looks like a grape, except much smaller, and comes in a purplish-black color.
Several researches and studies have shown that the acai fruit has antioxidant properties and that it can help prevent illnesses brought about by oxidative stress like cancer and heart disease.
What Makes It Beneficial To Your Health
Acai berry contains flavonoids and anthocyanins, which are strong antioxidants that help protect the human body against free radicals that can cause premature aging, tissue damage, and some diseases. A regular intake of acai fruit supplements, together with an antioxidant-rich diet and healthy lifestyle can neutralize free radicals and slow down the aging and disease process.
The anthocyanins in acai are similar to the compounds in red wine that give it its health benefits. Acai berries contain a much higher concentration of anthocyanins, making it a healthier alternative to red wine.
It also contains a lot of vitamins and minerals that help nourish the body. Acai is found to be rich in proteins, Vitamins A, B1 and E, electrolytes, omega fats, and amino acids. Those living in the Amazon forest have long used the acai fruit for their shakes, drinks, and meals. Also, Acai is known to have a low sugar content, making it a better alternative to more sugary fruits.
There are many health benefits of the acai berry. Studies show that the acai fruit pulp has higher concentrations of antioxidant content compared to blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry and cranberry.
Perhaps the major health benefit of acai is that it helps protect the heart from diseases. Acai is a naturally rich source of dietary fiber and it helps prevent cardiovascular diseases. It also contains omega-6 and -9 fatty acids that help lower cholesterol levels in the blood. Recently, scientists are looking into the weight loss properties of the acai fruit.
Where To Find Acai
Years ago, the acai fruit is actually hard to find, but with the growing demand and interest of the public, producers of acai makes this superfood available to the market. Now one can purchase raw acai berries, acai supplements, and concentrated acai fruit juices in natural grocery stores and health food outlets.
So if you want to be healthy the natural way, one way to do so would be to incorporate acai berry into your system. With its many health benefits, it can be considered as Mother Earth’s most healing fruit, worthy to add in your healthy diet and lifestyle.
How Acai Berries Provide Nutrients Our Bodies Need
Posted by: | CommentsFound prospering in the swampy Amazon Rainforest, acai berries provide nutrients our bodies need. In the tropical floodplain areas of Central and South America, the acai palm berry, grows in bunches of 700-900 berries.

Acai has an astounding number of health benefits due to its sizeable amounts of fiber, antioxidants, fatty acids, and proteins. The acai berries require humidity and wetland conditions to grow well. Thousands of palm trees per acre have been recorded in areas of the rainforest.

Acai berries begin as a green color and ripen to a deep purple. Each acai palm stem usually produces four to eight bunches of fruit during the average year with fruits ripening the heaviest in the dry season from July to December.

The acai palm thrives throughout the lowland flood areas where it forms in large groves. In one of nature’s wonders, when one of acai’s stems is cut, more stems will grow back and the cutting encourages more fruit to grow on the remaining stems.

Acai palm is now also the world’s main source of palm hearts. In Brazilian herbal medicine, the oil of the acai berries is used to treat diarrhea; the grated berry rind is used as a topical wash for skin ulcers; and the fruit seeds are crushed and made into a treatment for fevers.

Scientists are currently studying acai to determine just how nutritionally valuable it is. The researchers are discovering ways to use the acai berries to fight such diseases as diabetes, cancer, digestive issues, obesity, blood clotting ailments, obesity, and much more.

Experts are uncertain how much effect antioxidants have on cancer cells in the human body, because factors such as metabolism, nutrient absorption, and other biochemical processes may influence the antioxidants’ chemical activity.

Brazilians have long used acai berries to treat skin conditions and digestive disorders. Current medical research suggests acai products can help consumer’s lower cholesterol, get energized, and lose weight.

We are just beginning to understand all the health benefits of the acai palm. It can also be harvested for its delicious heart-of-palm, which tastes great in salads. In Colombia, where the acai palm grows along the Pacific coast, acai berries are turned into a popular drink.

In a University of Florida study, six different chemical extracts were made from acai fruit pulp and each extract was prepared at seven separate concentration levels. When applied for 24 hours, four of the extracts were shown to kill a significant number of leukemia cells. The UF study shows that research on foods not commonly found or consumed in the United States is extremely important, because it may lead to undiscovered health benefits of food nutrition.

Eating a balanced diet of at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables is recommended for promoting optimal health. Research on the effects of diet on chronic diseases show an increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk for many illnesses.

One of a kind, acai berries also has a high concentration of essential acids, specifically monounsaturated oleic acid. This nutrient helps diminish inflammation, which is the leading cause of the detrimental health we experience, as we get older.
Outdoor Enthusiasts Tout Benefits of Acai Berries on Acaiberrysite.com
Posted by: | CommentsThe Internet has been flooded with dozens of articles and news reports about their benefit, Oprah Winfrey was raving about them on her talkshow, and Rachel Ray featured them on her television program. The year 2008 will be remembered for many reasons, but for hundreds of men and women around the world, it will be a humble fruit – the acai berry – that best stays in their memories.
It was on a surfing trip to Rio in 2004 that a group of young outdoor enthusiasts first came across the acai berry. The ensemble of friends became hooked after being introduced to the small, round, black berries. On their first trip to Brazil, the adventurers ate the berries for breakfast and lunch, with food and in shakes and smoothies.
Each member of the team felt great, so much so that they returned to Rio the next year. Back at home in the Bay Area of San Francisco, they noticed a craving for something. It wasn’t just the sun, sea and sand of Rio that they were longing for, but the feel-good factor that came from eating the acai berries.
Intrigued, the group began to hunt down information about the acai berry. More than that, they wanted to find a company that would ship the berries to the States. After a large number of phonecalls, the friends found a number manufacturers that were dabbling in freeze drying the puree of acai berries.
The company Pure Acai Products was formed and it is now able to offer this freeze-dried powder in capsule form. Even though the capsules may not be able to provide the taste of acai berries, the many benefits of the berries themselves are there for the taking.
Acai berries have been making headlines around the world for a number of reasons. The berries have been linked to everything from weight loss to anti-aging. The berries are made up of almost 50% fiber, which is known to benefit a person’s digestive system and gastrointestinal tract. This helps to detox a body and remove harmful toxins.
The battle against free radicals is one that we must all face daily. Free radicals are harmful substances that enter the body through pollution, sun rays and when your body breaks down nutrients.
Free radicals attack cells in the body and cause aging. Acai berries contain a high level of antioxidants (mostly vitamins C and E), which help neutralize the free radicals, keeping your cells fresh and healthy and leaving you feeling great. Phytonutrients are a type of antioxidant found in acai berries that help to repair damage to DNA.
Acai berries also contain essential fatty acids, which increase a cell’s ability to retain moisture while keeping cholesterol at bay. The bevy of substances in acai berries acts as a booster for a body’s cells, improving how it functions and makes use of nutrients. Organs become more efficient and a person receives daily boosts of energy, as well as an improved immune system.
Each member of the group of adventurers from the Bay Area is already reaping the benefits of acai supplements. Their bodies are able to ward off illness and they look and feel younger, healthier and full of the fruits of life.
Now known as the world’s number one superfood, acai berries are sadly not available in your local grocery store. As natives of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, the berries cannot be imported because they spoil within a day of harvesting. This is where acaiberrysite.com. The berries can be ordered online in capsule form today.
It was a great year for acai berries in 2008 and the team at Pure Acai Products – converts to the berries themselves – hope that more people will join them in experiencing these life-changing fruits.
Finding Out More About Acai Berries
Posted by: | CommentsDid you know acai berries are harvested in the rain forests of South America? Let us look deeper in finding out more about these humble purple berries.

The acai berries are a small round berry that are dark purple in color and resemble a smaller sized grape. The dark purple skin, which holds the berry’s health benefits, is often made into a pulp. Brazilian natives use this pulp as a puree that can be eaten by itself or in a variety of other wonderful foods. There is a lot more in store to discover what makes this little berry from Brazil taste so good and why it is healthy for our bodies.

In Brazil, the berries are harvested from acai palms as food. In a study of three traditional native populations in the Amazon, the acai palm was described as the most important plant because the fruit makes up to 42% of the total food diet and is economically valuable to the region. In order for the Brazilian farmers not to lose any more of the depleted forest cover from over harvesting, they are required to reforest up to 30% of their farmed land.

The majority of the population in Brazil enjoys eating the acai fruit. It is reported the people consume more acai juice than milk. Although it’s popularity only grew in the western world around 1990, the powerful punch this berry packs has been known in its native land for generations. Acai berries have ten times the antioxidant benefits of grapes and double that of blueberries.

The berry is a very tasteful fruit, combining the usual berry taste you would expect with the delicate sweet hint of chocolate. They contain essential omega oils, proteins, minerals, fibers, and vitamin E. Omega oils have shown the ability to raise good cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol. The fatty acid ratio in acai is similar to that of olive in reducing heart disease.

The main benefits of acai are:

- Acai has more proteins than an average egg.

- The berries have essential minerals like Vitamins B, C, and E.

- They include minerals iron, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium.

- Acai has a high concentration of fiber content.

- The berry’s amino acid contributes to proper muscle regeneration.

- Acai berries improve mental focus to enhance sleep.

Much research is being done to help in finding out more about acai berries. As the berries have practically just arrived in the west, we can look closer at the lives of the Brazilian tribesmen to learn the benefits the natives discovered hundreds of years ago.

In a 2006 University of Florida study, acai berries’ antioxidants were studied to test the effects on healthy human participants. The university was one of the first institutions outside Brazil to commission a study, and they determined how well the compounds affected blood pressure, and were absorbed into the blood stream, effecting good cholesterol levels as opposed to bad.

With a vast array of products being offered within the past five years, researchers and consumers are finding out more about acai berries. Before consumption and research was limited due to the unavailability of information and product in many parts of the world. Now we have plenty of opportunities to add this worthwhile fruit to our diets.
Acai Berries And Its Nutritional Benefits
Posted by: | CommentsWhat is acai berry? Acai berry is a tropical fruit from an acai palm, one of the 8 species of the palm genus Euterpe. This type of palm grows mainly on swamps and flood plains in the amazons of Brazil, some parts of Peru, and Central and South America. Euterpe palms are usually slim and tall, growing up to 15 to 30 meters in height, with leaves extending up to 3 meters long. Acai palms, scientifically known as Euterpe Oleracea, are famous for their highly nutritious fruit and superior hearts of palm. The acai berry fruit, which is purple, round-shaped fruit much like a grape fruit, contains high nutritional value that made acai berries popular worldwide.
What makes acai berries good? Research showed that acai berries contain the following properties: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and cardiovascular benefits. The antioxidant property of acai berry is 30 times greater than red grapes, and 10 to 20 times more anthocyanins than red wine. That makes acai berries more than 200% anti-oxidant than any other fruit and vegetable known; and the best known source of antioxidant so far. A university of Florida study in 2006 showed that the antioxidant property of acai berries destroyed cultured human cancer cells. Further studies revealed that it triggers a self-destruct response in up to 86% of tested leukemia cells.
Acai berries provide a good source of Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, C and Vitamin E. It also contain good amount of fiber that help promotes healthy digestive system and reduce the risks of developing some types of cancer. In Brazil, acai berries are used to treat digestive disorder and some skin condition. Essential fatty acids; such as omega 3, 6 and 9; are also found which contribute to low incidence of cardiovascular disease for people who consume acai berries as part of their diet.
Acai berries are not recommended to be eaten directly. It should be processed first. To maximize the full nutritional benefits acai berry, it should be freeze dried once it is picked. It loses its nutritional value every minute after picking the fruit. This is one quality aspect of different acai berry products, the method and means of freeze drying the fruit pulp of acai berries.
Acai berry products have proliferated in the market in different forms; drinks, food supplements, and diet pills. They all differ in quality based on the amount of acai berry concentration in their product, as well as the method and technology used in processing them. The amount of nutrition incorporated on each product depends so much on the way they are processed. Be wary of poor quality products, massed-produce for the sake of profit. Make sure that the source of your acai berry products are verified companies well known for quality.
Acai Berry: 5 Distinct Advantages of Loosing Weight Through Acai Berries
Posted by: | CommentsWith over 75% of the world’s total population reeling under obesity, the demand for acai berry is on the rise. One of the main reasons why acai berry is preferred over other weight loss products is because it has proven to be the most effective means of reducing body fat. Talking cue from the above statement, let us now throw some light on the advantages of using the miraculous acai berries drink on a regular basis.

Acai Berry Is A Natural Product

The very first advantage of using acai berry is that it is a natural ingredient. In fact, you can buy acai berry from the open market as it is a fruit. Found deep in the Amazon forests, the acai berry fruit is considered a natural product and is therefore free from any harmful side effects. As compared to other fat reducing pills and related “over the counter” medications, acai berries are perhaps the most sought after ingredients as they are free from any harmful side effects. Hence, anyone can use it, regardless of his/her age or ailment.

It Is A Fast Acting Formula

The second biggest advantage of using an acai berry formula for loosing weight is the speed in which it works. In simple words, the acai berries are blessed with a special ingredient which slice your body fat. It is much the same way as a knife slices through a ripe tomato. While most fat loss products take weeks and even months to show their effect, the wonder berries from acai slice your fat the moment they enter your body. Hence, people have been known to loose as much as 34 pounds in a single month. It is undoubtedly a miracle formula.

It Is Affordable In Nature

The third advantage of acai berries is that it is an inexpensive form of shedding excessive fat. If in case you are a working mother who does not have extra money to spare, the berries are the best solution to resolve your weighty issues. At the same time, you can hope to buy acai berry without burning a hole in your pocket. It is affordable, long lasting, fast in action and inexpensive. In simple words, it is a perfect solution to your weight related problems.

It Can Be Used On A Daily Basis

The acai berry formula was formulated by a team of expert nutritionists who worked night and day in trying to device a wonder drink through which you could hope to reduce your body fat in a drastic manner. Hence, even though you may have achieved your goals in terms of weight loss, you can always go ahead and continue to use this drink on a daily basis. The benefit of this drink is that if you continue to use it on a regular basis, you can hope to maintain your lost weight for ever. In a nutshell, the berries from acai are like any other fruit and can be used as a part of your daily food. This, I believe, is the easiest and the most effective way of staying in shape throughout your life.

It Has Been Advocated By Dr. Oz

One of the main reasons why Dr. Oz recommended the usage of acai berries was because he had himself administered this magical formula in curing numerous weight loss enthusiasts. At the same time, Oprah Winfrey too advocated the cause to buy acai berry and insisted that it had helped millions of people the world over in loosing weight the natural way.
Why Acai Berries Are Called Superfoods
Posted by: | CommentsAcai has one of the best nutritional values of any fruit, which is why acai berries are called superfoods. For centuries, acai berries were unheard of as a healing fruit beyond the South American rainforest where this incredible berry grows naturally.

The acai berry plant can be seen growing wild above the local palm trees in the South American jungle. Rows of acai palms are cultivated in government projects where the nurseries produce millions of plants each year. Workers, who harvest the acai berries, then blend them to create a healthy fruit pulp. Until a decade ago, private landowners were allowed to deforest half of their land. Now legislation has amended the figure to twenty percent.

One of the many reasons why acai berries are called superfoods is they are a flavorful source of many important nutritious ingredients. The acai berry is an abundant source of compounds called anthocyanins. These anthocyanins are the same nutrients, which give red wine its reputation for being beneficial to your health. Acai berries contain even higher concentration levels of anthocyanin than wine but without the health risks associated with drinking alcoholic beverages.

In this day of pesticides, chemicals, and other environmental toxins, we need valuable antioxidants contained in superfood acai berries on our side. You have probably heard about the benefits of red wine against premature aging, but the natural occurrence of anthocyanins in acai berries is twenty times the rate found in red wine.

At the top of the list of why acai berries are called superfoods is its unique ability to counteract the negative signs of aging. It is agreed on by experts that this anti-aging property is attributed to elevated levels of anthocyanins as well as the antioxidant vitamin mixture discovered inside the healthful fruit.

Due to the high level of anthocyanins in the acai berries, it has been shown to reduce the development of vascular and heart disease. This level of anthocyanins also helps to improve circulation, prevent blood clots, prevent arthrosclerosis, and relax blood vessels.

The acai berry is also an enriched mix of protein, which helps your muscles recover after overexertion. The berries provide dietary fiber to help your body process food, another good reason why acai berries are called superfoods.

The acai berry also promotes a healthy heart. Acai berries contain a high level of omega fatty acids, thought to have a protective effect on the heart and its ability to pump oxygen through the body. Fatty acids contained inside the superfood acai berry has shown to aid lowering levels of cholesterol in the blood.

As the reputation of this superfood fruit continues to grow, its availability is on the rise. Make a toast to your long and healthy life and discover for yourself why acai berries are called superfoods. What other keys to preventing and curing the world’s diseases could the rainforest be holding? Before the earth’s jungles vanish altogether, we need to learn how to contribute to their survival and in turn our own. The acai berry is truly one of nature’s most healing superfoods, and a worthy addition to any healthy diet plan.