Is Acai Really THAT Healthy?
Published:September 4th, 2010
Since the Acai has gained so much popularity the world over, here are yet again some facts you may not know about the Acai berry to help you decide if it’s a healthy option for you:
- Acai oil, according to Brazilian herbal medicine, is used to relieve diarrhea.
- Grated fruit rind of the acai is used to wash out skin ulcers
- Acai fruit seeds are crushed and boiled as an infusion to cure fever.
- It’s the most nutritious fruit in the Amazon and the only fruit containing oleic acid or omega-9, along with fiber, B vitamins, protein, and minerals. It has the highest trace of potassium, copper, and manganese. A small amount of the Acai is more than enough for the body to get what it needs.
- The French are known to consume high levels of white flour, saturated fats, coffee, nicotine, sugar, and cheese; yet their population is among the healthiest in the world having a very low heart disease occurrence. It’s called the French Paradox in medical research; but this paradox is attributed to the high levels of red wine they consume everyday – where red wine is high in antioxidants. If red wine acts as their “cleanser”, what more with the Acai juice that triples the level of antioxidants compared to red wine?
- For a Western person to cope with the free radicals they encounter every day, they must consume foods and beverage having at least an ORAC (or Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) level of 2000 units per day.
What is ORAC anyway?
ORAC has been developed for the USDA by tufts University as a measuring tool to ascertain the speed and power of antioxidant activity. It’s widely becoming an accepted standard in measuring fruits, juices, and supplements according to how potent its antioxidant levels are and how they can compare to other foods claiming to be rich in antioxidants.
- The Acai is superior on the ORAC scale as it provides more anthocyanins than any other berry. These anthocyanins are primarily responsible for the total cleansing and anti-oxidation activities for the body cells to repair and maintain their healthy function. Acai also includes phenolics like catechin and epi-catechin found on green tea, flavanoids, and quercetin derivatives that when working altogether, it’s a powerful antioxidant to keep you youthful and healthy.
- About 80% of the aging population will develop at least 1 metabolic disease. The USDA says that high-ORAC foods and juices slows down the aging process and prevent metabolic disease, so in that case, wouldn’t that be a healthy option?
