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NATURE’S BEAUTY:
Açai Berry
&
35
The açai berry’s
intriguing
combination of
antioxidants,
amino acids
and omega
fatty acids
help slow the
aging process
and boost the
body’s immune
and metabolic
functions.
DOES TRENDY FRUIT LIVE UP TO WEIGHT-LOSS HYPE?
By Tanya J. Tyler,
Staff Writer
“Superfoods” are
purported to have
greater health benefits than “regular”
foods, as well as incredible medicinal properties. One of these trendy
superfoods is the açai (ah-sigh-EE)
berry.
The açai berry comes from a tree
that is native to the Amazon rainforest of South America. The açai tree
is a type of palm tree. It can reach
nearly 50 feet in height. Its small,
dark purple berries have been used
for centuries by the Brazilian natives,
both as a food and for medicinal
purposes. They call it the “beauty
berry” because it made the body
look and feel better, both inside and
out.
The açai berry’s intriguing combination of antioxidants, amino acids
and omega fatty acids help slow the
aging process and boost the body’s
immune and metabolic functions.
Antioxidants, of course, remove
destructive free radicals from our
bodies and appear to protect cells
from damage that can lead to diseases such as cancer. Açai berries
are even richer in antioxidants than
cranberries, raspberries, blackber-
ries, strawberries and blueberries.
The berry has a particularly powerful antioxidant called anthocyanin.
Anthocyanin is common in fruits
that are richly red and purple, such
as grapes, but the açai berry contains
much greater quantities. According
to one source, the berry’s oxygen
radical absorbance capacity is more
than 3,500 – hundreds of times higher than average fruits such as apples
and bananas. It is one of the few
fruits, besides avocados, that contain
monounsaturated fats. Açai berries
also contain healthy fatty acids, such
as oleic acid, one of the oils found
in olive oil. You might find açai
oil in facial creams and shampoo
and conditioners.
While the açai berry has
many of the same vitamins and
minerals as other fruits do, some
plant chemical compounds are
unique to it. Recent studies
conducted at the University of
Florida revealed there are 50 to
75 active natural compounds in
the açai berry that have not yet
been identified. Along with all
its other beneficial elements,
açai berries also help improve
the look and texture of the skin,
nails and hair.
Açai berries are most commonly enjoyed in the form of
juice. The Amazonians use the skin
and all when they juice it. In Brazil,
it is served frozen like ice cream.
When you purchase açai juice, carefully read the label to check the
amount of sugar that has been added
to it.
There have been many claims
about the wonders of açai’s achievements in the battle of the bulge,
including assertions that it burns fat
efficiently, processes food quickly
and cuts down on cravings. In reality, studies have not proven that açai
is a magical weight-loss product. It
can certainly be part of a healthy diet
and active lifestyle, but don’t count