Acai Berry FAQs

What is the origin of Acai?

• Acai is original from Amazon, Brazil. How to pronounce "acai"? • açaí palm ( pronunciation (help·info) Or "a-sigh-eeh" in Brazilian Portuguese.

What is Acai?

The Acai Palm is widely distributed and is very common throughout northern South America. Acai Palm is also cultivated extensively and grown in organic, chemical free conditions in the vast Amazon River estuary. The Acai Palm belongs to a family of over 1200 species comprising 32 distinct generic groups and is widely regarded as one of the most useful plant families in the world.

Acai is an extremely common, slender, yet very tall palm and grows 15 to 25 m in height. Most mature Acai palm trees in the wild develop 4-8 stems from a single seed and root system. The Acai Palm produces a

highly nutritious edible berry which grows in dense bunches typical of many palms. The fruit is round and 1-2 cm in diameter has an oily coating over a fibrous sheath covering a single large seed. Acai fruit ripens from a green color to a dark rich purple. Each Acai stem normally produces four to eight bunches of fruit throughout the year making it one of the most prolific fruiting palms in the forest.

Acai Berry: In Brazilian herbal medicine, the oil of the Acai fruit is used to treat diarrhea; an infusion of the grated fruit rind is used as a topical wash for skin ulcers; and, the fruit seeds are crushed and prepared in an infusion for fevers. In the Peruvian Amazon, an infusion of the toasted crushed seeds is used for fever. In Colombia, where the trees grow along the Pacific coast line, it is called naidí and the fruit is turned into a common and popular drink.

Why Acai is so good for us?

Acai Berry Weight Loss?

Acai is considered by many doctors and specialists the most powerful fruit on earth due to its great concentration of antioxidants, essential omegas, proteins, dietary fiber and other vitamins and enzymes. Combined with proper diet and exercise the Acai Berry Supplements can be an outstanding weight loss aid Acai berry's natural combination of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, amino acids, and phytosterols work very well together to help your body function better, process food easier and burn fat more efficiently. At Acai Roots we promote a whole lifestyle change including regular physical activities (sports), balanced diet with lots of acai in order to obtain significant better health and weight loss. To learn more about acai and weight loss visit our acai and weight loss section.

Why Can't I buy the Acai Berries?

Why Acai is called the "super food" ?

Because of its rich content of anthocyanin pigments that give it the characteristic deep purple color, açaí likely imparts important health benefits associated with consumption of antioxidant pigments, such as reduced risk or prevention of cancer, diabetes, chronic inflammation, heart and vascular disease, Alzheimer's disease and other types of neurodegeneration, high blood cholesterol, stroke, bacterial infections, urinary tract infections, age-related visual deterioration and premature aging. Acai is constantly used topically as a strong antibacterial mix in Brazil.

Acai pulp contains:

The fatty acid content in açaí resembles that of olive oil, and is rich in monounsaturated oleic acid. Oleic acid is important for a number of reasons. It helps omega-3 fish oils penetrate the cell membrane; together they help make cell membranes more supple. By keeping the cell membrane supple, all hormones, neurotransmitter and insulin receptors function more efficiently. This is particularly important because high insulin levels create an inflammatory state, and we know, inflammation causes aging.

Acai Health Benefits:

Acai Phytonutrients: Anthocyanins are compounds that have potent antioxidant activity, allowing for the neutralization of potentially harmful free radicals. The famous research regarding the "French Paradox" attributes anthocyanins as being the antioxidant that protects the French from heart disease. The red wine grape, due to its anthocyanins is what is believed to be responsible for the very low incidence of heart disease. While red wine has good quantities of anthocyanins, the Acai berry has been shown to contain many times the anthocyanins levels of red wine.

By neutralizing these free radicals, anthocyanins from the Acai berry may actually serve to maintain the healthy function of numerous systems and organs. Some of the anthocyanins that have been found in Acai include cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside-coumarate. Other phenolics include catechin and epi-catechin (the same compounds in green tea), quercetin derivatives and other flavonoids. It is likely that the synergistic effects of these compounds, as present in Acai fruit are responsible for its potent antioxidant activities.

Acai Antioxidant Benefits:

Aging Population: As the population ages, 80% of older people in Western countries will develop at least one chronic metabolic disease. If the USDA says that high-ORAC foods may slow aging and prevent metabolic disease from occurring isn't it about time you increased the quantity of antioxidants in your diet to prevent this process from occurring in the first place?

Dubious Marketing Practices:

Most of the drinks made from Acai berry for commercial exploitation, are reconstituted from Acai concentrate, thereby destroying much of the inherent beneficial nature of the berry due to pasteurization and the manufacturing processes the ingredients go through. Often flavors and preservatives, sodium benzoate/benzoic acid are added to allow the product to keep for indefinite periods which may cause their own problems due to the formation of carcinogenic benzene in hot bottled preparations.

Oftentimes actual mgs of active ingredient, anthocyanins, in a whole bottle of liquid Acai juice may be far less than what the average person would consume by eating 20 or 30 red grapes. Before consuming hyped up liquid health drinks, you need to be sure that the manufacturing process hasn't resulted in the formation of benzene.

However, some manufacturers like Physician Naturals SimplyPure Acai that supply freeze dried powder concentrate have been able to maintain the integrity of the original Acai fruit. Freeze drying means the manufacturing process does not interfere with the good properties nor does it involve destructive pasteurization and preservatives to be added for liquid "health" formulas to ensure they keep for long periods.
The CERTIFIED ORGANIC freeze dried product we recommend at the Health-Report site is easily the best we have ever encountered... One serving contains over 7000 ORAC units. A month's supply is equal to 210,000 ORAC units. The ORAC score easily exceeds the recommended level of 2000 to 3000 ORAC units per day we are advised to consume.

Nature's Energy Fruit - Oprah Winfrey

Acai Berry & Anti-Aging

Our skin becomes a major victim to aging. From wrinkles to discolorations, there is a lot that happens as we get older and we shouldn't have to deal with ugly skin. The Acai berry has proven to be very successful when it comes to combating wrinkles as well as making your skin look sexy. This is possible because the Acai berry contains many nutrients and antioxidants that are needed in order to maintain healthy skin. There's also many other Acai berry anti-aging benefits besides the benefits that you can see on your skin.

Resist common illnesses easier simply by consuming the Acai berry.
Let's face the reality of getting old, we can't live in our dreams forever, one of the days we have to wake up and face the reality that we're experiencing the side effects of aging. The Acai berry strengthens one's immune system to make it stronger. As we age, our immune system becomes weaker over time, thus causing us to get sick easier. You can win this fight by adding the Acai berry into your daily routine.

Wash out your inner body with the Acai berry.
Our bodies absorb toxins like a clean car absorbs dirt. Toxins will find at least one way to make a grand entrance into our body with an effort to take it over. Don't let these nasty toxins take over your body so easy. Wash your body out on the inside with the world famous Acai berry. The amount and types of nutrients as well as antioxidants is what gives the Acai berry such a powerful stance when it comes to ridding your body of harmful items.

One of the best anti-aging benefits of the Acai berry is that it can prevent Alzheimer's disease.
This is a tragic disease that many people hope they don't end up with when they get old. Alzheimer's disease is an ailment that can have some very ugly results on its victims. The Acai berry has been linked to the prevention of this dreaded disease. It's not hard to see what the toughest berry is on the tree.

What happens when everything comes together about the Acai berry and its role in anti-aging?
Well, to keep it rather simple and short, the Acai berry goes hand in hand with anti-aging. The anti-aging benefits and many other benefits that can be found in this wonderful little berry make the Acai berry one of the strongest foods known to man. I don't think you could find something as natural and effective as the Acai berry when it comes to anti-aging.

Acai Berry-Diabetes

Those that suffer from diabetes have to alter their lives so much in order to assure that their health isn't affected negatively. From eating the right foods to making sure that their sugar level is at a safe rate. Simply put, diabetics already have to put up with enough when it comes to making sure that their diabetes doesn't take over their life.

Even though cancer isn't a direct connection to diabetes, it can show just how powerful this little berry can be. In a research study that was done, the Acai berry had the power needed to kill off Leukemia cancer cells. This is definitely a remarkable happening and with the Acai berry making it happen with killing cancerous growths, it definitely should have a positive effect for diabetics as well.

Medical professionals have come to a point where they truly believe that the Acai berry will help diabetics control their blood sugar levels and insulin levels. With that said, controlling diabetes can be made a lot easier with the Acai berry.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Brazilian acai berry, popular in health food contains antioxidants that destroyed cultured human cancer cells in a recent University of Florida study, one of the first to investigate the fruit's purported benefits.
• Published today in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study showed extracts from acai (ah-SAH'-ee) berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested, said Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor with UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
• "Acai berries are already considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants," Talcott said. "This study was an important step toward learning what people may gain from using beverages, dietary supplements or other products made with the berries."
• He cautioned that the study, funded by UF sources, was not intended to show whether compounds found in acai berries could prevent leukemia in people.
• "This was only a cell-culture model and we don't want to give anyone false hope," Talcott said. "We are encouraged by the findings, however. Compounds that show good activity against cancer cells in a model system are most likely to have beneficial effects in our bodies."
• Other fruits, including grapes, guavas and mangoes, contain antioxidants shown to kill cancer cells in similar studies, he said. Experts are uncertain how much effect antioxidants have on cancer cells in the human body, because factors such as nutrient absorption, metabolism and the influence of other biochemical processes may influence the antioxidants' chemical activity.
• Another UF study, slated to conclude in 2006, will investigate the effects of acai's antioxidants on healthy human subjects, Talcott said. The study will determine how well the compounds are absorbed into the blood, and how they may affect blood pressure, cholesterol levels and related health indicators. So far, only fundamental research has been done on acai berries, which contain at least 50 to 75 as-yet unidentified compounds.
• "One reason so little is known about acai berries is that they're perishable and are traditionally used immediately after picking," he said. "Products made with processed acai berries have only been available for about five years, so researchers in many parts of the world have had little or no opportunity to study them."
• Talcott said UF is one of the first institutions outside Brazil with personnel studying acai berries. Besides Talcott, UF's acai research team includes Susan Percival, a professor with the food science and human nutrition department, David Del Pozo-Insfran, a doctoral student with the department and Susanne Mertens-Talcott, a postdoctoral associate with the pharmaceutics department of UF's College of Pharmacy.
• Acai berries are produced by a palm tree known scientifically as Euterpe oleracea, common in floodplain areas of the Amazon River, Talcott said. When ripe, the berries are dark purple and about the size of a blueberry. They contain a thin layer of edible pulp surrounding a large seed.
• Historically, Brazilians have used acai berries to treat digestive disorders and skin conditions, he said. Current marketing efforts by retail merchants and Internet businesses suggest acai products can help consumers lose weight, lower cholesterol and gain energy.
• "A lot of claims are being made, but most of them haven't been tested scientifically," Talcott said. "We are just beginning to understand the complexity of the acai berry and its health-promoting effects."
• In the current UF study, six different chemical extracts were made from acai fruit pulp, and each extract was prepared in seven concentrations.
• Four of the extracts were shown to kill significant numbers of leukemia cells when applied for 24 hours. Depending on the extract and concentration, anywhere from about 35 percent to 86 percent of the cells died.
• The UF study demonstrates that research on foods not commonly consumed in the United States is important, because it may lead to unexpected discoveries, said Joshua Bomser, an assistant professor of molecular nutrition and functional foods at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
• But familiar produce items have plenty of health-giving qualities, he said.
• "Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk for many diseases, including heart disease and cancer," said Bomser, who researches the effects of diet on chronic diseases. "Getting at least five servings a day of these items is still a good recommendation for promoting optimal health."

Acai in the fight against cancer?

This preliminary research indicates a possible anti-cancer effect of anthocyanins and other pigments, as shown for North American dark berries like the blueberry and black raspberry. Six reports have been listed on the US National Library of Medicine database, since 2004
• The Acai Berry Boosts Immunity
• More and more people seem to be getting sicker, longer than ever before. This is because our food is grown in environments which are poorer in natural minerals and we don't eat as well as we should. The Acai berry is grown in the Brazilian Amazon rain forest in some of the richest soil on the planet. As a result, each berry is packed with the most complete naturally occurring assortment of exactly what the body needs to fight disease and increase energy. When the body has what it needs to fight off disease, the human body becomes amazingly resilient to infections both from bacterial agents, as well as viral agents.
• Why are Antioxidants so Important?
• To understand the role that antioxidants play, you have to understand what free radicals are. Free radicals are molecules that reportedly damage our cellular membranes and even our DNA. Free radicals come from various pesticides, preservatives, and pollutants in the very air that we breathe. If our bodies lack the fuel to fight off these free radicals, then we run the risk of our cells mutating and forming cancerous growths. Antioxidants are created by the body from various substances and are what the body uses to fight off these free radicals and strengthen cells. Antioxidants allow the body to neutralize many of these free radicals reducing the risk of many diseases, including heart disease. The body converts many vitamins and minerals into antioxidants, of these most are contained in the Acai berry.

The Acai Berry Boosts Resistance to Diseases

Acai Berry Increases Energy

Acai Berry and Cholesterol

QUALITY: Finding an acai company who creates a quality, organic, pure acai product who will not rip you off. Since acai is so popular these days, many manufacturers have entered the market creating watered down acai products with fillers which give you NONE of the benefits that authentic acai will give you. Physician Naturals SimplyPure Organic Acai Max is identified as one of the manufacturers supplying the purest Acai in capsule form.

While additional research is needed, pilot studies suggest that in otherwise healthy, overweight adults, daily consumption of pure organic sugar free acai reduces cholesterol significantly and several markers of metabolic syndrome associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke," said Jack F. Bukowski, MD, Ph.D., a former Harvard professor and currently Director of the Nutritional Science Research Institute.

Colon Detoxification

The Acai berry is a Brazilian local berry which is found in the Amazonian rainforest area. Other parts of the planet have become aware of the Acai berry only recently. Medical science has proved the Acai berry to have the utmost antioxidant concentration among all other foods in the world. The Acai berry fruit has 10 times as much as grapes and 30 times as much as red wine. It is this feature of the Acai berry that supports the person's digestive metabolism and assists in colon detoxification, among dozens of other health benefits.

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