Acai Berry Antioxidant Juice

The acai berry is one of the world's most interesting and unique foods. It may also be one of its healthiest. Chock-full of antioxidants, amino acids, AND essential fatty acids, the tiny little acai berry packs a nutritional wallop rarely seen in the natural world. In fact, some experts consider it to be the world's most "complete" natural food.

Acai berries come from the acai (pronounced ah-SIGH-ee) palm tree of South America. The native peoples of Brazil have eaten the berry for centuries and there are, in fact, many local legends about acai's incredible healing and sustaining powers. It remains a popular "health and energy" food in that country today. Fortunately for North Americans and Europeans, in the last few years acai berry products have made their way to foreign shores. Now just about anyone can (and should) try this incredibly healthy food for themselves.

To give you an idea of just how powerful this fruit really is, consider the nutritional profile of acai berry pulp: - 10-30 times the anthocyanins (strong antioxidants) of red wine - an almost perfect essential amino acid complex (the "building blocks" of protein) - 60% Oleic acid, an omega-9 monounsaturated essential fatty acid - 12% Linoleic acid, an omega-6 polyunsaturated essential fatty acid - a full array of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements - large amounts of plant sterols (phytochemicals with numerous health benefits) - significant amounts of natural dietary fiber - natural calcium! As you can see, there aren't many things that the acai berry doesn't have! But the good news doesn't end there. Acai has a vibrant taste that most people find very, very pleasing. Though difficult to describe, some people compare the flavor of acai to tart, chocolate-covered cherries or blueberry ice cream with a hint of chocolate. Not bad for something so healthy!

A few of the more common benefits reported by people who consume acai berries on a regular basis include: - Greater energy and vitality - Increased stamina - Improved circulation - Improved digestion - Better sleep - Improved sexual function - Healthier, better-looking skin - Increased sense of overall "well-being" By now you're probably aching to try this super-fruit for yourself. Fortunately it's becoming more and more widely available throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia. Look for acai smoothies and acai berry juices at your local health foods shops. There are also several health supplements on the market which contain dried acai berry powder... but it would be a shame to miss out on the delicious and unique taste of this amazing berry!

Article Source: by Jamie, http://awesomewebessentials.com/articles/

Brazilian Acai Berry Destroys Cancer Cells in Lab

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A Brazilian 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.”

Is Acai Berry the Best Antioxidant Dietary Supplement

Fresh, Delicious, Organically-Grown, Antioxidant Rich Acai Like You've Never Tasted Before-Delivered Right To Your Door.

When it comes to Acai, there has been a groundbreaking discovery in the acai Berry as an extremely powerful antioxidant dietary supplement. Antioxidants are essential for full body health and to prevent free radical damage. If unchecked free radical process snowballs as we age and eventually we begin to feel its effects at around age 35 or 40 - the domino effect of untreated massive cell damage. Things begin to go wrong.

Fighting Free Radical Damage with an Antioxidant Rich Acai Juice Supplement as the unchecked flow of free radicals damage cells we begin to see degeneration, aging and disease. Free radicals can invade a cell wall, damage the DNA, and begin the process that can start cancer. The free
radicals can invade the cell and cause the cell to slow down or stop working altogether. Depending on where this happens, it can disrupt many of the body's natural systems - from neuronal firing to hormonal balance. The Acai berry as an antioxidant dietary supplement serves to combat this free radical damage.

Acai was first introduced by Dr. Nicholas Perricone in his new book the Perricone Promise. In the book he calls the acai berry the most perfect food on the planet. Dr. Perricone rates the Acai Berry #1 on his list of recommendations for the top ten ingredients to look and feel younger, enjoy revitalized health and decelerate the aging process.

Acai - Food High in Antioxidants

The acai berry is also very unique, being packed with so many nutrients. It has amino acids, which is unheard of in fruits and vegetables in North America. Acai has the protein content of an egg, the essential fatty acids of olive oil and is rich in the A and B vitamins. Acai is a 'multivitamin' food supplement! Taking the acai berry as an antioxidant dietary supplement has incredible health benefits. Even if you are healthy you will notice positive effects as you introduce a more balanced nutrition to your body, including increased energy and mental clarity.

Antioxidants have long been recognized as an essential part of our diet in order to restore our health and prevent future disease. Now we have access to the most powerful dietary supplement ever discovered the Amazon Acai Berry. This will take our health to whole new levels.

How to take Acai as an Antioxidant Dietary Supplement

What is the best way of adding the exotic acai berry to your diet? The best delivery of an antioxidant is ideally in liquid form, so look for an acai juice product. Look for a company that responsibly helps to conserve the Brazilian rainforest. Ideally the company is one that is closest to the source, harvesting and processing in Brazil. Make sure the company has the highest quality pharmacological processing in order to ensure that you are getting the purest form of Acai product, and the best results.

Written By: James Paul

Acai The Brazilian Miracle

You may have noticed a new kid on the chilled fruit juice block at your local supermarket or at your favourite smoothie bar, it's called acai, pronounced ah-sigh-ee and it comes from the Amazon region of Brazil where it is known as 'The Tree of Life'.

This fantastic tree, a member of the palm family and related to the saw palmetto, grows in the flood plains of the mighty Amazon river where it reaches over 20 meters high. The berries grow prolifically along branches that spring out of the top and look a bit like 'Sideshow Bobs'' hair and are gathered by the indigenous people who scramble up the trunk to cut the berry laden boughs and then take them to the market.

Speed is of the essence because the berries start to loose their potency as soon as they get picked so they need to be frozen as soon as possible.

It had been a popular drink in the Amazon district for hundreds of years but came to light when a cafe in Rio de Janeiro started selling it. Across the street was a Jujitsu school, run by Carlos Gracie, who tried some and insisted on his pupils drinking it to boost their performance. The pupils were very fit looking people and they said that it was because they drank acai. The surfers picked up on this and its reputation grew and grew until it went international.

The berries are not the only good thing on this tree, the Brazilians also use the stems of the leaves which are harvested as palm hearts and the bark and roots are used in medicine for a wide variety of ailments from anemia to muscle pains and worms.

This little purple berry is packed with anti oxidants such as phytochemicals, polyphenols and anthocyanins, fatty acids omega 6 and 9, calcium, proteins and fibre which are all great for a healthy life. It is the anthocyanins that are, perhaps, creating the most interest because of large amounts present in the fruit. These are the chemicals that are found in the dark purple colour in plants and came to prominence as the healthy ingredient in red wine that helps to protect
the heart and there are so many anthocyanins in acai berries, they haven't all been researched yet.

Early research has shown it has been able to destroy large numbers of leukaemia cells in the laboratory but a lot more investigation is needed before any conclusions can be drawn over its full medicinal properties.

As with most of the purple berries they are useful in the fight against a wide range of ailments such as cancer, heart disease, cholesterol, macular degeneration, Alzheimers' disease, infections of the urinary tract and have anti bacterial and anti fungal properties. Unlike other berries, these are just packed with an abundance of health giving ingredients which really does allow them to use the name super food.

Something this good usually turns out to taste like old socks, but acai juice is really nice, a berry flavour with an after taste tinged with chocolate although when sold it is mixed with other fruit juice. To ensure you are getting a good quantity of this wonder berry, check the list of ingredients and buy the one with acai listed as the highest constituent. It will probably be more expensive but well worth the extra cost.

Another way of buying acai berries is to get it as a frozen paste which you can use in making your own smoothies or as a topping for your breakfast cereal or even ice cream.
Many foods have been hyped as the greatest but the acai really does appear to have earned the name super food.

Ian Richards is the webmaster of the http://www.yourpower2be.com stable of websites

Acai Berry Health Secret or Natural Cure Scam

The Acai berry is a well-kept secret of the Amazon. A secret to the Western world, the acai berry has been grown in the Amazon for years. People in the Western world are just now beginning to realize just how much this berry maximizes health through its amazing antioxidant powers.

For those who haven’t seen it, the acai berry, dark and purple in color, is enriched in a large number of healthy substances, including those with antioxidant power. This berry grows without cultivation atop palm trees which dominate the rain forests in the Amazon, especially in Brazil. The local people harvest the berries and use it to make a type of fruit pulp. This fruit pulp is
flash-frozen in order to lock in its nutritional abilities.

The benefits of the acai berry

Researchers have found that the acai berries are filled with a specific type of antioxidant nutrient known as anthocyanins. In case you haven’t studied it, these are the same substances that provide the red color to red wine. Like red wine, acai berries share the same healthy effects. Acai Berries also are rich in fiber and protein along with the essential fatty acids, omega-6 and omega-9.

These are the primary reasons why so many health aficionados are starting to take a long look at the acai berry and why it’s become so popular. Because it has the combination of fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber and protein, it is felt to be one of the perfect health foods by several experts.

If you are interested in the acai berry, there are places to buy them. The juice is also available. Many health food stores and retailers who specialize in whole foods have the berry available. Even some supermarkets will likely begin to sell the acai berry, especially as it gains in popularity. Some organic food stores are beginning to carry them.

If you like to surf the Internet, there are several internet sites that sell products created from the acai berry. Some of the best products include frozen juice made from the whole berry. The acai berry

juice is probably one of the best and healthiest products made from this product. The juice retains many of the antioxidant and other substances found in the berry itself.

The details

At the organic food store or on the web, you need to find out who the best suppliers are and figure out how the acai berry is picked from the bush and stored at each supplier. All of these
things can make a big difference in the nutrition you’ll find in the berry or in the juice. Only the wild berry should be used as opposed to any cultivated variety. Remember also that the berry must be flash-frozen and that it must not remain on store shelves for a long time. Packaging definitely affects health benefits.

The good news is that terrific manufacturers of acai berries exist, including those that both pick and package the berry for maximum freshness using the original methods of harvesting invented by the Amazonian farmers. The local farmers have had the most experience with the acai berry and they know the proper methods of picking the berry, freezing it and putting it in packages. These farmers have done a great deal to promote the acai berry and are willing to share this information with the rest of us.

You can benefit from taking acai, but if you really want to achieve radiant health you should try the master cleanse. People who've used the master cleanse have been able to wipe out sickness that's plagued them for years, lose weight, and send their energy levels surging. There has been a free book written to help you with the master cleanse diet. To find out more about the Master Cleanse Diet visit http://www.colonzone.org/Master-Cleansing-Diet.php