Diet Plan 1-2-3 » acai berry supplements

Acai – Does It Really Work?

Diet Plan — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:41:44 +0000

Acai berry – a super food has its origin from the rainforests of Amazon in Brazil. Many theories have come up regarding the benefits of acai berry. Scientists and medical researchers are claiming that these berries are made with antioxidants, nutrients, minerals and vitamins. But one might think whether this exotic fruit is exactly what it is claimed to be. This can be answered if a person has been usually consuming acai. So does acai really work?

Yes – the bottom line is that acai does work!

As already said the acai berries are beneficial for health in many ways. They are considered to be very beneficial in weight loss as they contain appetite suppressants. They limit the hunger pangs for fatty and sweet foods. According to studies conducted by health care professionals the acai berry is actually helpful in reducing weight in comparison to other drugs.

While the subjects taking the drugs lost just 3-4 pounds, the subjects taking the acai pills lost 12-15 pounds! This was in support to strict diet and balanced exercise in both the cases. The acai extract is also known to boost the metabolism rate which supports in burning calories. The fiber content of these berries is helpful in digestion and overall health of a person. Acai oil is also used in various cosmetic products.

The bottom line here is that acai does work, but the important thing that must be looked into is that you get pure acai. The freeze-dried powder form is the one that has been chosen to be the purest. Many acai products have other juices and sugar as the ingredients besides acai, but these dilute the effectiveness of acai.

If acai berries are to be used for advancement of overall health, then products with high concentration should be wanted so as to get maximum benefit. Acai is not a magic that will cure diseases, but it does slows and prevents the onset of many diseases and is in every way beneficial for the body.

Impact Of Acai On Ageing

Diet Plan — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:05:35 +0000

Acai berry has become very common recently because of its numerous health benefits. This super drug is seen in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil. The acai berry fruit grows on the top of palm trees. It is deep purple in color and is full with all the eminent nutrients needed for a good maintenance of our overall health.

Acai berry plays an essential role in maintaining our health and also supports in protecting us from many diseases including heart-related ailments and cancer. The list of diseases from which it forms a shield in our body is quite long. According to many anti-aging experts, acai berry is a nutritious fruit and should form a major part of everyone’s daily diet.

Besides protecting from diseases, it can also resist the aging process as it contains a high content of antioxidants and concentrated anthocyanins. Since it contains both of these chief elements, it is considered good for the anti-aging process. Till now, this benefit was derived only from red wine. However, acai berry is said to have 20 to 30 times more anthocyanins as compared to red wine.

Acai berry also helps fight the free radicals in our body which are primarily responsible for the aging process, since they destroy different sections of the body in the long run. Amino acids and trace minerals are required by the muscles for contraction and regeneration. Both of these are present in acai berry and hence, it helps to preserve the skin as lack of contraction and regeneration of muscles makes the skin look aged.

The fatty acids present in acai berry consists a huge quantity of monounsaturated oleic acid. This, joined with omega 3 fish oil, makes the cells suppler when they enter the cell membranes. They also aid the proper working of hormones, insulin receptors, and neurotransmitters, thereby reducing inflation in the process.

Acai Berry Nutritional Content

Diet Plan — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:04:43 +0000

Acai berry is one of the species of the palm tree cultivated mostly in the Amazon River Basin of Brazil for its excellent features. Since acai berry is famous for its many nutritional contents, it is consumed by the Brazilian people as one of their chief food items. In recent years especially, acai berry has got global popularity and is being cultivated throughout the world for the same purpose.

Till now, research on acai berry nutritional content revolves around on a specific powder called the Opti-acai (freeze-dried form of acai berry skin and pulp). Per hundred grams of this powder contains 52.2 g crbohydrates (with 44.2 g of fiber), 533.9 calories, 32.5 g fat, and 8.1 g protein.

The quantity of vitamin C is almost negligible, calcium is 260 mg, iron is 4.4 mg, and vitamin A 1002U is in per hundred gram of this powder. It also contains glutamic acid and aspartic acid, and the content of amino acid was found to be 7.59% per hundred grams as per the studies.

Acai berry also contains 78-91% beta-sitosterol of the total sterols. The fat content in acai berry contains 56.2% oleic acid, 12.5% linoleic acid, and 24.1% palmitic acid of the total fats. There are polyphenols like vanillic acid and procyanidin acid are also available in the oils of the acai berry fruit. Some of the acids which degrade considerably after exposure to heat or during storage such as syringic acid, protocatechuic acid, ferulic acid, and hydroxybenzoic acid are also found in acai berry’s different products like juices, mixed juices, and powder.

Since there are a number of species of acai berry, various species are grown in many regions. Some eight species are grown in the marshy lands and floodplain areas of South and Central America, Peru, Brazil, and Belize. These slender, tall acai palm trees may grow up to 20-30 meters and have pinnate leaves, which are 3 meters long.