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Acai Berry


Pronounced a-sigh-ee, the acai berry is a small, round, dark berry, usually purple in colour. Looking like a blueberry, it contains a large seed in the middle of the flesh. Acai berry originates from the Amazon rainforest and grows on acai palm trees in bunches, similarly to bananas. A single tree can produce as many as 8 bunches of acai berries at one time. The acai berry is often used in energy drinks, energy bars, ice creams, smoothies and other popular natural health products.

The Acai berry is full of anti-oxidants which reverse cell damage caused by free radicals. The acai berry contains ten times more antioxidants than grapes and more than twice that of blueberries. It is thought that the acai berry aids in flushing toxins from our body, which leaves our body feeling rejuvenated. Being a metabolism booster, it has received much attention as a weight loss tool in shedding the calories.

Native citizens of Central America have used this berry for over 200 years to aid with digestion problems such as flatulence, gas and bloating. In addition, they used Acai berry it to boost their energy levels when feeling low, skin irritations, sexual dysfunction and insomnia. Being a low-sugar containing food, it is an ideal snack for diabetics.

It is claimed that consuming the Acai berry has or does the following:

Data from a source who asked for the link to be removed as Google is clamping down on paid links and this was incorrectly interpreted as such. Ah the trials of doing business in the 21st century!

From Alternative Medicine, February 2006: “The publication of a new study tested the effect of pure açai juice - stripped of any lipids (EFAs) and cellulose material - on HL-60 human leukemia cells in vitro... ...They found that the extracts reduce cell proliferation from 56-86 percent, most likely by damaging the cells enough to cause them to self-destruct (apoptosis). This anticancer activity compares favorably with that of the chemotherapy drug, camptotechin.”

Another study looked at the effects of acaí berries in ten overweight people who were at risk for developing metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. For one month, the people took 100 grams of acaí pulp two times per day in a smoothie. Fasting blood sugar, insulin, cholesterol, triglyceride levels and markers of lung and overall inflammation were measured before and after the trial. They also ate a test meal before beginning the acaí supplement and again at the end of the study.

At the end of the study, blood sugar, insulin, and total cholesterol levels were significantly lower than at baseline. Acaí berries also seemed to curb the blood sugar-raising effect of the test meal. Based on studies of diabetes prevention, “these reductions are greater than those deemed necessary for a change in risk status,” said lead study author, Jay Udani of Medicus Research in Northridge, California.



Acai Berry is normally used in the following Healthelicious products: