Summary

Acai berries and juice are rapidly becoming one of the leading health food supplements available today. Users of Acai have been reporting appreciable improvements in health, including weight loss with no side effects. The Acai berry is receiving considerable attention from the public, media and health and fitness professionals around the world.

Overview

Berries, such as Blueberries and Raspberries, supply the body with valuable nutrients. A berry that is getting increasing attention in the media is the Acai berry. The Acai berry is small, purple in color and comes from a tree known as the Acai Tree (Euterpe oleraceae). This is a large palm tree indigenous to the Amazon River and its tributaries and estuaries in South America. This berry hit the spot light a few years back on the Oprah Show when resident expert Dr. Perricone named it in his top 10 superfoods list. Acai berries have been used for many generations by the natives of Brazil. These berries carry ten times the antioxidant content of grapes and twice that of blueberries. The Acai berry is rich in antioxidants, minerals and other health promoting compounds that can apparently aid in weight loss, building muscle and increasing overall energy.

Acai berry ingredients

Fatty Acids
Polyunsaturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, and saturated fatty acids contribute 11%, 60%, and 28% of total fatty acid, respectively. Oleic acid (53%) and palmitic acid (26%) are the two dominant fatty acids. These fatty acids help increase metabolism, thus burning weight producing calories more effectively.

Fiber
Acai contains a generous amount of fiber, which helps the digestive tract move fattening foods out of the body more rapidly. Excess food is therefore eliminated rather than absorbed and turned into fat. Additionally, fiber helps to satiate hunger.

Amino Acids
The Acai berry is rich in amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. Muscles require amino acids in order to operate effectively, and to regenerate from trauma and exercise stress. Nineteen amino acids are present; the total amino acid content being around 7%.

Phytosterols
These building blocks of cell membranes help fortify the digestive tract, helping the body move waste materials out, and absorb nutrients more efficiently. The three sterols B-sitosterol, campesterol, and sigmasterol have been identified.

Antioxidants
In addition to many impressive nutritional compounds, the Acai berry contains very high levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants are extremely important in the diet because they protect the body from oxidative damage that can lead to accelerated aging of the skin, and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. The most effective way to combat oxidative damage is by consuming high amounts of antioxidants.

Phytochemicals
The dark purple skin of the Acai berry has many times the phytochemical (anthocyanin) content of red wine. Anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and other flavonoids are the major phytochemicals in this berry. Two anthocyanins, cyandin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-rutinoside predominate; three others are also found as minor anthocyanins. Other flavonoids, namely, homoorientin, orientin, isovitexin, scoparin, and taxifolin deoxyhexose, along with several unknown flavonoids, are also present. Resveratrol occurs in very low concentrations.

How does Acai Berry facilitate weight loss?

The berry contains essential fatty acids, fiber, phytosterols and amino acids which work together to help the body burn fat more efficiently, and expel unwanted dietary fats more effectively via the gastrointestinal tract.

Side effects

There are no reported side effects from ingesting the Acai berry, or drinking the juice.

Pros

• Acai berries have been eaten for hundreds of years
• There are many positive testimonials with regard to health benifits
• Acai berries and juice have been featured in the media
• There are no reported side effects

Cons

• Acai berries have not been evaluated in detailed clinical studies

Where to buy?

Fresh, frozen or dried Acai Berries can be purchased at a health food store, or online. Acai is also available in the form of a liquid extract or in capsules.

What is the recommended dose?

There are no official guidelines on the recommended dosage of Acai extract. Much depends on a person’s medical condition, the medications they are using, and the other supplements that they are taking, etc. As a general rule, one capsule of Acai berry supplement (500 mg) daily seems reasonable for most people.

Common misspellings: Acai Berry, Acai Supreme, Acaee Berry Supreme, Acai Asai, Akai, Ackai, Acia, Acai Berry