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Acai Berry - Acai Berry Study - Acai Berry Benefits

Acai berry - businesses, attempting to lure health-conscious customers, tout the rewards of consuming this up-and-coming fruit. Before investing money for this berry, potential consumers should know more about it and the fruit’s potential benefits.

The acai berry was first used in the Amazon and comes from Central and South America, commonly Brazil. It is grown in floodplains and swamps on acai palm trees and has a round, purplish-black berry. They can look similar to grapes or blueberries in appearance. The acai berry has a single, large seed in the middle, which composes 90% of the total fruit.  The berry spoils quickly after being harvested and must be preserved by freezing, drying, or freeze-drying. During the production process, acai berries are put into water and shaken against one another. The fruit then separates from the seed.  A pulpy mass remains, which can be used in juices or other health products.

Acai Berry Benefits
Scientists report a number of benefits of consuming the berry. Many consider this fruit a “super food(Acai Berry Oprah Superfood)” of nutritious foods because it contains nutrition-dense antioxidants, phytonutrients, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. The berries are rich in healthy fatty acids, such as oleic acid, palmitic acid, and an omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid. Linoleic acid may help reduce bad cholesterol in the body. Acai berries also have a high amount of dietary fiber, composing 1/3 of each berry (Schauss et al, 2006a). Researchers are also investigating the possible benefits of the seed, in addition to the berry pulp.

The benefits of the acai berry can range, depending on the form of fruit consumed. Acai berries can be eaten whole or as juice, powder, or extract. The standardized oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), which measures antioxidant levels in foods, was measured in the berry’s powdered form in one study. Acai berries were found to have a 10% higher ORAC score than lowbush blueberry or cranberry, fruits commonly known for their antioxidant benefits. The acai berry had the same ORAC score as powdered cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, and oregano (Wu et al, 2004).

Another group of scientists compared three types of acai berry juice with other common sources of antioxidants: tea, red wine, and six other fruits. The average antioxidant levels of the acai berry products were the same as black cherry and cranberry juices. The level was higher than that of orange juice, apple juice, and tea (Seeram et al, 2008). Beneficial antioxidants generally appear in the blood within two hours of drinking the juice. Not only are they present soon after consuming the fruit, but also a considerable length of time afterward. One study found that this fruit has “slow acting” antioxidants that remain in the body long after eating it, providing extended health benefits (Schauss et al, 2006b).

At the University of Florida, researchers found that acai berries are highly effective in causing cultured leukemia cells to self-destruct.  In fact, up to 86% of cancerous cells died after being combined with acai berry extract. However, this study did not include testing in the human body and did not prove that acai berries prevent cancer in people. Within the body, certain factors, such as metabolism, nutrient absorption, and the berry’s reaction with other biochemicals, may change the results. The university tested various extracts and concentrations of acai berry on the cancer cells. Researchers discovered that higher concentrations killed more cells. Other fruits, such as grapes, guavas, and mangoes, are also known to destroy cancer cells in similar studies.

Although further research remains, scientists continue to discover positive attributes of the acai berry and how it can be used by those in search of better health. Looking to various areas of the world, such as South America, allows them to discover new foods with previously unknown benefits.

Resources
Schauss, A. G., Wu, X., Prior, R. L., Ou, B., Patel, D., Huang, D., & Kababick, J. P. (2006a). Phytochemical and nutrient composition of the freeze-dried amazonian palmberry, Euterpe oleraceae Mart. (acai). J. Agric. Food Chem. 54 (22): 8598-8603.
Schauss, A. G., Wu, X., Prior, R. L., Ou, B., Huang, D., Owens, J., Agarwal, A., Jensen, G. S., Hart, A. N., & Shanbrom, E. (2006b). Antioxidant capacity and other bioactivities of the freeze-dried amazonian palm berry, Euterpe oleraceae Mart. (acai). J. Agric. Food Chem. 54 (22): 8604-8610.
Seeram NP, Aviram M, Zhang Y, et al (Feb 2008). “Comparison of antioxidant potency of commonly consumed polyphenol-rich beverages in the United States”. J Agric Food Chem. 56 (4): 1415–22.
Wu, X., Beecher, G.R., Holden, J.M., Haytowitz,D.B., Gebhardt, S.E., & Prior, R.L. (2004). Lipophilic and Hydrophilic Antioxidant Capacities of Common Foods in the United States. J. Agric. Food Chem. 52 (12): 4026-4037.

Related: Acai Berry, Acai Berry Diet, Acai Berry Juices, Acai Berry Extract, Acai Berry Powder.

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