Acai Berry is a Nutrient Dense Food: Improved Health and Prevention of Chronic Disease with Antioxidant Rich Foods
Açai Berries are a Nutrient Dense Food
Açai berries are the almost tasteless fruit of a palm tree. Yet they may be the most powerful source of food on the planet. For centuries the açai berry has been a diet staple for people living in the Amazonian region of Brazil. In addition to being a source of food the açai berry has been used for treating certain illnesses.
The medicinal properties can be attributed in part to its high nutritional value. Açai berries are reported to possess every essential amino acid required by the human body to make protein. In theory this berry is a nutrient dense food that alone is sufficient to sustain healthy life and aid in the prevention of chronic disease.
Importance of Antioxidant Rich Foods
Phytonutrients and antioxidants contained within açai berries and other fresh fruit and vegetables are important in the maintenance of optimal health. Some of the known benefits include strengthened immune function, cardiovascular and cellular health, gastrointestinal health, and the regulation of blood glucose among many other functions.
Antioxidants work to prevent damage to cells and tissues caused by free radicals. They do this by passing an electron, or negative charge, to free radicals rendering them stable and inactive. If the body does not receive sufficient bioactive antioxidants in the diet, cell damage can occur thus leading to a variety of diseases including cancer. Açai berries are an antioxidant rich food.
Açai Berries as Naturally Grown Sources of Multiple Antioxidants
Antioxidant activity is highest in fruit and vegetables grown naturally rather than the rapidly grown and nutrient deficient varieties found often in large chain supermarkets. In particular blueberries, raspberries, elderberries, green capsicum, broccoli and spinach contain moderate to high levels of antioxidants.
There are several different types of free radicals which cause damage to cells therefore it is important to obtain more than one type of antioxidant by consuming a variety of fruit and vegetables, in particular greens and the brightly coloured fruits. The açai berry alone, by contrast, contains several different types of antioxidant.
Broad Nutritional Value of Açai Berries
Açai berries possess more than four times the antioxidant activity of the best fruit and vegetables available in supermarkets. Apart from the antioxidants and amino acids the açai berry contains many vitamins, most abundantly vitamin E, essential fats, and trace minerals such as iron and calcium. Like red wine, red grapes and other berries, it contains very high levels of anthocyanin the pigmented plant flavonoid shown to have a protective effect on cardiovascular health.
Dietary Prevention of Chronic Disease
Unfortunately many people do not consume enough fresh fruit and vegetables daily in order to meet the body’s requirements to fight effectively against disease and aging. The onset of many chronic diseases and inflammatory conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and general suboptimal function of vital organs is delayed, appearing after many years of poor nutrition.
As a consequence of this delay in symptoms most people are unaware that they could have prevented, or reduced the impact of, health problems through more careful attention to diet. Some interesting evidence exists for anticancer activity in açai berries in addition to the broad prevention of chronic disease. One published journal article reports an ability to kill leukemia cells.
Bioactive Sources of Açai Berry Nutrients
Outside of Brazil, fresh açai berries are impossible to obtain. They lose their nutrients very quickly after harvesting making them unsuitable for transportation to distant supermarkets. Açai palms grow exclusively in Amazonia. There have not been any reports of growing the trees successfully in other regions of the world. Consequently several juice products and pseudo-pharmaceuticals have appeared on the market. However it is important to know which products contain bioactive nutrients since most antioxidant activity is lost during processing and storage.
Mona Vie Açai Blend
One company, Mona Vie, produces a bottled juice containing 19 fruits including the açai berry. They have developed a freeze-drying method of conserving the nutritional content of the berries. The end product has been tested formally and scientific data reported in respected journals. Results demonstrate the retention of antioxidant activity in addition to the presence of a broad spectrum of other valuable nutrients.
There may be others on the market; however this freeze-drying method patented to Mona Vie may be the only means of protecting the fragile properties of açai berries. It is possible that the Mona Vie açai blends are the most nutrient dense foods and the best antioxidant rich foods of all products in this range. There are many reports on the ability of these products to help in the management and/or prevention of chronic disease.
More about Mona Vie açai blends.
References
Del Pozo-Insfran D, Percival SS, Talcott ST, 2006. Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) polyphenolics in their glycoside and aglycone induce apoptosis of HL60 leukemia cells. J Agric Food Chem 54(4):1222-9.
Jensen GS, Patterson KM, Barnes J, Certer SG, Wu, W, Scherwitz L, Beaman R, Endres JR, Schauss AG, 2008. In vitro and in vivo antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity of an antioxidant-rich fruit and berry juice blend. Results of a pilot and randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. J Agric Food Chem 56(18): 8326–8333.
Schauss AG, Wu X, Prior RL, Ou B, Patel D, Huang D, Kababick JP, 2006. Phytochemical and nutrient composition of the freeze-dried amazonian palm berry, Euterpe oleraceae mart. (açai). J Agric Food Chem 54: 8598-603.
Schauss AG, Wu X, Prior RL, Ou B, Huang D, Owens J, Agarwal A, Jensen GS, Hart AN, Shanbrom E, 2006. Antioxidant capacity and other bioactivities of the freeze-dried amazonian palm berry, Euterpe oleraceae mart. (açai). J Agric Food Chem 54: 8604-10.
This post is part of the series: Mona Vie Acai Berry Juices
Mona Vie acai berry blends are gaining a reputation for their ability to improve health and perhaps even prevent chronic disease. This series discusses the unique benefits of this range of juices and offers an explanation of the science behind the claims.