Acai Berries

Does acai berry has the highest anti-oxidant levels than some of commonly known superfruits like pomegranate, blueberries, etc? a recent revelation establishes that acai indeed has no extra beneficial nutrients than some of commonly used fruits like mango, blueberry, pomegranate, etc. The berry has been in use as a traditional staple food of amazon river basin tribes for centuries, but somehow recently gained recognition as so-called the "super fooda status in the western world. Nonetheless, this wonderful berry offers very good levels of anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins that would benefit overall health and fitness.

Acai pulp extract. Note dark brown, creamy texture dense liquid. Acai berry is a small, round, deep purple fruit obtained from the acai palm tree. Botanically, acai belongs to palm or arecaceae family of tall trees in the genus euterpe, and known as euterpe oleracea. Acai palm is a tall, slenderatree, which grows 15 to 25 m in height. The average mature plant can have 3-10 well-developed stems (10-18 cm in diameter) from a single seed and root system. It grows better under waterlogged low-lying plains, receiving good annual rainfall. Each stem behaves like individual tree and bears 3-5 bunches with each bunch carrying hundreds of berries, much similar toaareca palm or date palm.

Each acai berry measures about the size of small sized grape, 2-3 cm in diameter. Immature fruits appear dark-green initially, which turn deep-purple later upon attaining maturity. Technically, the fruit is a drupe which consists of outer-edible pulp surrounding a central large seed. Only the pulp part, comprising about just 10-15% of berry weight, is edible.

Acai berry has very good levels of anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins that have health benefiting and disease preventing properties.

Unlike other berries and fruits, acai has high caloric values and fats. 100 g of berries provide about 80-250 calories depending up on the preparation and serving methods. In fact, fresh acai berry has been the staple nutritious diet of native amazonian for centuries.

Acai berry contains many polyphenolic anthocyanin compounds like resveratrol, cyanidin-3-galactoside, ferulic acid, delphinidin, petunidin as well as astringent pro-anthocyanidin tannins like epicatechin, protocatechuic acid and ellagic acid. Scientific studies suggest that these compounds have been claimed to act as anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer functions by virtue of their anti-free radical fighting actions. In addition, tannins are known to have anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic properties.

Primary research studies suggest that ellagic acid in acai has anti-proliferative properties by virtue of its ability to directly inhibit dna binding of certain carcinogens (nitrosamine toxins in the food).

Acai berry is also rich in medium chain fatty acids like oleic acid (omega-9) and linoleic acid (omega-6). These compounds help reduce ldl-cholesterol level and raise good hdl-cholesterol levels in the body and thus help cut down heart disease risk. Additionally, the essential fats in acai help prevent skin dryness by maintaining adequate moisture in the skin.

Acai pulp has good levels of dietary fiber. Adequate fiber in the diet helps clear cholesterol through the stools.

Orac value (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) of acai berry is thought to be at mid-level range for fruits, higher than that of oranges but less

Than pomegranate. Usda so far not validated exact orac value for acai.

Acai extracts have been used by amazon basin tribes as the treatment remedy for diarrhea, parasitic infections, hemorrhages, and ulcer treatment.

A kind of decoction obtained from crushed seeds has been in use for the treatment of fever.

Decoction obtained from the roots has been used in the treatment of menstrual pain, liver diseases, malaria in peruvian culture.

Fresh acai are only available near their plantation. In general, acai fruits harvested twice a year. People, who are expert in climbing up trees, gather these completely mature bunches near the crownaend of the acai palm. Acai is highly perishable. Once harvested, they should either be eaten or transported to processing units. Several commercial products from the acai extraction are available in the stores. Freeze-dried whole acai also sold in the stores; however, they are nutritionally much inferior to fresh berries.

Delicious and crunchy, apple fruit is one of the most popular and favorite fruits among the health conscious, fitness lovers who firmly believe in the concept of ahealth is wealth.a this wonderful fruit is packed with rich phyto-nutrients that, in the true sense, indispensable for optimal health. The antioxidants in apple have several health promoting and disease prevention properties, and thereby, truly justifying the adage, aan apple a day keeps the doctor away.a.

Apples are obtained from the medium-sized tree belonging to the rosaceae family. The apple tree is thought to be originated in the mineral-rich mountain ranges of kazakhstan, and today, being cultivated in many parts of the world. Apple fruit features oval or pear shape. Its outer peel has different colors depending upon the cultivar type. Internally, its crispy, juicy pulp is off-white to cream in color, and has a mix of mild sweet and tart flavor. Its seeds are bitter in taste, and therefore, inedible. Hundreds of varieties of apples that are meant to be used either as table or dessert apples or in cooking grown in the us and worldwide. Cooking apples tend to be larger in size, crispier, and tarter than dessert types.

Delicious and crunchy apple fruit is notable for its impressive list of phtyto-nutrients, and anti-oxidants. Studies suggest that its components are essential for optimal growth, development, and overall wellness.

Apples are low in calories; 100 g of fresh fruit slices provide only 50 calories. They, however, contain no saturated fats or cholesterol. Nonetheless, the fruit is rich in dietary fiber, which helps prevent absorption of dietary-ldl or bad cholesterol in the gut. The fiber also saves the colon mucous membrane from exposure to toxic substances by binding to cancer-causing chemicals inside the colon.

Apples are rich in antioxidant phyto-nutrients flavonoids and polyphenolics. The total measured anti-oxidant strength (orac value) of 100 g apple fruit is 5900 te. Some of the important flavonoids in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin b2. Additionally, they are also good in tartaric acid that gives tart flavor to them. Altogether, these compounds help the body protect from deleterious effects of free radicals.

Apple fruit contains good quantities of vitamin-c and beta-carotene. Vitamin c is a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin c helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body. Further, apple fruit is a good source of b-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin, and pyridoxine (vitamin b-6). Together, these vitamins help as co-factors for enzymes in metabolism as well as in various synthetic functions inside the body.

Apples also carry a small amount of minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and calcium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure; thus, counters the bad influences of sodium.