Thursday, October 25, 2007

Acai Berry

What is Acai?

Acai is a Brazilian berry from the Amazon Region that is considered to be one of nature's most complete and healthy foods. The acai berry is loaded with antioxidants, anthocyanins (approximately 20 times the amount in red wine), amino acids, essential omegas, fibers and protein. Some recent studies from the University of Florida indicate that Acai may even fight cancer cells: "Brazilian berry destroys cancer cells in lab, UF study shows".

The Acai Berry Boosts Immunity

More and more people seem to be getting sicker, longer than ever before. This is because our food is grown in environments which are poorer in natural minerals and we don't eat as well as we should. The Acai berry is grown in the Brazilian Amazon rain forest in some of the richest soil on the planet. As a result, each berry is packed with the most complete naturally occurring assortment of exactly what the body needs to fight disease and increase energy. When the body has what it needs to fight off disease, the human body becomes amazingly resilient to infections both from bacterial agents, as well as viral agents.

Why are Antioxidants so Important

To understand the role that antioxidants play, you have to understand what free radicals are. Free radicals are molecules that reportedly damage our cellular membranes and even our DNA. Free radicals come from various pesticides, preservatives, and pollutants in the very air that we breath. If our bodies lack the fuel to fight off these free radicals, then we run the risk of our cells mutating and forming cancerous growths. Antioxidants are created by the body from various substances and are what the body uses to fight off these free radicals and strengthen cells. Antioxidants allows the body to neutralize many of these free radicals reducing the risk of many diseases, including heart disease. The body converts many vitamins and minerals into antioxidants, of these most are contained in the Acai berry.

The Acai Berry Boosts Resistance to Diseases

Nothing is more essential to living a healthy life, than having a strong immune system. It is extremely important that we give our body nutrients that it needs to fight sickness. Diseases can cause us to age more rapidly and can lead to many more life threatening issues. Research has shown that antioxidants are vital to strengthening the body's ability to resist disease. These antioxidants play a vital role in strengthening our cellular walls and decreasing cholesterol related disease.

The Acai Berry Increases Energy

While the immune system is perhaps the most important benefit, many people also use Acai to boost their energy levels. The failure of people to eat a diet high in antioxidants leads to drastically decreased energy levels as they grow older. Many people have reported having increased energy, stamina, and vitality comparable to when they were in their twenties. Imagine the change in lifestyle you will see simply by adding Acai to your diet.

The Acai Berry and Cholesterol

The Acai berry can help maintain good (HDL) cholesterol while reducing bad (LDL) cholesterol. This is necessary to reduce the risk of fatty buildups in the arteries which can lead to heart disease. Even the FDA is starting to realize the potential that the essential fatty acids can play in decreasing heart disease. They recently began allowing manufacturers to put the following statement on their Omega-3 containing products: "Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease." In addition to the essential fatty acids, the antioxidants contained in the Acai berry, can help to reduce the risk of heart disease reportedly caused by free radicals in the body.

If you're looking for something healthy to try this winter season to help boost your immune system, you might want to check our your local health food store to see if they carry Acai. A word of warning, there is Acai berry juice on the market, read the label! The first ingredient is apple juice.... this is not what you are looking for! In order to get the purest form you need to do some research and read the labels/ingredients before buying. There are several websites but Amazon Thunder seems to be the best one so far. Todd, owner of Amazon Thunder, was thoroughly tired of seeing all the inferior mlm acai products; so he created his own brand of high quality 100% pure acai berry products. The product was featured on Oprah.

3 comments:

Krystal Hartley said...

I don't think blogging is supposed to be educational, Izzy...what were you thinking? Just kidding...I like berries...does this one taste like a berry or is it just disguised that way and taste "healthy" instead? :)

Jan said...

Interesting! I've never heard of it. Thanks for the link. I plan to check it out! Might as well have something healthy with my chocolate! LOL!

RealRach said...

Reminds me of Xango. Bev takes it daily.