The Acai Berry – What’s Real and What’s Not?
Date: Thursday December 17, 2009Posted in: Baby Health
Some decades ago, the acai berry was little more than obscure fruit consumed in the rain forests of Brazil. But today, it is one of the most sought after and pricey fruits on the market. How did acai achieve celebrity status seemingly overnight?
As you would expect, the introduction of acai berry to most USA citizens was on TV. In a 2007 episode of the Oprah Winfrey show, the legendary host extolled the advantages of the berry with expert guests who claimed the fruit couldn’t only help people shed the pounds, but also slow the aging process.
The Acai Berry Today
An easy Google search on acai berries will yield hundreds and thousands of results and introduce you to numerous products, all of which claim that acai is a super, miracle food. Some people even posit that the tiny berry can cure cancer.
The berry itself is dark purple in color and looks a lot like a red grape, only a bit smaller. It is indigenous to the Amazon forest where it’s been consumed for centuries by native Brazilian tribes. Actually, it is said that the acai berry is eaten with such frequency that it comprises over 40 p.c of their total consumption. These tribes also harvest the berry to sell them to local fruit corporations.
Coming to America
shortly after the fruit appeared on the Oprah show, requirement for the acai berry went through the proverbial roof. Supermarkets across the nation claimed that they were inundated by requests for the tiny miracle berry.
With this fame, the market demand spawned countless acai related products. Now, the hottest product is acai berry juice, which can be found in most shops and health food outlets. Many products may also be bought over the Net.
In the following few paragraphs, we will try to separate the grain from the chaff, fact from fiction. We will start by looking at some of the most common claims of acai berry buyers.
The Claims
One of the commonest claims of sellers and clients alike is that acai can essentially rev up your constitution and cause your body to burn more calories. This has pushed the diet-crazed American public to snap up the juice and related products whenever and where ever theywould find them.
It’s also said the fruit helps cure sleeping disorders like insomnia and may even work as an aphrodisiac and increase sexual desire and performance. Many folk also claim that it can improve psychological clearness, very like Ginkgo Biloba.
What we do know
There’s no doubt that acai is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods on the face of the earth. This is critical because antioxidants help the body fight off free radicals that can cause damage to the DNA and can also clog arteries. However , in spite of reports by many eager users the wonder berry can really reduce the aging process, it has never been proved that serious amounts of antioxidants can reverse, stop oreven slow aging.
But we do know that antioxidants increase LDL, the good cholesterol, while reducing HDL, the bad cholesterol. And in lab tests, analysts have proven that the berry has 10 times the antioxidants of grapes and double the antioxidants of blueberries.
The fruit is also believed to be the perfect blend of antioxidants, essential greasy acids and amino acids. This has helped make it a rapid success with athletes and other health-fixated people. Itis no question why professional South American soccer players regularly snack on acai berries before any large game.
But how will they taste? Many consumers respond that the berry reminds them of an exotic mix of berries and chocolate. Perhaps that it is why the fruit is used to flavor cocktails, make smoothies and as a topping for ice cream in its native Brazil.
The Hype Machine
Like most things in a client society, folks have a tendency to get carried away, particularly when working with an effective product. It is clear the acai berry is indeed one of the healthiest fruits in the world today, and it can offer users an abundance of amazing health benefits. But nothing we have seen has proven that it is a miracle fruit, and claims this tiny berry can reverse or halt growing older or maybe cure cancer is a touch more than wishful thinking.
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