Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is just one of the newest superfruits in town, sourced from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. You've likely received junk mail touting the exotic fruit for its amazing health benefits, but you may still wonder what the berry really is.
Similar in appearance to blueberries, the tiny berry packs of lot of antioxidants in a powerful fruity punch. A study by Texas A&M finds that the fruit's numerous disease-fighting antioxidants are readily absorbed by the human body. While good for you, there is still plenty of doubt about claims that the acai fights cancer or lowers cholesterol, but so far the evidence looks promising.
"While additional research is needed, pilot studies suggest that in otherwise healthy, overweight adults, daily consumption of pure organic sugar free acai reduces cholesterol significantly and several markers of metabolic syndrome associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke," said Jack F. Bukowski, MD, Ph.D., a former Harvard professor and currently Director of the Nutritional Science Research Institute.
To best enjoy the benefits of acai, try buying pulp or juice rather than supplements. Because many companies offer a watered-down version of acai, here are some things to keep in mind when looking for the perfect acai product:
Look for the USDA Certified Organic Label to ensure that you are getting the maximum benefit of acai without chemicals or preservatives.
It's not easy to get a Kosher certification, so buying a kosher certified acai product ensures another level of quality.
Make sure that the acai product you buy has no sugar. Sugar is inflammatory and feeds cancer, while acai is anti-inflammatory. When choosing a product without sugar, you are getting all of the benefit of the berry, without sacrifice.
Buy acai in a glass. Plastic can leach into the product and contaminate it.
Acai products should contain no preservatives because preservatives can counter the effect of the acai.
Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities of different foods. Look for an ORAC rating of at least 3,000 ORAC's per one ounce serving. If your acai label doesn't mention ORAC, then it might be very low, so take a pass.
If natural and authentic, acai juice is thick when it contains no water added, no sugar, no preservatives, no sodium and is just pure acai.
Purchase acai in stores to ensure quality. Some internet sites may be a scam.
Similar in appearance to blueberries, the tiny berry packs of lot of antioxidants in a powerful fruity punch. A study by Texas A&M finds that the fruit's numerous disease-fighting antioxidants are readily absorbed by the human body. While good for you, there is still plenty of doubt about claims that the acai fights cancer or lowers cholesterol, but so far the evidence looks promising.
"While additional research is needed, pilot studies suggest that in otherwise healthy, overweight adults, daily consumption of pure organic sugar free acai reduces cholesterol significantly and several markers of metabolic syndrome associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke," said Jack F. Bukowski, MD, Ph.D., a former Harvard professor and currently Director of the Nutritional Science Research Institute.
To best enjoy the benefits of acai, try buying pulp or juice rather than supplements. Because many companies offer a watered-down version of acai, here are some things to keep in mind when looking for the perfect acai product:
Look for the USDA Certified Organic Label to ensure that you are getting the maximum benefit of acai without chemicals or preservatives.
It's not easy to get a Kosher certification, so buying a kosher certified acai product ensures another level of quality.
Make sure that the acai product you buy has no sugar. Sugar is inflammatory and feeds cancer, while acai is anti-inflammatory. When choosing a product without sugar, you are getting all of the benefit of the berry, without sacrifice.
Buy acai in a glass. Plastic can leach into the product and contaminate it.
Acai products should contain no preservatives because preservatives can counter the effect of the acai.
Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities of different foods. Look for an ORAC rating of at least 3,000 ORAC's per one ounce serving. If your acai label doesn't mention ORAC, then it might be very low, so take a pass.
If natural and authentic, acai juice is thick when it contains no water added, no sugar, no preservatives, no sodium and is just pure acai.
Purchase acai in stores to ensure quality. Some internet sites may be a scam.
