Healthy Nutrition From the Acai Berry

The acai berry (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a small purple berry that is grown only in the rainforests of Brazil. It is highly perishable and because of that it has only been in recent years that it has been available throughout the world. However, it is quickly becoming known as one of the most nutritious foods in the world.

This little berry contains a wealth of antioxidants. While all of the vital nutrients found in this berry are important, two of these important antioxidants have been proven in different studies to have a huge benefit on our health. These antioxidants are crucial to the prevention of disease and problems typically associated with aging.

Quercetin is a plant-derived flavonoid that is abundant in the acai berry. Quercetin is believed to be partially responsible for the reduction in cancer, Alzheimer's and other diseases. While at this time there is no reliable clinical evidence on this nutrient and supplements of it specifically, it has been found that diets high in fruits and vegetables that are abundant in quercetin can contribute greatly to the reduction of disease.

In certain studies quercetin has demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the manufacture and release of histamine and other allergic mediators. It also has potent antioxidant activity as measured by the Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity or ORAC scale.

This little berry from the rainforest of Brazil is exceptionally high in quercetin. Other sources of this vital nutrient include red onions, tea, apples and red wine.

The acai berry is also rich in anthocyanins, which is the dark purple pigment in such foods as blueberries, eggplant and purple cabbage. This antioxidant has been proven in laboratory studies to be possibly beneficial for the prevention of cancer, aging and neurological diseases, inflammation, diabetes and bacterial infection.

In another recent study a purified form of anthocyanins was given to laboratory mice. This study concluded that the mice in the control group who received the purified anthocyanins were able to reduce their body fat and maintain it whereas the group of mice that were given the placebo and another group of mice that were given the actual fruit did not.

The acai berry is abundant in these two important flavonoids and other vital antioxidants and nutrients also. This little berry contains more than 30 times the amount of anthocyanins that is present in red wine. This little berry from the rainforest of Brazil is quickly becoming known as one of most nutritious foods ever found in the world.

Karen_Lynch

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