5 Interesting Facts About Acai

Say it out loud! Aa-sigh-ee Berry! We are sure that at least 90 percent of you must have pronounced it as Aa-ka-ee. Well, that’s the first important fact you need to know about this antioxidant-rich fruit. This superfood garnered a lot of attention after American television personality, actress, and entrepreneur, Oprah Winfrey, said she loves acai and owes her weight loss to this relatively unknown fruit. Well, all the love and adulation coming its way is totally worth it. Do you want to know why? Well, let’s find out.

What is Acai?

Predominantly found in Brazil, South America, acai berries are usually found in floodplains, swamps, and ponds- basically marshy terrain. People residing near the Amazon rainforests have been using this superfood for thousands of years as a traditional medicine for a plethora of health conditions.To the rest of the world, acai is still a relatively unknown fruit. Touted as a superfood, acai contains antioxidants that fight free radicals in the body and reduce inflammations and the risk of developing chronic diseases. Its health benefits include reducing the risk of arthritis, high cholesterol and blood pressure, weight loss, skin appearance, as well as detoxification, among other things.

How Does Acai Benefit Health?

Known to be a powerhouse of antioxidants, acai is known to reduce oxidative stress in the body, which is the number one reason for all sorts of chronic diseases including diabetes, heart ailments and even cancer. This fruit also protects the cells from any kind of damage. Acai has the most amount of antioxidants when compared to its counterparts from the berry family- especially the blueberries, which are touted to be one of the most nutritious fruits you can lay your hands on. You can have them as it is, or consume them in the form of smoothies, yogurt, juices, fruit salad, or as an additive in supplements, among other things. So let’s delve a little deeper and look at some of the benefits, which make it one of the most interesting superfoods in the world.

●    The Best Thing To Happen To Your Skin: Yes, want to get youthful, supple and gorgeous skin? Well, you know what to include in your everyday diet. Acai berry is a rich source of vitamin C. It contains high levels of fatty acids like Omega-3, Omega-6, and monounsaturated oleic acid, all of which promote the production of collagen in the body - a very important protein that gives the skin a youthful, supple and natural plumpish glow.
●    Helps You Shed Those Extra Kilos: If you want to lose weight, then ensure that you make this berry a part of your daily diet. If you are someone who is relying on supplements to aid the process of weight loss, then see to it that acai is an essential ingredient in it. However, it is advisable to support it with a balanced healthy diet and regular exercise to get the best results. The fact that this berry is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and dietary fiber, you will stay satiated for long after consuming them, thereby suppressing your appetite, and controlling your calorie intake.
●    Food For A Healthy Heart: Given the fruit is rich in fatty acids like omega 3, omega 6 and even omega 9 (oleic acid), consuming this fruit regularly helps to lower the levels of bad cholesterol and triglyceride and, at the same time, raise the levels of good cholesterol, thereby contributing to a healthy heart.
●    Mind Matters: Rich in antioxidants, acai berries are the best food for your cognitive health. Their bluish-purple colour signifies the presence of polyphenols that activate proteins in the body responsible to offset the cellular damage caused due to oxidative stress. Furthermore, the antioxidants recycle the toxic chemicals that are responsible for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers and dementia.
●    The Healthier Alternative To Desserts: Acai is not very sweet, unlike most fruits such as grapes, mangoes, chikoo, and the like. However, they have just the right amount of sweetness to satiate your sweet craving. This way it stops you from gorging on desserts, which may lead to weight gain. Given that they are low in sugar, they also help to regulate insulin in the blood, thus proving to be of great help to people who suffer from diabetes.

Final Takeaway

Acai must have been a relatively unknown fruit a decade ago, but it has truly grown into prominence in recent years. Its health benefits have garnered it the reputation of a superfood. These days most health supplements and products contain this immunity-boosting fruit. One such product is Wellbeing Nutrition’s Daily Greens, which is multivitamins made out of 39 farm-fresh vegetables, fruits, green leafy vegetables, and antioxidant-rich superfoods like acai, wheatgrass, spirulina, moringa, and the like. A tube of Daily Greens contains 15 effervescent tablets. All you need to do is drop a tablet into a glass of water, watch it fizz and drink it all up! This delicious drink will not only help you boost your immune system, but also help you relieve stress, improve bone health, promote healthy digestion, enhance skin health, and regulate sugar levels, among other things.

References:

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• Acai, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/acai)
• Mirele da Silveira Vasconcelos, Erika Freitas Mota, Neuza Felix Gomes-Rochette, Diana Célia Sousa Nunes-Pinheiro, Seyed Mohammad Nabavi, Dirce Fernandes de Melo, Chapter 3.1 - Açai or Brazilian Berry (Euterpe oleracea),Editor(s): Seyed Mohammad Nabavi, Ana Sanches Silva, Nonvitamin and Nonmineral Nutritional Supplements, Academic Press, 2019, Pages 131-133, ISBN 9780128124918,https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-812491-8.00017-5. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128124918000175)

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