The #1 Superfood: The Acai Berry

Dr. Nicholas Perricone declares the acai berry the #1 Superfood on the Oprah show

[Reprinted from www.virtualhealthinfo.com, February 2006]

Referred to in almost miraculous terms, the acai (ah-SAH’-ee) fruit (berry) has become known as one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world. It comes from a palm tree that is widely distributed in northern South America with its greatest occurrence and economic importance in Brazil. The acai palm is described as being ornamental, with multiple branches reaching up to 80 feet in height. It produces small deep purple, almost black, acai fruit berries that grow in groups of 3 – 8 per bunch.

Acai has recently been called “The #1 Superfood for Anti-Aging” by Dr. Nicholas Perricone, author of The Perricone Promise: Look Younger, Live Longer in Three Easy Steps. He has given acai this title because of the numerous outstanding health promoting properties inherent in the fruit.

Major television networks are also bringing attention to acai. NBC's Today Show recently featured a report on this very potent fruit, calling it the "Viagra of the Amazon", touting it for helping with circulation, longevity and anti-aging. People Magazine is asking the question, What is “The latest look-better, live-longer Superfood?” Acai is the answer - packed with a remarkable concentration of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. In fact, it is probably one of the richest fruit sources known. The importance of antioxidants for health comes from their ability to mitigate damaging free radicals, slow down the aging process and protect against many diseases. The major source of antioxidants in acai is anthocyanins.

Anthocyanins are the chemical components that give the intense color to many fruits and vegetables. These beneficial compounds are also found in red grapes which is why many doctors and health professionals recommend drinking red wine. The acai berry, however, contains as much as 33 times more anthocyanins than grapes.

Healthful fatty acids are also an exceptional feature of acai. The fatty acid component of this amazing fruit looks similar to olive oil, and is rich in monounsaturated oleic acid. Research shows that this fat has the potential to support the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. It is also important in the regulation and balance of a variety of other mechanisms in the body.

In acai fruit juice drinks, look for the nutritious fatty acids floating on the top. This is a sure sign of a good quality product. Also, get an organically grown source of acai whenever possible.

Modern science is finally beginning to recognize and validate the merits of acai. In fact, one recent scientific research study highlights the far reaching scope of this phenomenal fruit. The study showed that acai was able to destroy cultured human cancer cells in the lab. Specifically, four out of six different chemical extracts made from acai fruit pulp triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested.

Stephen Talcott, researcher and assistant professor with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences cautioned that the study was not intended to prove that compounds found in acai could prevent leukemia in humans. However, he said that compounds which show good activity against cancer cells in a model system have the potential to have beneficial effects on the physical body.

Talcott will be involved with another study, expected to conclude in 2006, to determine the effects of acai’s antioxidant properties on healthy human subjects with respect to how acai compounds are absorbed into the blood system, and their effects on blood pressure, cholesterol and related health indicators. In South America, where acai is grown, traditional preparations are used freely as a beverage. Natives of Brazil and Peru have long known the potent health-related benefits and nutraceutical properties of this extraordinary fruit. With modern science beginning to catch up in its understanding of the acai, we could be on the forefront of a major health promoting explosion.

To purchase The Premier Acai Blend, with 19 beneficial fruits in a symbiotic proprietary blend, and the acai berry as the main ingredient, please go to our website.

Sources
Journal Of Agriculture And Food Chemistry, 2004, Volume 52, pages 1539-1545
Journal Of Agriculture And Food Chemistry, Web Release Date: January 12, 2006 - http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/asap/abs/jf052132n.html
Journal of The American College of Nutrition, 2005, Volume 24, pages 361-9
Nutrition Review,2005, Volume 63, pages 374-86
http://www.plantapalm.com/vpe/photos/Species/euterpe_oleracea.htm
The Perricone Promise Look Younger, Live Longer in Three Easy Steps, pages 62-6

Acai Berry Questions

What is Acai (AH-SIGH-EE)?
Acai is a small, round, black-purple berry with amazing nutritional properties. Its appearance is similar to that of a grape, but it has a smaller amount of pulp and a single large seed. Scientific experts have referred to the acai berry as the most nutritious and powerful food in the world.

Where does Acai grow?
The acai berry grows in clusters on the acai palm, a genus of 25–30 species of palms native to tropical Central and South America. These tall, slender, and attractive palms can grow 15–30 meters tall, with leaves up to 3 meters long. The prime commercial source of acai comes from the area where several rivers converge within the Amazon estuary, emptying along the northeastern corner of Brazil into the Atlantic Ocean between the states of Para and Amapa. The people of Brazil refer to acai as the “Milk of the Amazon.”

Does harvesting the acai berry destroy the Amazon rainforest?
No. In fact, Acai cultivation is helping to preserve the Amazon rainforest! Each week, poachers illegally chop down 5,000–10,000 palm trees to obtain and sell a 12-inch section of the palm known as the “palmito.” As a result, the entire tree dies. On the other hand, by harvesting the acai berry, the palm tree continues to thrive and the natives have an incentive to preserve the acai-bearing palm tree.

Why is the acai berry getting all this attention?
The Acai berry is getting all the buzz because it is packed with nutritional value—proteins, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals. It also has a low glycemic index. So complete is this berry that the Brazilian people living along the Amazon can survive on it as their sole source of food and demonstrate amazing vitality and energy.

Does Acai have a high ORAC (antioxidant) score?
Yes, compared with blueberries (94) and cranberries (92), the Acai berry boasts an ORAC score of 1,027. HOWEVER, the score is only this high when processed correctly. Only the Acai found in The Premier Acai Blend boasts the highest ORAC score of any fruit or vegetable tested to date. Other Acai products can't come close to this ORAC score, because they use inferior processing methods. When processed INCORRECTLY, the Acai berry's ORAC score can be as low as 100.

Drinking just 4 ounces of The Premier Acai Blend per day is the antioxidant equivalent of 13 servings of fruits and vegetables.

See what the HARVARD School of Public Health has to say about Fruits & Vegetables.

What does ORAC mean?
An acronym for oxygen radical absorption capacity, ORAC is a way to measure the antioxidant capacity of a food. Foods with high ORAC values are desirable for their ability to inhibit free radical activity. The ORAC measurement was developed by a scientist at the National Institute of Aging in 1992 and has proven to be a valuable tool in quantifying health benefits associated with consuming fruits, vegetables, and other antioxidant-containing foods and supplements.

What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are “agents” that inhibit harmful compounds known as free radicals. Free radicals cause damage to your cells through the process of oxidation. By donating an electron to unstable free radicals, antioxidants neutralize their harmful effects. Obtaining a variety of antioxidants through diet or supplementation is essential to maintaining your good health.

What are free radicals?
Free radicals are atoms with at least one unpaired electron. In excess, free radicals produce harmful oxidation that can damage cell membranes. Free radicals are analogous to cattle let loose on a field of planted crops. Uncontrolled, the cattle would destroy the crops. Ranch hands are hired to make sure the cattle stay in place and graze. Antioxidants act much the same way. As the ranch hands for our bodies, antioxidants prevent free radicals from potentially damaging millions of healthy, functioning cells.

What is oxidative stress?
Oxidative stress occurs in your body when there are not enough antioxidants to counter the effects of damaging free radicals.

What causes excess free radicals?
Tobacco smoke, alcohol, pollution, insecticides, radiation, chemicals in the home or at work, and excessive amounts of sunlight are all prolific contributors to the formation of free radicals. Other causes include a high-fat diet, stress, insufficient sleep, and strenuous exercise.

What are phytonutrients?
Phytonutrients are naturally occurring compounds that contribute to the flavor, color, and disease-resistance of plants (i.e., fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes). Phytonutrients are powerful antioxidants, but their value extends much beyond free radical protection. Maximum health benefits are derived from consuming a variety of phytonutrients with a full spectrum of colors and pigments.

What are polyphenols?
Polyphenols are a class of powerful antioxidants that play an important role in preventing cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart disease, heart failure, and stroke) and that have been shown to reduce harmful LDL cholesterol. Polyphenols are also thought to be responsible for the French Paradox: the French have a diet relatively high in fat, yet have a decreased incidence of heart disease. This is attributed to the amount of polyphenols present in the grapes used to make French wines. Acai products contain a powerful variety of polyphenols, including anthocyanins. It is estimated that Acai products have 20–30 times the amount of anthocyanins found in red wine.

Is Acai certified organic?
Actually, it's better than that. It's WILD. Wild means that no one is messing with it! The Acai berry has to defend itself against pests, heat, flooding, and all sort of threats in the Amazon Rainforest. That's why it has developed so many disease-fighting qualities. When we ingest the Acai berry, we are taking those disease-fighting qualities into our bodies. Only plants have these capabilities.

How many servings of fruits and vegetables does the U.S. National Research Council recommend we eat daily?
The U.S. National Research Council recommends that you consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day to maintain a proper supply of food derived antioxidants for your body. Research indicates that only five percent of the U.S. population consumes 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

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Dr. Perricone tells Oprah about the 10 Superfoods for Anti-Aging. Number one? The Acai Berry, from Brazil. MonaVie's headine ingredient? The Acai Berry.

Dr. Perricone's Superfoods:

Açaí

The Allium Family

Barley

Beans and Lentils

Buckwheat

Green Foods

Hot Peppers

Nuts and Seeds

Sprouts

Yogurt and Kefir

Ask the Expert
By Jeff Graham, From "MonaVie on the Move", October 2006 Issue

Is there a difference between oxidative stress and free radicals? How do Acai products help combat these?

Oxygen gives us life, but it can also cause oxidative stress that leads to cell damage. Smoking, breathing in pollution, ingesting hydrogenated fats, getting injured (physically), undergoing radiation, as well as mental stress infection, disease, and inflammation can all cause oxidative stress. Think of oxidative stress in the body like rusting metal, only in humans oxidation accelerates the aging process and age-related diseases.

This explains why those who smoke have so many wrinkles as they grow older - the wrinkles are the result of oxidative stress on the skin. By comparison, when you meet someone in their 50's or 60's in Brazil, who regularly consume the acai berry, you're struck by the appearance of their skin - it's supple and virtually wrinkle-free, even though they are subjected to UV rays from the sun every single day (and they don't use sunscreens).

The Acai berry contains antioxidants (such as anthocyanins and carotenoids), which combat the free radicals that lead to oxidative stress.

The Premier Acai Blend's patent pending, freeze-dried acai powder has an ORAC score (a measure of antioxidant power) of 1,027 - higher than any other fruit or vegetable tested to date, on a gram-to-gram basis.