BRAZILIAN ACAI BERRY

The Most Amazing Fruit You’ve Never Heard Of By Steven Kalishman, J.D.Co-author, “Wellness Connexion: Simple Secrets of Ageless Vitality”http://www.wellnessconnexion.com/

It’s been called the “Wonder Food,” “Milk of the Amazon,” “The World’s #1 Superfood,” “The Most Nutritious and Powerful Food in the World,” and even the “Viagra of the Amazon!”

According to a Real Age magazine article entitled “Wonder Foods,” “Packed with twice the disease-fighting antioxidants of blueberries, acai has already made Oprah’s list of Top 10 Superfoods (#1), and The Washington Post called the blackberry-flavored fruit ‘the new pomegranate.’” The London Times boasts: “Acai [has] the nutritional content that makes other fruits blush with inadequacy.” Vogue positions acai as: “the next big workout cocktail.” Men’s Journal exclaims: “[Acai is] the fruit that packs a punch.” The Wall Street Journal headlines: “Acai Replaces Wheatgrass in Blenders at Juice Bars.” Good Morning America featured acai as one of “The Next Big Things for 2006.” NBC Today's Matt Lauer hosted a road show from the Amazon Rain forest in Brazil, reporting that locals now call the legendary Acai Berry the “Viagra of the Amazon!”

In his bestselling book “The Perricone Promise,” Dr. Nicholas Perricone called the acai berry “…one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world…nature’s perfect energy fruit.”
Acai is a small, round, dark purple berry with amazing nutritional properties. Its appearance is similar to a grape, but it has less pulp and a single large seed.


The acai berry is packed with nutritional value – proteins, healthful fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals and trace minerals. It also has a low glycemic index. It is such a complete food that the Brazilian people living along the Amazon River can survive on it as their sole source of food and demonstrate amazing vitality and energy. For countless centuries, the people of the Amazon have revered this unique fruit for its health-producing properties, used it in the treatment of numerous ailments and prized it as a source of health and vitality. Recently the remarkable health benefits of acai have been validated by modern science. Because of its unparalleled antioxidant levels and superior nutrient content, acai is now regarded as one of the world’s top super-foods.

Acai contains concentrated levels of anthocyanins – a powerful family of antioxidants that assists in neutralizing the harmful effects of free radicals. Acai is rich in antioxidants, essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6, and 9), vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, phytonutrients, amino acids, complex carbohydrates and trace minerals.

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 to be nearly 50 feet tall, with nine-foot leaves. The prime commercial source of acai is an area where several rivers converge within the Amazon estuary, emptying along the northeastern corner of Brazil into the Atlantic Ocean.

The USDA recommends consumption of five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day to maintain an adequate supply of food-derived antioxidants. Research indicates that only five percent of the U.S. population consumes even five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says fruit intake is critical to good health, and that people who eat generous amounts of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases.


Because of the way produce is grown, picked, treated and stored, fruit is far less nutritious than it used to be. One way to measure the antioxidant capacity of a food is called ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capacity). Foods with high ORAC values are desirable for their ability to neutralize free radicals, thus inhibiting the ability of the free radical to cause cell damage. The ORAC measurement, developed by a scientist at the National Institute of Aging in 1992, has proven to be a valuable tool in quantifying the health benefits associated with consuming fruits, vegetables and other antioxidant containing foods and supplements.


With an ORAC score of 1,027 per gram, acai boasts the highest ORAC score against the superoxide free radical of any fruit or vegetable ever tested. The acai fruit is the star among such well-known antioxidants as blueberries, grapes, red wine, green tea, cranberries, blackberries and pomegranates. By comparison, acai has 10 times the antioxidant power of cranberries.

Phytonutrients are naturally occurring compounds that contribute to the flavor, color and disease resistance of plants – 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.

Free radicals are atoms with at least one unpaired electron. In excess, free radicals produce harmful oxidation that can damage cell membranes. Antioxidants prevent free radicals from potentially damaging millions of healthy functioning cells. Antioxidants are agents that inhibit harmful compounds known as free radicals, which cause damage to cells through oxidation (like a cut apple turning brown). 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 good health.

Oxidative stress occurs in the body when there are not enough antioxidants to counter the effects of damaging free radicals, which cause damage to all cellular components, including proteins, lipids and DNA – the blueprint for cell reproduction. Oxidative stress is involved in the aging process and numerous health issues.

Tobacco smoke, alcohol, pollution, insecticides, radiation, environmental chemicals and excessive amounts of sunlight are all prolific contributors to the formation of free radicals. Other causes include high-fat diets, stress, insufficient sleep and strenuous exercise.

Polyphenols are a class of powerful antioxidants that play an important role in preventing cardiovascular diseases (heart disease, heart failure, stroke) and that have been shown to reduce harmful LDL cholesterol. Polyphenols are also thought to be responsible for the French Paradox: a diet relatively high in fat, yet a decreased incidence of heart disease. This is attributed to the amount of polyphenols present in the grapes used to make French wines.


One of the best ways to enjoy the variety of health benefits of acai is by drinking a nutritional beverage called “MonaVie,” which utilizes a proprietary method to make freeze-dried acai powder, the most effective and concentrated form of acai. MonaVie is a delicious and energizing blend of acai and 18 other nutrient-dense fruits. MonaVie’s “Active” formula also contains the added benefits of esterified fatty acids and glucosamine to help maintain healthy joints.


The acai used by MonaVie is certified organic. MonaVie contains a powerful variety of polyphenols, including anthocyanins. It is estimated that MonaVie products have 20-30 times the amount of anthocyanins found in red wine. MonaVie is also good for the skin. Dermatologist Doris J. Day, M.D., was quoted in the February, 2007, issue of People Magazine: “This is an easy way to get great skin. MonaVie’s juice is only 20 calories, and it delivers tons of antioxidants and flavonoids.”