The Acai berry is an amazing superfood native to South America. This fruit of the acai palm, which grows in Brazil and Peru is 90% seed and 10% pulp; they also have a very high fat content, meaning they do not last long in their fresh state and are generally unavailable fresh outside of the areas where grown.  However, the pulp can be frozen or freeze dried and powdered for export.

Frozen acai pulp and acai powder is full of protein, calcium, iron, fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C. The acai berry is an excellent source of antioxidant possibilities, having more than orange juice, red wine or tea. Anthocynanin, the antioxidant compound in the highest concentration in the fruit is very beneficial to your health. In fact, the ORAC proclaims the acai berry to be the most nutritious edible berry known.

Consuming Acai berry in most of its forms improves the functioning of the digestive system and helps stimulate brain responses. The fiber content of the berry detoxifies the body effectively. This leads to healthier and more radiant looking skin.

Due to its protection of the nervous system it helps diagnose neurological illnesses. It reduces the chances of cancer, the protein content of it is higher than that of eggs, the circulatory system also benefits from it and it is also believed to improve the libido. It reduces inflammation and is very good for diabetic patients.

Oprah Winfrey says about the Acai berry: “This little berry is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world. It can often be found in juice form in health food and gourmet stores.” No wonder it is considered to be the new age power food.

The high level of protein in the acai berry helps to control cholesterol levels and stimulates digestion. It’s heart healthy too – it contains fatty acids which are as powerful as those in olive oil! These omega 3 fatty acids also act as antioxidants and along with its vitamin E content, helps keep you looking and feeling younger.

The Acai berry is a versatile fruit – if you are lucky enough to live where it is available fresh, it can be eaten out of hand. The pulp and powder can be mixed into yogurt, made into ice cream or put in smoothies and shakes.

Athletes like the natural energy they get from acai, along with all of the other nutritional benefits offered by this fruit. The acai berry is becoming increasingly available and many are choosing acai over supplement capsules and powders..

Quadrillions of reactive oxygen species bombard our bodies each day to produce harmful effects in the body including aging and cell death. Extensive research found that the reactive species can be controlled by antioxidants found in numerous plants and fruits. One of the fruits rich in antioxidants is the acai berry, a berry found in the bushes of Brazil. This berry was found to have antioxidant contents twice to that of blueberries. Because a cup of blueberries contains as much as 13,000 antioxidants, then doing some calculations would show the antioxidant content of one cup of acai berries to be more than 26,000.

So what are acai antioxidants?

The acai berry contains millions of various antioxidants and vitamins that provide humans with a single food source rich in nutrients. These antioxidants are mostly flavonoids, which have been proven to work hard in searching for the reactive oxygen species that destroy cells and tissues and cause aging. Studies have also demonstrated that these flavonoids from the acai berry stop the free radicals that target the cells of the blood vessels to cause flow constriction and high pressure of the blood. These flavonoids also reduce the process of LDL oxidation to help maintain a healthy heart. Omega 6 and omega 9 found in acai berries also help in maintaining a good cholesterol ratio.

Acai antioxidants also include anthocyanins, which are the berry’s coloring material and act as a potent antioxidant at the same time. These anthocyanins, along with other antioxidants, search the cells for potentially harmful reactive oxygen species that cause skin and eye problems, dental health disorders, and urinary tract infections.

A lot of studies confirmed these acai antioxidants to be working in teams that help re-energize one another to work more effectively. Cell imbalance and death are the mains causes of aging. The antioxidants in acai work hard to promote good platelets that would help in wound repair and act to reduce inflammation. Because cell death is minimized, the process of aging is also effectively slowed down. Another good antioxidant is reservatrol, which also helps prevent cell aging.

Vitamin C, a naturally good antioxidant, acts on collagen cells to allow healthy hairs and cartilage to develop. Some of the acai antioxidants also help in boosting the body’s sustained energy and help stop fatigue. This is because the biochemical niacin helps produce adenosine triphosphate, which is the natural fuel that the cells need to go about with regeneration. The body’s other vitamin cycles can largely benefit from niacin, which also helps in producing coenzymes needed for energy production in the cells. Certain vitamin B antioxidants also hasten the conversion of carbohydrates to simple sugars that are necessary for the body’s energy storage.

More important benefits of these acai antioxidants have extended to the body’s neurological system. The reactive oxygen species that create problems in the nerve cells are mapped out to allow normal functioning of the neuronal transmission processes. Even bones have benefited from these antioxidants as these get markedly improved bone mineral density.

Truly, the acai berry works wonders in helping the body stay healthy.

To understand what an antioxidant vitamins is, we must understand the meaning of the two following terms first:-

FREE RADICAL: The outer shell of this atom or molecule contains a singular electron in constant search for its pair.

OXIDATION REACTION: In the event of the free radical losing its unpaired electron, the reaction is known as oxidation.

Although oxidation reactions are very important for our body, some of them are harmful and can cause damage to the cells and DNA of the human biology.

ANTIOXIDANTS basically prevent the free radical from shedding its singular unpaired electron in its outer shell so that it cannot begin a “chain reaction” that can be a health deterrent.

DARK CHOCOLATE: Dark chocolate has been regarded as one of the most effects of antioxidants of all time. It slows down the oxidation process greatly. Although milk is an antioxidant itself, doctors usually recommend people to consume dark chocolate on their own, without milk.

Dark chocolate antioxidants, within an hour of their consumption, resulted in increased level of epicatechin (polyphenolic component green tea also found in chocolate). The Cocoapro cocoa containing chocolate Dove Dark, made by Mars Inc. contains a heavy dose of flavanol, which is rich in acai antioxidants. These flavanoids neutralize the free radicals. Consumption of cocoa is a great way of antioxidant intake, which in turn lowers the risk of heart disease, cancer (lung, prostrate) and type 2 diabetes. Professor of Penn State University, Penny Kris-Etherton has found in his studies that those who consume high levels of cocoa and dark chocolate have lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol and higher levels of good HDL cholesterol. Cocoapro cocoa even helps in the clotting of blood and production of nitric oxide. Milk chocolate also contains flavanoids, but to a much lesser level.

RED WINE: Two glasses of red wine if consumed daily, is a rich source of antioxidant. Red wine antioxidants help fight potential cases of cancer. This rich-in-color drink contains phytochemicals, polyphenols such as catechins and resveratrol all contain anti-cancer properties. Polyphenols (main source: skin of grapes) remain contained in the red wine after fermentation, providing a rich course of antioxidants. Since white wine does not include the skin of grapes, these polyphenols are not present, making it a less potent source of antioxidants. Resveratrol is the result of a plant fighting against fungus or injury. It is a strong antioxidant as well, present in red wine. It helps reduce incidence of tumor by sensitizing the cells to radiation treatments.

Red wine also helps fight pancreatic cancer by attacking the cancerous cells’ main energy source, the mitochondria. This ultimately results in the death of such cells.

Red wine Antioxidants also reduces the chances of prostate cancer. However, to derive its beneficial effects, red wine must be consumed under controlled dosage. Excess consumption of it could have severe reverse effects and harm the health seriously.

Carrots, tomato, broccoli, peaches, and apricot (vitamin A), orange, lime and strawberries (Vitamin C), nuts and whole grains (Vitamin E) and fish, eggs and meat (selenium) are other sources of antioxidants.