Sunday, July 12, 2009

Acai Nutrition Facts: All The Acai Nutritional Information You Need

By Travis Van Slooten

The acai berry has become a byword when it comes to health supplements, and yet many are still unaware of exactly what the acai nutritional facts are that makes this little berry so in-demand. Looking at the long list of the healthy minerals and vitamins contained in the acai berry is like looking at the "who's-who" in the world of nutrients. Name it, the acai has got it. Care to find out what these are? Let's start with the acai's most important and useful components.

The Battle of Antioxidants and Free Radicals

If you're paying any attention at all to many of the leading diseases present in our society today, you've most likely come across the terms free radical and antioxidant. These are like the good and evil in our bodies, the former causing the diseases and the latter combating its effects. Free radicals are produced in the body even while we go about our daily activities. These are naturally produced atoms that lack an electron pair, and they go about stealing electron from other atoms, which in turn cause other atoms to turn into free radicals. Now in low levels, free radicals are tolerable in the body but an overabundance of them can trigger a host of illnesses including some of the most serious ones like cancer and heart diseases. Antioxidants slow down the negative effects of free radicals by providing that much-needed electron.

What makes acai berry really stand out is its antioxidant content which measures far above all other fruits. The ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a system which scores a type of food on its antioxidant level -- the higher the number, the greater the antioxidant content. For instance, the avocado only measures 19 on the ORAC and yet is known to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. With a 94 ORAC score, Cranberries have long been called super fruit. Acai berry on the other hand, scores an amazing 610 ORAC count. Now let's see other fruits even come close to that.

More Acai Nutritional Info

The acai berry could hardly be called a super fruit if its only benefits came from antioxidants. The acai nutritional facts also attribute a good amount of unsaturated fats to the tiny berry. Unsaturated fats, known as good fats, are a source of essential fatty acids like Omega-6. The body is unable to produce these acids and must get them from foods. Like many other healthy foods, the acai berry is also a good source of fiber. In addition, acai berries contain a lesser-known compound found in the skin called anthocyanins. This compound is believed to help fight coronary heart disease, a major killer among Americans.

Is the Acai Berry Deserving of the Title of Super Fruit?

If the acai berry doesn't constitute a super fruit, what does? It contains many of the healthy properties of other fruits, in addition to astronomical levels of antioxidants. While you will likely never get to have a fresh acai berry, unless you visit Brazil, you can get all the nutrition from pure acai supplements. If you obtain a high quality supplement, you can experience the benefits of acai for yourself. The acai berry is one of the most beneficial foods you can eat, the acai nutrition facts don't lie.

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