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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Question Everyone Is Asking: What Is Acai Good For?

By Travis Van Slooten

The acai has been touted as the number one super food. In fact, many people say that it can work wonders for just about any health issue you may have from weight loss to being an energy booster to even preventing some of today's most dreaded diseases. But what really is the science behind all these claims? Let's take a look at what's going on inside our bodies and how this little berry can impact these processes.

Antioxidants vs Free Radicals

Almost everyone has heard of the wonder of antioxidants and their arch nemesis, the free radical. But it isn't quite so cut and dried. Free radicals are naturally occurring atoms in the body which have unpaired electrons. Free radicals seek out an electron for their pair to be complete, but this may mean they steal their electron from other atoms. This process is required by many of the body's essential functions, such as fighting bacteria. But when people have too many free radicals, they may experience mutations at the cellular level, leading to cancers and atherosclerosis among other problems. Antioxidants simply slow this process and help prevent many of the problems associated with free radicals.

Anthocyanins and The French Paradox

How can you eat a diet of heavy in saturated fats, the worst kind, and still live in a culture with the fewest incidents of coronary heart disease? That is what scientists studying The French Paradox would like to know. They discovered that even though the average French diet is loaded with fats from cheese and pork, the French are remarkably healthier than Americans. Among the reasons was a compound called anthocyanins, a pigment found in the skin of berries such as red grapes and acai berries. The French mostly got their anthocyanins from red wine, but thanks to the acai berry, you can get your dosage without the damaging effects of alcohol.

Is No Fat Good Fat?

Not only should you consume fats, you have to. The body requires fat to function. But you must also be aware of the differences in fat. While many Americans consume plenty of saturated fats, the bad kind, they do not get nearly enough unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats, found in acai berries, are known to lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. And they contain omega fatty acids, which the body needs, but cannot produce on its own.

So now you know that there is actually a lot of truth to the said health benefits of acai berry. It's no miracle cure to be sure, but it does contain some of the most important nutrients that our body needs. As more people are looking into the health benefits of this fruit, you can be sure that there will be even better answers the next time you ask - what is acai good for? - 17274

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