Chances are, you already have some preconceived ideas about acai berries from all the media coverage they’ve been getting recently. While acai berry products and supplements have been basically promoted as weight management aids, the stuff that no one’s talking about are all of the other benefits you get from consuming acai berries.
Acai berries aren’t a new phenomenon. They’ve been growing in the floodplains of the Amazon river in South America for hundreds of years, and have been consumed by natives of the area for equally long as a normal part of their diet. The reason why they haven’t been heard about till now is on account of their highly perishable nature, implying that they must be consumed reasonably quickly after they’re harvested.
The berries themselves are tiny, alike in colour to blackberries but about the size of a little cherry. They grow on a tree called the Acaizeiro, a name that means ‘tree of life’. Find out more.
Now that we’ve established that acai berries aren’t some new concoction thrown out by the health foods industry to con gullible shoppers into spending large quantities of money, here are some of the advantageous aspects of including acai berries in your diet:
– Acai berries have a highly anti oxidant property, even more so than other fruits known for their antioxidising properties, and nearly 30 times as much as red wine!
– Acai berries are historically used as a source of fibre in the Amazon. They are given to new mothers after childbirth to help them thru the period of nursing.
– The reason why acai berries have been talked about so much in the area of weight loss and nutritional supplement products is they are believed to raise the metabolic rate that fat is converted to energy by the body. While this has clear benefits, it is one effect that is not straight away observable and must be taken with a touch of salt.
– The berries contain the essential trans-acids Oleic acid (Omega 9) and Linoleic acid (Omega 6). The reason why these are vital is because firstly, they are not produced naturally by the body and must be consumed in one’s diet. 2nd, Omega 6 is necessary to maintain the skin’s health and pliability and also has a role to play in augmenting sexual performance, and is also thought to lower the risk of heart problems. Omega 9 is what is in olive oil, and is a healthy metabolism booster.
Acai berries therefore , have more benefits than their standing as a weight control product implies. They are a good addition to any healthy, nutritious diet if consumed carefully and in their natural form or in any other form that’s both recognisably qualified by a standards body as containing natural acai berry extract.
There are many ways to consume Acai berries including in smoothies and other drinks.