Acai Berry Antioxidants

Acai Berry comes to us from Brazil where it’s nicknamed the “fruit that cries”. It got this designation from a legend about a young woman who so mourned her child’s death she laid down beneath a freshly sprouted palm tree and also died. When the tribe found her body the next day, the tree had grown enough fruit to fill all their hunger. The fruit was named after that young woman (Iaca – her name spelled backward).

Today, no one is crying over these berries and their antioxidant qualities. All around the web you’re seeing claim after claim that they are a great anti-aging food filled with all manner of positive nutrients. Let’s take a closer look.

What is it?

As the story tells us, the acai berry comes from a palm tree and is closely related to blueberries. Around the 1960s acai began getting some attention because of its anthocyanins and flavonoids – two robust antioxidants that help support our body’s immune system and reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease. Currently, however, there have been no controlled studies that prove the benefits of acai. They may in fact be no better or worse than strawberries, raspberries, etc. for your health.

acai berries

Acai Antioxidants and Fitness

Since antioxidant rich foods are good for you, adding acai into your diet as part of a fitness plan certainly couldn’t hurt. The only caution is for people who have sensitivity to other types of berries. Try it in small quantities first to make sure it doesn’t cause an allergic reaction. It is certainly a nourishing food that is being readily recommended by a variety of health experts who say the berries

* boost energy levels

* improve digestion

* offset insomnia

* support the immune system

* improve skin health

* detoxify the body

* increase blood flow

* strengthen the heart

* provide clarity of thought

It’s also supposed to help reduce bad cholesterol like other antioxidant fruits.

The Bottom Line:

Some of the claims about Acai may be “hype” but there seems to be a lot of people getting positive results from this supplement in various forms (vitamins, juice, etc.). One word of caution – not all products are made from good quality berries. As with any product, do your research and buy from trusted sources.

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