First Reports on Acai Berry Research

Acai berry research is just starting to get into gear now. For such an obscure plant, found only deep in the amazon, this is actually quite an achievement! Of course, having hundreds of celebrities and thousands of people of high standing in North America all insist that the acai berry has helped boost their metabolism and/or helped them lose weight may have something to do with this success. No matter where you look on TV, in magazines and on the internet, there are multiple ads making these claims. There are innumerable reports available on research of the acai berry. The acai berry is harvested in Brazil, and a few other countries in South America, from the acai palm, which grows on the banks of the amazon river. Naturally, Brazil is the head runner in the farming and production of this berry and its products.

Depending on whose report you read, there are a few questionable concerns relating to the actual antioxidant value of the acai berry. One research claims that it is much lower in antioxidants than red wine, blueberry juice, mangos and pomegranates, while another indicates that it is much higher in antioxidants than these fruit juices. Natrually, all the marketing materials for acai place it well above any other fruit on Earth for antioxidant potency.

Naturally, all fruits and vegetables are more nutritious if you can get them fresh. However getting the acai berry fresh in the United States, or really anywhere outside of Brazil, is a big problem. This is because it cannot last long enough to ship it in the fresh form, so they have found a way to condense it to powder as a freeze dried form. The problem with this is that the manufacturers are not making the pure form. They are adding bulk ingredients to make the product stretch further and up their profits. They are adding preservatives to give it a longer shelf life. Like with any other product, it has become all about the money.

Since the acai berry is native to tropical countries, and there is no where in the United States that is suitable for its growth, the United States’ Department of Agriculture, (FDA) is not going to approve it or deny it, or do any tests on it’s nutritional value at this time. The approval and manufacturing laws of this product lies in the hands of the Brazilian government for now, obscuring an unknown amount of facts about acai.

A University of Florida professor claims that his study on the effects of acai berry on leukemia cells has shown remarkable promise. He states in his findings that over 87% of the leukemia cells in his test subjects self destructed when acai berry juice was introduced in their test tube. Some doctors are claiming that these tests are not conclusive at all, while others swear that the acai berry and its pulp could very well be the one true superfruit that can cure just about every known ailment of man.

The FDA has gully authorized the use of labeling claims that plant sterols reduce the risk of heart disease. Several of the acai berry research reports claim that acai is very high in plant sterols, and would be very effective in stopping coronary heart disease. This seems to be the one fact that has no opposition in the whole world of acai berry research.

The Best Way How to Eat a Pomegranate

A pomegranate, one of the true superfruits, needs warmer climates with cooler but not icy cold winters. You will find them in some of the warmer US states, although these are only introduced in recent history… The pomegranate is native to the area of East Africa and India, and even more common in Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Turkey.

The flower and the fruit of a pomegranate develop beautiful bright red colors. With tons of essential minerals and vitamins, and only 100 calories per cup of the fruit, poms are perfect to eat if you are trying to control your weight or lose some calories. It is healthy and tasty.

Simply strain it from that point, then you can start to eat it. You can eat the seeds as well as the fruit surrounding it, (the entire arils) but most people just eat the fruit off the seeds.

How you eat a pomegranate entirely up to you. The seeds are even edible so you can just pop the whole fruit into your mouth and chew. However, many people choose to just eat the fruit around the seeds and discard the seeds, which once dried can be ground up as seasoning for a large variety of dishes. Some countries actually use them in soups and stews. They are also quite delicious if you simply top them onto plain or vanilla yogurt.

Another way to eat a pomegranate is to cut the fruit in half vertically. Holding the cut side up, cut 4 more segment cuts about an inch deep and an inch long. Turn the pomegranate over and pull the fruit open. Now take a heavy wooden spoon or other equally weighted kitchen utensil and whack the back of the fruit. The arils should fall right out easily.

Historically, people used to just pull them off the tree, poke holes in the rind, peel it back and tear large pieces of the fruit apart. Once they had a big enough chunk, they would just pull the seeds out with their fingers and eat them. You can use this method in your kitchen too, and even scoop the seeds out with a spoon for more ease. Be warned though, the juice is a very dark pigment and can stain anything that it touches, including your skin and clothes!

How to Eat a Pomegranate; Three Different Ways

A pomegranate is a fruit grown mostly in warmer climates. You will find it growing naturally around the East Indies, the Himalayas, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, Africa and some of the warmer states like Florida, California and Arizona. These red fruits are chocked full of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, Vitamin C, Calcium and Phosphorous. They are also very sweet tasting and are a low calorie snack.

The flower and the fruit of a pomegranate develop beautiful bright red colors. With tons of essential minerals and vitamins, and only 100 calories per cup of the fruit, poms are perfect to eat if you are trying to control your weight or lose some calories. It is healthy and tasty.

The outside of the fruit is not edible and tends to be quite hard. To get at it effectively, cut the top off and section it in several sections from top to bottom without cutting all the way through it. Now you can place it into a deep bowl of water and let it soak for about 10 minutes. After those 10 minutes, tear the fruit apart, still in the water. The heavier seeds and fruit will drop to the bottom and the white pulp and rind will float to the top.

Throw away the white pulp and rind. Strain and rinse the fruit and put in a bowl. Now you are ready to eat it. You can eat the seeds with the red fruit. If you just eat the fruit and leave the seeds, (which is very slow-going) you have the bonus of being able to lay them out to dry. Once they are dried you can ground them up to season foods, or you can use them whole in a variety of dishes, including hot main meal dishes and your favorite cool desserts.

If you don’t like the first method of how to eat a pomegranate, you can use the fan method instead. In this method the fruit is divided into halves. The halves are sectioned, but not all the way through. Turning the halves upside down over a bowl, you can push the back of the fruit and pull on the sides dropping the seeds into the bowl underneath, or you can simply tap on the back (top) with a kitchen utensil and the fruit should just fall out. Discard the rind and white parts again, and you are ready to eat.

Historically, people used to just pull them off the tree, poke holes in the rind, peel it back and tear large pieces of the fruit apart. Once they had a big enough chunk, they would just pull the seeds out with their fingers and eat them. You can use this method in your kitchen too, and even scoop the seeds out with a spoon for more ease. Be warned though, the juice is a very dark pigment and can stain anything that it touches, including your skin and clothes!

The Acai Berry - You Won’t Think About Fruit The Same Way Again

Unless you’ve been hiding out in a secluded location far from all media outlets, it is a certainty that you’ve seen some of the many ads which have been going around for acai berry juice. While the acai berry is new to us in most of the world, it is a fruit which has been enjoyed for centuries in South America.

The acai berry is the fruit of a palm tree which grows in Brazil and other South and Central American nations. Long a staple of the diet for people in the region, the acai berry is also used as a traditional medicine for a variety of illnesses. Everything from diarrhoea to ulcers are treated using this versatile and nutritious fruit. The acai palm which people are talking about is the Euterpe oleracea, part of the Euterpe genus of palms.

The tree grows to heights of as much as 80 feet. The long, thin trunks branch out towards the top in the classic palm shape. The fruiting branches will contain clusters of 3 to 8 berries. The acai berry is used for its pulp; although the large seeds are used in animal feed and as mulch for gardening.

It’s only been about seven years now that acai berries have been available outside of their natural habitat. The berries spoil very quickly after being picked, making them unsuitable for export. However, there are now a few companies who pick the berries than immediately process them so that they can be distributed worldwide.

Three and a half ounces of freeze dried acai powder has 533.9 calories, 52.2 g carbohydrate, 44.2 g dietary fiber, 8.1 g protein, and 32.5 g total fat. Hardly anyone would consume this much acai at once, but this should give you a good idea of how nutritious this humble little berry is. Acai juice is a great source of antioxidants, essential fatty acids and dietary fibre.

The antioxidant rich berry has been the subject of a lot of research. Antioxidants are thought to prevent many diseases; acai extracts have been tested at the University of Florida for its effectiveness in fighting leukaemia. The result? Acai extract caused 86% of leukaemia cells to self-destruct. A University of Rio de Janeiro showed that acai extract may improve cardiovascular function as well.

In another study of 12 healthy volunteers, the subjects were given acai extract and then tested for antioxidant levels one and two hours later. The results showed that the volunteers had higher serum antioxidant levels after one hour; and even higher an hour later!

Other effects which have been reported include enhanced mental clarity, improved digestive function, a higher energy level and a slowing of the aging process on the cellular level, among others. Not every benefit of the acai berry which has been claimed has yet been proved, but many other high-antioxidant foods have been shown to have these effects.

The acai berry may even have applications which are not related to its nutritive value. Acai berry pulp has shown to have some possible use as a medium in certain medical tests on the GI tract, most notably MRI procedures. It looks like this South American import may be here to stay - and we’re all glad it could make it!

What is a Mangosteen Good for?

There is a tropical evergreen tree that grows throughout southeast Asia commonly now, but is believed to have originated in the Sundra Islands and the Moluccas of Indonesia. This tree grows as tall as 80 feet and produces a purple fruit that is famously edible. Some compare the taste that of a sweet peach mixed with apricot. Depending on the crop and the area it is found in it can have a tangy or a very sweet taste. This purple fruit, called a mangosteen, is supposed to have some of the world’s most impressive healing properties.

There are many ’superfruits’ being talked about today. Mangosteen is at the top of the list, however the nutritional value of this fruit doesn’t at first appear to match up to what some health officials determine to be a superfruit. It contains 18 grams of carbohydrates, 1.8 grams of diet fiber, .6 grams of fat, .4 grams of protein and 81 grams of water.

So if nothing else, it is very low in calories and would be perfect for those on a diet or trying to just control their weight. However research does show that it might have some of the world’s best antioxidant properties for any fruit. It is supposed to contain at least 40 different Xanthones, which are a powerful form of antioxidants. There are currently 200 Xanthones identified, all beneficial to humans.

Xanthones travel through our system and mop up free radicals that can cause disease and malfunctions in many of our organs. Mangosteen contains the Xanthones alpha-mangostin, gama-mangostin garcinone, beta-mangostin, garcinone-a, garcinone-d, garcinone-c, gartanin and mangostanol. All of these Xanthones and the all the other antioxidants contained in this fruit have anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsive, anti-tumor, anti-allergic, and platelet-aiding properties.

However, take care when drinking the Mangosteen juice. There have been a few cases of acidosis reported by individuals who consumed too much of it. Drinking smaller quantities should solve this issue entirely though, since the acidosis only appeared when people drank rather large quantities of its juice.

Mangosteen is available in western countries in juice, frozen, and sometimes canned varieties. There has been a long-standing ban on importation of this fruit in it’s whole form to the United States, but Canada has been importing mangosteen since 2007. Although the fruit is not easy to find here, farmers in Puerto Rico have started to send us a few mangosteen, especially to the more wealthy hotels and restaurants on the east coast.

Don’t Underestimate Acai

Like many of the other superfruits, the acai tree is native to hot, humid and tropical climates like those found in Central America, South America and Brazil. The purple berry that it produces has a berry-chocolate flavor to it. The inside of the palm, the soft part know as the heart of palm has been used in salads, eaten alone and in other dishes.

It has, for centuries been a staple food for civilizations in the Amazon, Brazilian, Central and other South American countries. All parts of the tree can be used for something. Nothing is wasted. The hearts of palm are harvested, eaten by the natives and exported as a delicacy to other countries. The leaves have been harvested and woven into mats, baskets, brooms and roofing thatch for years. The trunks of the trees have been chopped down and cut to use in building structures all through these countries.

The berry-like fruit has been in the world’s news for a few years now, since is was first introduced to tourists around 2001. It is proven to help boost your energy by boosting your metabolism. It is widely advertised for healthy conscious eating and dieting. The people of Brazil among other nearby countries have been utilizing this palm tree for centuries as a staple food. They have passed its uses down from one generation to another.

Since the media has started promoting the berry and its juice from this tree, the farming of acai has enabled natives to create a financially richer life. What used to be a staple food for them is now a means of living. They use what they need of the tree, plant more, farm them, harvest them, and then sell them to exporters and diet food companies. The juice is very popular in Brazil. You can drink it sweet or salty, whichever you prefer. They are also now selling it in freeze dried and powder form for exporting abroad. This is one of those plants that is functional in many areas. None of it goes to waste. Now that they are farming it, the seeds are more important than ever. After they plant the seeds, it only takes a couple months for seedlings to sprout. This is considered a short time under good conditions. Any left over seeds can be ground and used in the feeding of farm animals and in enriching the soil around plants.

A couple of recent lab studies have indicated that the level of antioxidants once advertised for this berry is not as high as it was first stated. They had claimed it as being among the very highest in antioxidants, however the studies they have been performing lately in comparison to other fruits and juices, shows this berry as coming up short of the peak. It may not have as high a level of antioxidants when compared to several frozen fruit juices, red wine, strawberries, mangos, blueberries, dark-colored grapes and pomegranates. If they are correct, acai may only run on an even keel with cherries and cranberries, but is still higher in antioxidants than oranges and of course apple juice.

Some other studies have indicated that this berry may be a future treatment for leukemia, diabetes, heart diseases, other forms of cancer, and even high blood pressure. In fact, they are already using acai as a contrast agent during MRI’s for gastrointestinal scans. The acai berry still packs quite a beneficial punch, no matter what the latest reports claim.

Don’t Rule Out Acai Yet

The Acai tree is found in very warm, tropical climates like that of the Amazonian region of Brazil. It is a unique palm tree that produces a reddish purple berry. The berry has a twofold taste of tart berries and chocolate flavoring mixed together. Additionally, the soft inside of the palm tree’s trunk, also known as the heart of palm, is cut out and used in many dishes including salads.

The acai palm tree and its; fruit have been a staple food for the Amazonian (mostly Caboclo) civilization in the Amazon for countless years. The use every part of the tree, with no part of it going to waste. The fruit is picked and made into juice or pulp products three different times each year. The palm hearts are harvested and eaten, locally or as an export. The leaves have been used for mats, baskets brooms and other items. The leaves have also been used for centuries to thatch the roofs of their homes and huts. The trunks of the trees have been harvested for their wood, used in local home building.

The berry-like fruit has been in the world’s news for a few years now, since is was first introduced to tourists around 2001. It is proven to help boost your energy by boosting your metabolism. It is widely advertised for healthy conscious eating and dieting. The people of Brazil among other nearby countries have been utilizing this palm tree for centuries as a staple food. They have passed its uses down from one generation to another.

Many natives now grow the trees and make a living from the harvest by selling them to exporters to ship to other countries for the berries, hearts of palm, leaves and trunks. Brazil even incorporates the acai berries in soda, juice, ice cream, and other flavored drinks, including alcoholic ones. They are served chilled or at room temperature in pitchers made from gourds, and can be flavored with sugar or salt. They also provide acai now in freeze-dried and powdered forms. Seeds from the Acai Palm tree are harvested and replanted. It takes several months for seedlings to form. Extra seeds are also ground up and used to feed livestock and as organic additives for plant soil.

Recently there has been a study or two that question the nutritional value of the acai berry. First the publications indicated that it was the best known source of antioxidants, but now some comparisons are showing that the level of antioxidants are not as high as first thought. It actually falls below eleven frozen fruit juices, including the pomegranate, mango and aronia berries in comparative studies. It also fell below red wine, blueberry juice and concord grapes but was higher in comparison to orange and apple juice. It may only be on the same level of antioxidant potency with black cherry and cranberry juice if these studies can be taken at face value.

Even without the huge antioxidant component, there is little doubt that acai is an awesome nutritional boost to your body. Many studies have indicated that this berry may be a future treatment for leukemia, diabetes, heart health and high blood pressure, as well as many other difficult-to-treat illnesses. If fact, they are already using acai as a contrast agent in MRI’s for gastrointestinal scans!

Are acai berries really the highest source of antioxidants?

The Acai berry is more than the average fruit. One reason behind this is the very high content of antioxidants. It has been consistently stated that diets high in fruit and vegetables and other plant foods are associated with better health and lower mortality from cardiovascular disease and cancer, and there is plenty of research to support this. So why is that?

This association is partly given to the high content of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables, which protect the body against chronic disease by decreasing free radical oxidative damage. The body is under constant attack by free radicals, which are a common by-product of normal metabolism.

Think of free radicals as people with too much energy and no where to put it. So they are very active and attack everything in their path. In the body, this means damage to cells and genetic material. In the long term, this could translate to permanent damage and disease.

Throughout each day people are further exposed to free radicals through pollution, stress, exercise, chemicals and toxins. Antioxidants, which are consumed in the diet, act like scavengers which seek and relax them. Once they have been relaxed, like those young children, they dont cause any more damage.

So what do acai berries have to offer in the way of antioxidants?

The Acai berry is high in anthocyanins, compounds that provide colour and are natural antioxidants. These are also found in red wine, however acai pulp has 10-30 times the amount. Pre Dried acai contains 70-210 times more! The darker the pigment of the fruit, generally the more antioxidants it contains.

One way to help achieve a high antioxidant diet is to make sure your plate is very colourful. Ensure that plenty of fruits and vegetables are eaten at main meals, and Acai smoothies or other fruits and vegetables are snacked on instead of lollies or chocolate.

Acai has a characteristic royal purple pigment that not only makes the fruit appealing to eat, but studies have shown that berry anthocyanins are beneficial in reducing age-associated oxidative stress (or the free radical damage). If berries can combat premature aging with 25 - 40 times less antioxidants than acai, then just imagine what Pure Dried acai can do!

The US food industry is now labeling the antioxidants in food with ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). Data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests a serving of fresh fruit and vegetables has between 890 and 2,500 ORAC units. Just one 5g serving of Pure Dried Acai will provide around 2,670 ORAC units!

The Proper Way to Preserve Acai Berries

Most fruits are best eaten fresh but it is not an option for some fruits such as acai berries. The short shelf live for the great little acai berry makes it hard for people to eat them fresh or drink them as a fresh juice. Once acai berries are picked from the acai palm trees, they can deteriorate within hours. If you refrigerate them, their nutrients can last as long as 24 hours but usually less.

The fast deterioration of acai berries makes it hard to transport them to countries where demand is. This is why it is necessary to find the most efficient way to process and preserve acai berries so that they can be sold once they reach their destinations. If they are not processed or preserved, they may not even make it across Brazil, the country where mostly all acai palm trees grow.

Many people have heard of acai berries but they are not aware of the challenges acai product manufacturers face when they try to preserve the fruits and to process them. If acai berries are not processed or preserved immediately after picked, it will perish and there can even be a risk of microbial contamination.

To avoid acai berries going bad is not the only problem that manufacturers of acai products face. People are so interested in acai berries because of their amazing nutritional profile. That means the manufacturers much choose a processing method that will preserve the most nutrients in the acai berries or no one will pay them for the product. It is much easier to buy local fruits that are also healthy.

Some companies freeze the acai berries before they are transported. However, this is also challenging because the second the temperature fluctuates, there is a risk that the acai berries will be spoiled immediately. Manufacturers have to spend more money to ensure that the shipping environment is constant. This makes shipping frozen acai berries rather expensive.

Some companies have developed powder-based acai capsules and tablets, therefore making the acai berries’ nutrients last longer. However, there are concerns that the nutritional content of these derivative acai berry products may not contain many nutrients at all. The quality of the products is likely to be very low. Taking acai pills and tablets cannot compare to eating fresh acai berries or drinking most of the acai berry juices around.

There are more complicated ways to preserve and process the acai berries such as the freeze drying process that is supposed to be the best. The freeze drying process is done in a vacuum which is beneficial for limiting the activity of enzymes that would otherwise make the acai berries go bad quickly.

Different companies choose different methods to preserve and process acai berries according to their resources and budget. Some ways are more expensive and harder to do than others. Sometimes, you will buy a product that has almost 100% acai berry content in it but the process they used to make that product has already destroyed all of the good nutrients so that product is pretty much worthless for your health.

The Next Superfruit: The Pomegranate

The Pomegranate is a native fruit tree that grows in Iran all the way to the Himalayas. It only grows to be about five to eight meters high. It has been naturalized in the whole Mediterranean area. You can find it in Iraq, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, India, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, South East Asia, Peninsular Malaysia, the East Indies and Africa. You can also find it growing in parts of Arizona, Florida and California too.

The pomegranate flourishes well in climates that have very hot summers and cool but not icy winters such as found in Florida, California, Arizona, Iraq, Turkey and Africa. In fact the crops seem to do extremely well if the area they are grown in has had a cooler winter than usual.

The leaves of the Pomegranate are a narrow, oblong shape, darker green and glossy looking. The flowers and the fruit are a bright red color. The fruit can grow anywhere from the size of a lemon to the size of a grapefruit and is hexagonal in shape. The seeds and pulp inside can range in colors of white, red and even purple.

There are many pests that can infect your pomegranate crop if you don’t watch out for them and catch them right away. The worst is the pomegranate butterfly whose larva hatch and infest the inside of the fruit, consuming it before it is noticed. Whitflies, scale insects, thrips and termites can all infest the tree or shrub quickly without warning. By wrapping the fruit once it appears with plastic or paper you can help ward of infestations of these destructive creatures. Examine your fruit as it is growing to watch for signs of these pests.

Pomegranate are a very healthy fruit. They contain an abundance of vitamins, probably more than any other fruit or vegetable. You will find acceptable amounts of zinc, phosphorus, niacin, potassium , and Vitamin C, just to name a few in this fruit.

Inside a pomegranate is a white pulp surrounding the red or purple fruit covered seeds. The seeds are edible but most people eat just the fruit around them. Some areas use the whole fruit in their dishes. They pulverize the seeds for seasoning, or use the seeds, fruit and juice in their main meal dishes or soups. The pomegranate has such a unique flavor.

Ever since farmers and cultivators found out about the pomegranate and how to grow it, just as with any other crop they have cross pollinated and cultivated it until there are several different varieties available. Green Globe, Wonderful, Home. Early Wonderful are just a few at the top of the list.

« Previous Page — Next Page »