Acai Health Watch » Acai Health Benefits

Acai Berry Predictions For 2010: This Year’s Trends

sarita — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:08:36 +0000

The acai berry exploded in popularity in 2009, but the industry was plagued by fraudulent scammers who stole customers’ money and made false health claims about acai. Luckily, an interest in the nutritional benefits of the acai berry remains, and we expect to see it in many more forms in 2010.

An interest in drinks with lower amounts of sugar by health-aware parents may lead to more kid-focused acai berry juices and other products that don’t contain high fructose corn syrup.

Now found in big box stores such as Walmart, acai, and acai berry juice in particular will continue to penetrate mainstream shopping channels. Looks for its price point to decrease across the board, particularly among “specialty” acai product makers.

We’ll begin to see acai in many other types of products. In 2009, we saw products like acai gum, and other interesting ways to consume acai. This year we’ll see ad will likely see more of it on restaurant menus – and not just the cocktail menu.

Acai in skin care has grown considerably, particularly with the Kiehl’s line of cosmetics containing the acai berry. With its high levels of antioxidants, consumers will look to more natural remedies including acai for their skin care needs.

Acai Berry White Tea and Its Health Benefits

sarita — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:52:25 +0000

There are so many great ways to try the acai berry, and while acai powders and supplements are great, they aren’t exactly cheap. So we were delighted to find this Teavana Imperial Acai Blueberry White Tea. This unique tea blend is aromatic and soothing. Slightly sweet and never bitter, it’s great iced or hot, or even mixed into a fruit smoothie. For either the acai berry devotee, tea enthusiast or someone just beginning to explore the medicinal, calming qualities of tea, this makes an ideal gift. It’s a wonderful way to relax and pamper.

What are the health benefits of drinking tea? Green, black and white teas have been found to inhibit growth of cancer cells. Older women who drink tea are less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. Drinking tea considerably decreases the chance of death as a result of a heart attack. It is high in antioxidants which may help protect against cell-damaging free radicals. Drinking tea also helps maintain strong bones and may even help treat symptoms of diabetes.

Also check out Teavana Youthberry White Tea which includes finely ground acai paired with white tea and tropical fruits.

Acai Health Benefits and the Search For Superfood Evidence

sarita — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:10:22 +0000

While it is true that there haven’t been large scale clinical human trials evaluating the health benefits of “superfoods” like the acai berry, evidence is building that the acai berry naturally contains health benefits that may help with disease prevention in the future. Some marketing messaging for acai berry products is designed to lead the reader in drawing a conclusion that may not actually be true. Still, there is reason to be optimistic about acai and its health benefits according to Monica Giusti of Ohio State University’s Department of Food Science and Technology.

“Giusti and her colleagues have found that applying anthocyanin extracts from a variety of plants to human colon cancer cells in test tubes can significantly slow down or even completely stop the cells’ growth. Researchers think they will find the same cancer-quashing results from other foods that contain anthocyanins.

And similar evidence is mounting for the potential health benefits from anthocyanins in dark-colored fruits like blueberries and pomegranates, fruits in which growers and manufacturers have invested a lot of research money”

Research has yet to prove benefits of antioxidant-rich berry juices | Health and Fitness – cleveland.com – - cleveland.com.

Acai Berries Contaminated, Causes Chagas Disease

sarita — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:01:40 +0000

An outbreak of Chagas disease, a tropical ailment caused by insects has been identified in acai berries in one area of Brazil. This disease can arise due to unsanitary conditions, leading to food-borne contamination and this is likely how the disease has been transmitted.

“Though still under investigation, health authorities in the Para state of Brazil is reporting an outbreak of food borne trypanosomiasis.

There have been 13 confirmed cases of Chaga’s in the Belem neighborhood. State officials at present suspect it occurred through contaminated food stuffs, including the fruit acai.”

There is no indication that products for export were contaminated.

Outbreak of Chaga’s disease through contaminated acai berries.

Do I Hear Acai of Relief?

Acai Berry Ice Cream For Good Health?

sarita — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:08:41 +0000

With so many packaged foods like cereals being fortified with vitamins and probiotics, it only makes sense that research find ways to nutritionalize favorites like ice cream. This would transform regular ice cream a “functional food,” or a food that offers essential vitamins and minerals.

A study at the University of Missouri is researching ways to make ice cream both satisfying and healthy through the use of natural foods. The acai berry and grapes are two ingredients they’re using to prototype a healthy ice cream. We’ve enjoyed an acai berry flavored ice cream in Rio de Janeiro and it was absolutely delicious and commonplace. Not sure how healthy it was, but we enjoy the acai berry just the same.

Turning Ice Cream into a Functional Food, Food Nutrition.

What MonaVie Acai Drinks Taste Like

sarita — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:32:31 +0000

Ever wonder what MonaVie tastes like but aren’t ready to commit to buying a big bottle? Here’s an interesting report on one person’s experience with MonaVie from a “layman’s” perspective. He defines superfoods and explains how acai beverages like MonaVie provide health benefits. There are several MonaVie acai juice formulas that promote different aspects of your health. One called MonaVie Active enhances joint health. Another, MonaVie Pulse, delivers heart health benefits.

“I tried it. It tastes good, like a fruity V8, but somehow cooler. It’s not a “drink,” think about it like a liquid vitamin that you drink a little bit of every day. It comes in bottle form, a energy drink and a gel. My favorite is the energy drink MonaVie EMV, it isn’t quite as thick as the traditional MonaVie bottled drinks and tastes great. I would put up against Red Bull in a minute. Not only does it taste great with Vodka, but apparently if you drink it with out the booze, it is actually much healthier for you than the every day energy drinks.”

Superfood, Super Tasty, Super Good For You. – Pace of Chicago.

Dr. Perricone On Acai and Inflammation

sarita — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:47:33 +0000

Renowned dermatologist and scholar Nicolas Perricone is the father of the Inflammation Theory of Aging. This theory concludes that inflammation is the the single greatest precipitator of aging and age-related diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, certain forms of cancer, as well as wrinkled, sagging skin.

In this article from his blog, he discusses how acai can help fight inflammation:

“Acai’s ability to fight inflammation comes from two components: antioxidants and oleic acid. When anthocyanins fight damage from free radicals, it keeps cell DNA intact. Intact DNA signals correctly signals the apoptosis response and stops the inflammation. Oleic acid makes the cell walls more malleable, meaning that inflammatory toxins are able to leave the cell more readily. Also, blood is able to move through the cell walls more efficiently when inflammation does occur. Malleable cell membranes are better return to their normal state before inflammation can result in any long-term damage.”

Acai Health Benefits – Free Radicals & Inflammation.

Acai Fruit – Super Antioxidant

The Acai Berry Courtesy of WebMD

sarita — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:44:28 +0000

Are you sometimes skeptical when you’re reading the health benefits of acai berry juice put forth by the juicemakers themselves? You should be! As you know, false claims (lose 10 pounds in 10 minutes!) abound when it comes to antioxidant-rich superfoods like the acai berry, pomegranates, mangosteens, etc.

Here’s a more impartial article from WebMD that gives it to you straight on the health benefits of the acai berry.

“Some studies show that acai fruit pulp has a very high antioxidant capacity with even more antioxidant content than cranberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, or blueberry. Studies are ongoing, though, and the jury is still out.

People eat acai berries to address various health conditions. But so far, acai berries have no known health benefit that’s any different than that of other similar fruits.”

Acai Berries and Berry Juice — Are There Any Health Benefits?.

Acai, Superfoods and Your Diet

sarita — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:38:37 +0000

We strongly support of eating superfoods as part of a healthy diet. Hardly any effort is needed to integrate superfoods like the acai berry into your daily routine. Some foods you may not have thought of, like sweet potatoes, have significant health benefits. You may already be eating many superfoods and not even realize it!

Here’s an excerpt from a helpful list of recognized superfoods:

Citrus Fruits. It’s a known fact that Vitamin C is a great help in building up our immune system. Grapefruits and oranges are only two of the citrus fruits that are rich in vitamin C and other nutrients, plus they’re fun to eat too.

Tomatoes. A rich source of lycopene and other health-giving nutrients, tomatoes are often used as sauces for pasta dishes and other recipes. They can be eaten raw too.

Avocados. Avocados by themselves provide more health benefits than other foods combined. They are one of the best sources of fiber, and contain 60% more potassium than bananas.

Brown Rice. More people may find white rice more palatable but when it comes to the health properties, brown rice has more to offer. That’s because white rice has been refined and tend to lose much of its nutrients in the process.

Salmon. Fish is a great protein for almost any dish and makes an excellent substitute for red meat. Aside from raising environmental concerns, farmed salmon tend to be fattier and contain less nutrition. Every list of top 10 superfoods should have a protein and fish is possibly the best for you.

Acai Berry. It’s relatively new to the food market and basically impossible to get in fruit form in the United States, but the nutritional value of the supplements you can find is undeniable. While you can’t use it as a primary food source like many native Brazilians, you can use it as a supplement to the rest of your diet.

Your Diet and the Top 10 Super Foods: the Key to a Healthier Lifestyle: Naturopath and Homeopath, Portland, Oregon.

Acai and Flu Protection

sarita — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:40:59 +0000

There is a particularly high level of concern as we enter flu season this year because of the H1N1 influenza virus. In addition to vaccines and handwashing, what can we do to protect ourselves?

Good nutrition is an essential part of maintaining immunity. Consuming foods with high levels of antioxidants (aka superfoods) like the acai berry are said to somehow protect the immune system. That is not exactly the case.

Foods such as acai berries, blueberries and pomegranates do help the immune system with their antioxidants. However, it is still important to have at least 5 servings a day of both fruits and vegetables per day, in addition to acai juice or supplements.

It’s not that antioxidants won’t give you a little extra boost, experts say.

“Antioxidants as a class have specific effects in enhancing the immune system,” says professor Jeffrey Blumberg of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science at Tufts University. “But it’s a complex system. You also need a lot of other things to have good nutrition.”

“The bottom line is that to have good immunity, you have to eat a variety of foods,” says Sherry Mahoney, director of nutrition for the Mayo Clinic, Florida. “Chronic dieters who omit a food group omit needed vitamins and minerals.”

Antioxidants may help, but not by themselves – Diet & Nutrition – MiamiHerald.com.