The Mystic History of Acai Berry
Are you looking for ways to improve your health through nutrition? Have you thought about looking in the Brazilian rainforest for the answer? You do not have to book a flight because a miracle fruit from this mystical region is now available to all of us in various acai berry products. You are going to love what this super fruit can do for your health!
Acai (pronounced Ah-SIGH-ee) berries have become quite popular in the past few years, but the people of the Brazilian rainforest have long revered this gorgeous purple fruit that grows on a palm tree.
Folklore tells the tale of an Amazon Indian girl named Iaca whose father was the tribal chief. The tribe had become too large and soon, there was not enough food to feed everyone. The tribal chief ordered that any child born needed to be sacrificed. His daughter was the first to give birth after this decree, but the chief showed no mercy for the sake of the whole tribe.
Iaca desperately mourned her child. One night, she thought she heard the cries of her baby. She ran in the rainforest to where she thought she heard the cries, but she only found a new palm tree. She lay under the tree and died from a broken heart.
The tribe discovered Iaca and noticed that the new tree had purple berries plentiful enough and nutritious enough to sustain the entire tribe. The tribal chief said that the newborns would now be spared death and he named the berries Acai (Iaca spelled backwards) after his daughter.
Interesting story, but the real miracle of the amazing acai berry is what we now know about it through scientific study. The acai berry contains essential amino acids, omega 3 fatty acids and super antioxidants.
Antioxidants are all capable of fighting cancer by fighting free radicals that damage cells and are the prelude to cancer and the aging process. The super antioxidant in acai berries that gives the berries their royal purple color is called anthocyanin. This super antioxidant has been found to slow and stop the growth of tumors. Antioxidants are also necessary for repairing damaged cells and replenishing tissue.
Free radical damage is also responsible for the aging process, so acai berries are capable of fighting premature aging at the cellular level.
In addition to other powerful antioxidant, acai berries have an unusual plant characteristic. Only animal protein contains a complete source of essential amino acids, but acai berries come pretty close! This makes them an excellent source of protein without the damaging effects of saturated fat also found in animal protein.
Acai berries do not contain saturated fat, but they do contain the good fat, omega 3 fatty acids which can lower LDL (bad cholesterol)and raise HDL (good cholesterol) making them excellent (just like fish) in preventing cardiovascular disease.
If you are searching for ways to optimize your health, prevent disease and slow the aging process, there are many ways to incorporate acai berries into your diet. There are supplements made from natural acai berry extract, powders that can be blended in smoothies and pre-made smoothies.
Make sure you do not fall prey to acai juice that is mostly corn syrup and chemicals.