Dr. Mercola’s Health Blog

What’s with the buzz about the Acai berry, a grape-like fruit found in the heart of the Amazon rainforest?

In an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah endorsed the Acai berry as a superfood for age-defying beauty.

Let me tell you more about this much-talked about “superfruit.”

The Acai (Açaí, pronounced as Ah-sigh-EE) berry is the fruit of the Acai palm and grows in clumps or clusters similar to grapes. Researchers have recently discovered that the Acai berry contains 300 percent more antioxidants than grapes or blueberries.

The antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables is called the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) value – the higher the ORAC score, the higher the antioxidant content.

Fresh Acai berries have an incredible ORAC value of 5,500, compared to apples (218), bananas (221) and blueberries (2,400). The Yanomami Indians in Brazil have included Acai berries in their diet for centuries because they believe that it is a food that “holds unique power.”

A ‘Berry’ Nutritious Food

Because the Acai berry is supercharged with antioxidants, it helps your immune system work better and provides you with extra energy and stamina, helping your body fight off the effects of pollution, chemicals, and the attack of germs, bacteria and viruses around us.

In another study, University of Florida researchers found that Acai extracts “triggered a self-destruct response” in as much as 86 percent of leukemia cells tested. While the researchers didn’t go as far as saying that they may have found a looming cure for the disease, they were very “encouraged” by the findings.

Aside from being rich in antioxidants, the Acai is also loaded with other important nutrients. Almost 1/3 of the berry contains essential fatty acids, 74 percent of which comes from unsaturated fats such as Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9.7

The Acai’s fatty acid content is similar to that of olive oil and is rich in monounsaturated oleic acid, which helps Omega 3 fish oils penetrate the cell membrane. Together, they make cell membranes more supple and by keeping the cell membrane supple, all hormones, neurotransmitters and insulin receptors function more efficiently. Oleic acid helps you avoid getting high insulin levels, helping you preventing inflammation, which causes aging.

Each 100 grams of Acai berries also contains:

• 12 mg of calcium
• 11.8 mg of iron
• 2.4 g of proteins
• 9 mg of Vitamin C
• 58 mg of phosphorus
• Vitamin A (1,000 I.U.)
• Vitamins B1 (0.36mg), B2 (0.01g), B3-Niacin (0.40mg) and
• 44.2 grams of natural fiber

Acai’s high-fiber content may help you shed those excess pounds because fiber has little or no calories, keeping you feeling full longer and preventing the temptation to overeat.

Additionally, it gives you 20 percent of the RDI of Vitamin E in a single serving and contains 19 essential and non-essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein which aid in metabolism and muscle development.

All these nutrients, combined in one tiny fruit, gives you these health benefits:

• Increases energy levels
• Helps you lose weight
• Improves digestion
• Improves mental clarity/focus
• Improves sleep
• Cleansing and detoxification of the body
• Boosts your immune system
• Enhances sexual desire and performance
• Helps fight cancerous cells
• Helps slow down aging
• Promotes healthy and youthful-looking skin
• Helps alleviate diabetes
• Regulates cholesterol levels
• Helps maintain healthy heart function
• Minimizes inflammation
• Improves circulation
• Helps prevents atherosclerosis
• Enhances visual acuity

Wow! I’m impressed! The Acai’s combination of antioxidants, essential fatty acids and fiber does make it a must-try “beauty fruit.”

How to Enjoy the Benefits of Acai

The Acai tastes like a mixture of red wine and chocolate so it is easily likeable because it is neither too tart nor too sweet. The downside is if you don’t live in Brazil near the Amazon, it’s not likely that you’ll get the chance savor the actual fruit right from the tree. The berry is quite fragile, making shipping a problem.

Manufacturers solved this problem by inventing a free-dry method to help them preserve the berry’s high level of nutrients. Freeze-dried Acai can be added to a number of different foods, or made into smoothies, sherbets or ice cream.

And the easiest way to enjoy the Acai? Juice up! There are already several companies producing pure Acai juice. Just check the labels of Acai “juice drinks” to avoid brands that may include other fruit juices and added flavorings.