Archive for the ‘Antioxidants’ Category

Acai boosts the immune system

Saturday, March 7th, 2009

The immune system is a protection mechanism in our bodies that ward off bacteria, viruses, toxins, parasites and microbes that cause infection and disease. Boosting your immune system is one of acai health benefits you can take advantage of, with rich amounts of antioxidants and plant sterols found in this tiny superfood.

The best way to enhance your immune system is to tweak your diet. Load up on fresh vegetables and fruits like the acai berry for a sufficient supply of vitamins, minerals, fiber and enzymes. Acai contains antioxidants that protect the cells of your immune system from damage by toxins in the environment.

Protein is another acai health benefit that can help strengthen your immune system. Protein deficiency can lead to elevated blood sugar levels and a stressed pancreas and immune system.

Sleep deprivation is another factor that can compromise your immune system. Always get at least six hours of sleep each night for balanced hormone levels, healthy weight, clear reasoning, and better mood.

Dehydration weakens the immune system and can disrupt your chemical, nutritional and pH balances, leading to sickness and premature aging. To calculate the amount of water you should take in daily, divide your body weight (pounds) by 2 and drink that amount in ounces. Never substitute coffee or alcohol for water as they can contribute to significant fluid loss. Coffee also strips your body of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Another food item to avoid is sugar – it raises insulin levels that can undermine the immune system. Elevated blood sugar in your body reduces its ability to fight infections. Lesser sugar intake leads to better energy levels, weight distribution, disease immunity, and cognitive thinking.

Acai health benefits are numerous. But not all acai products are made equal. Pick the ones that do not contain caffeine or sugar. Supplementing your diet with acai berries, drinking lots of water, and sleeping well can substantially improve your immune strength.

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Acai berry for improved eyesight

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

As we age, one of the first things to go is our eyesight. Don’t let blurred vision hamper you. Acai berries are known to contain antioxidants that help promote improved eyesight with healthy corneas, irises, and the rods and cones in the eyes.

Acai berries are rich in flavonoids called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are very effective in fighting free radicals in the tiny blood vessels in the eyes, preventing retina disorders such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, and night blindness.

Acai berries can also help in improving night vision. This can be especially helpful for drivers who cannot see well in dim light and have difficulty recovering from glare from approaching car headlights.

Anthocyanins are so effective in improving eyesight that during World War II, bomber pilots of the British Royal Air Force would eat bilberry jam before dangerous night missions to improve their vision. In Japan and Korea, office workers are encouraged to buy vials of blueberry juice to help relieve eye strain from long hours of computer use. Acai berries, bilberries, and blueberries are all rich sources of anthocyanins.

Acai berries also contain anthocyanidins called Cyanidin 3-glycosides. These organic compounds stimulate the regeneration of rhodopsin, a pigment of the retina that enables vision in low-light conditions.

Purple fruits like acai and bilberries contain anthocyanosides which reduce inflammation and strengthen collagen. Collagen is the main protein in the tiny capillaries of the eye. Leaking capillaries impedes proper delivery of blood and oxygen to the eye, resulting in disease.
 
Acai berries can help slow down retinopathy – a common complication of diabetes that eventually leads to blindness. Almost 80% of all patients who have had diabetes for at least 10 years suffer from retinopathy.

Many acai users confirm improved eye focus after only three weeks of taking acai extracts, proof that enhanced visual acuity from acai berries is no old wives’ tale. For improved eyesight, why not give acai a try.

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Acai and Pregnancy

Sunday, February 22nd, 2009

Do acai and pregnancy go together?

Women trying to get pregnant might want to try acai berries to enhance their fertility. A diet rich in organic food like acai keeps the reproduction system healthy. And acai is great for maintaining healthy weight, a crucial factor in ovulation effectiveness.

Parasites and heavy metals are toxins that can cause fertility-limiting contamination. An excellent detoxifying agent, acai rids the body of toxins that can impede hormonal balance and overall fertility.

Nutritional supplements like freeze-dried acai helps the body absorb the maximum amount of nutrients. Vitamins and minerals in acai can strengthen reproductive glands and nourish the developing egg.

Free radicals can harm cells in the ovaries, follicle and egg. As you know by now, acai berries contain the most concentrated amounts of antioxidants than any other fruit on earth – antioxidants that can reverse the harmful effects of free radicals. Antioxidants are most potent when they contain extracts of superfoods like acai.

Acai berry supplements are also effective in boosting energy levels and sex drive, as well as keeping menstrual cycles and ovulation in order.

Is the acai berry safe for your newcomer?

Expecting women are naturally wary of what they eat or drink, whether it can benefit or harm the little one in their womb. The acai berry provides an enormous amount of health benefits, but because it is being marketed as a weight-loss supplement, many moms-to-be are cautious in taking acai-based products during pregnancy.

The acai berry is more than just a diet pill. Acai is all about pumping the body with nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants that are important to both mom and baby. With a great protein profile, acai berries can even help expecting women meet their body’s protein need, which increases by 30 percent during pregnancy.

For acai and pregnancy to work hand-in-hand, always read the label before buying any acai juice drink or supplement. As long as it does not contain caffeine and sugar, acai is perfectly safe for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.

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Foods for a better quality of life

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Acai berries

Calories: 110 per serving

Omega 9, Omega 6, Omega 3 fatty acids: Similar to olive oil, these mono-saturated essential fatty acids help lower LDL (harmful cholesterol) while maintaining HDL (good cholesterol). Omega fights heart disease by promoting healthy cell development, and helps rejuvenate muscles after rigorous exercise.

Amino acids: Acai contains almost all the essential amino acids crucial to muscle development and regeneration.

Theobromine: Helps open air passage ways in the lungs for improved oxygen intake, which increases endurance, strength, and sustained energy.

Photosterols: Promotes healthy cardiovascular and digestive systems.

Antioxidants: Acai contains 10 to 30 times more antocyanins than a glass or red wine, essential to fighting premature aging.

 

Raspberries

Calories: 70 per cup

Vitamin C: Supplies 50% of the daily requirement.

Dietary fiber: Supplies 32% of daily fiber requirement.

Quercetin, ellagic acid and salicylic acid which can reduce pain and inflammation, fight cancer and heart disease, and control blood glucose.

 

Dried plums

Calories: less than 100

Dietary fiber: 3g per serving (4-5 plums)

Potassium: For stronger bones, helps fight osteoporosis.

Polyphenols: Helps control blood glucose, combat heart disease and protect against some types of cancers.
 

Oats

Whole grain: promotes healthy blood pressure, maintains healthy body weight, reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Fiber: Soluble fiber works like a sponge that soaks up cholesterol and removes it from the body; insoluble fiber is good for overall digestive health.

 

Milk, cheese and yoghurt

Calcium: Strengthens bones and teeth; improves sleep; alleviates PMS symptoms; and helps in muscle contraction, blood clotting, and proper nerve function. A cup of milk, an ounce of cheese, or less than a cup of yoghurt supplies 300mg of calcium, or nearly 1/3 of the daily requirement.

Protein: Essential to muscle tissue maintenance; helps regulate blood glucose for sustained energy.

Vitamin A: For good vision and healthy skin.

Riboflavin (vitamin B2): Helps convert food into energy.

Niacin (vitamin B3): Converts carbohydrates and fat to energy, promotes proper function of the central nervous system, lowers bad cholesterol.

Vitamin B12: Helps build red blood cells.

Vitamin D: Controls the absorption of calcium by the body, helps in the development of teeth and bones, and boosts immunity to disease. Apart from the sun, milk is one of the richest sources of vitamin D. Fortified milk supplies around 25% of the daily vitamin D requirement (per 8-ounce serving).

Probiotics: Yoghurt contains probiotics, which is good bacteria that fights off the bad ones, essential to good digestion.

Milk is one of the most nutrient-rich beverages in the human diet. Advancements in milk production technology have increased calcium and protein content while filtering out milk sugar – making it easier for those who are lactose-intolerant to meet their daily nutritional needs.

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The difference between acai and goji

Monday, February 16th, 2009

Today’s fast-paced lifestyle leaves us no room to exercise or grab an apple from the fruit stand. So we turn to exotic concoctions for nutrients and detoxification, like some magic potion that can breathe life into our ailing, aging bodies. This has paved the way for acai and goji berry products to thrive on the market, sometimes even scamming health-conscious citizens.

Acai and goji possess very similar characteristics. Among their health benefits are:

•    They strengthen the heart and prevent cardiovascular diseases
•    They alleviate insomnia and increase mental alertness
•    They can reverse sexual dysfunction
•    They boost the immune system
•    They are very effective as weight loss aids
•    They clear the body of toxins
•    They contain essential amino acids, important vitamins, antioxidants, and trace minerals
•    They have anti-inflammatory sterols and essential fatty acids such as Omega and linoleic acids

How are they different?

Acai contains antioxidants more than any other fruit in the world. Antioxidants prevent the formation of free radicals in our bodies – free radicals that cause cell deterioration that leads to aging and disease. Unlike goji juice, acai antioxidants are predominantly anthocyanins. These types of antioxidants can help lower the risk of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, atherosclerosis, diabetes and osteoporosis.

Acai could be nature’s answer to cancer. Although still unproven, studies on the destructive effects of acai on cancer cells have been promising. Oleic acid in acai helps prevent the formation of the oncogene, a gene that turns healthy cells into cancer cells. When it comes to anti-cancer potential, no other fruit comes close to the acai berry.

While goji juice and other fruit drinks out there promise lots of vitamins and minerals, the acai berry offers the most complete spectrum of health benefits. Acai is good for the heart, brain, digestive system, bones, muscles, and even hair and skin.

Best of all, acai berries taste better than goji berries. Goji is quite bitter, while acai has a sweet berry taste with a hint of chocolate. When choosing between acai and goji berry products, trust your palate.

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Acai Anthocyanins: A Cure for Many Ills

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

The numerous health benefits of acai berries have cast this little-known fruit into the spotlight. And the most promising of them all could be powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins.

Have you ever wondered why France has a low incidence of cardiovascular disease with all that fat in French cuisine? The answer could be in the volumes of red wine they consume. Red wine contains anthocyanins – believed to negate the effects of a fatty diet and smoking. What you’re getting from the Brazilian acai fruit is 30 percent more anthocyanins than red wine, without the alcohol associated with it.

The Value of Anthocyanins

Chronic inflammation – anthocyanins can prevent inflammation by neutralizing the enzymes that damage connective tissue. The anti-inflammatory capabilities of anthocyanins can help lower the risk of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, atherosclerosis, diabetes and osteoporosis.

Neurological disorders – oxidative damage in brain cells can lead to brain damage and brain trauma. Anthocyanins in the acai berry known as Cyanidin-3-glucoside can help in reversing age-related neurological deficits.

Cardiovascular disease – one of the terrific benefits of acai is its ability to lower cholesterol levels. Anthocyanins prevent the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Elevated LDL levels can clog arteries and lead to atherosclerosis. Anthocyanins also prevent ischemia which increases capillary wall permeability, restricts blood flow, and often causes permanent capillary damage.

Blindness – retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes. When the body attempts to repair leaking capillaries, retinopathy occurs, which may lead to blindness. Anthocyanins prevent capillaries from leaking and control protein proliferation. Studies also show that anthocyanins can help you adapt better to light and dark as well as reduce eye fatigue.

Cancer – a recent experiment showed that anthocyanins from dark-colored fruits like the acai berry effectively halted colon cancer cell growth, killing approximately 20 percent of the malignant cells without damaging non-cancerous cells.

Anthocyanins are 6 to 8 times more potent than vitamin C. And the acai berry contains the most highly concentrated forms of anthocyanins among all other fruits and vegetables. Our ancestors knew then of the many benefits of acai – it’s time we make these berries a large part of our diets too.

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Acai Berry Fruit Best at Reducing Inflammation

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Inflammation is probably the foremost contributing factor to premature aging and chronic diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, allergies and cancer. Reducing inflammation can significantly improve quality of life as we age.

What is inflammation?
Most of us associate inflammation with swelling caused by injury. While inflammation from insect bites and ankle sprains are highly visible to the eye, swelling that occurs inside our bodies usually go unnoticed. Chronic inflammation can be caused by stress, smoking, high-fat diet, and environmental pollution.

Fortunately, Mother Nature has given us powerful anti-inflammatory remedies that effectively provide natural inflammation relief.

Brazilian Açai Fruit
Topping the list of anti-inflammatory supplements is Brazil’s acai berry fruit and its exceptional antioxidant content. Studies have shown that the Brazilian acai fruit contains specific polyphenols that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, arthritis, obesity, and viral diseases by protecting cells from oxidative damage.

Broccoli, Grapes, Green Tea
Quercetin is a natural antioxidant found in red grapes, broccoli and green tea. Lab tests show that quercetin can severely alter intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), an important inflammation factor.

Fish Oil
Researchers from the UK discovered that taking 3.5 grams of fish oil daily for six weeks activated anti-inflammatory and lipid modulating mechanisms that can delay the early onset of coronary heart disease. Fish oil not only improves cardiovascular health, it fights inflammation and provides arthritic relief.

Flaxseed Oil
Flaxseed oil contains Omega-3 fatty acids that help decrease C-reactive protein, a common inflammation marker. Lignans that are also present in flaxseeds can protect postmenopausal women from breast cancer.

While supplements like the acai berry fruit can help suppress inflammation in your body, the most effective cure is always prevention. Sticking to a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and maintaining a stress-free lifestyle will prevent inflammation from occurring in the first place.

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What’s Inside the Brazilian Acai Fruit

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

The Oprah Winfrey Show caused a massive furor around the Brazilian acai fruit. Ever since Dr. Nicholas Perricone talked about the acai berry on Oprah, this 2-centimeter purple fruit has sparked interest in every health-conscious American. What exactly is inside this berry that’s being hailed as the number one superfood on the planet?

Staggering antioxidant and anthocyanin levels
The antioxidant content of the Brazilian acai fruit is 10 times than that of grapes and twice that of blueberries. Anthocyanins in acai are up to 30 times more than that of red wine. The ORAC score for 100 grams of freeze dried acai is over 50,000 – a number that no other fruit or vegetable can even come close to.

A complete range of vitamins and minerals
The acai berry is a rich source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and E. Potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc are also present in the acai fruit.

Healthy unsaturated fat
Almost 50% of the Brazilian acai fruit is fat - and 74% of that is Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9 fatty acid that’s good for your heart.

Strong fiber profile
For every 100 grams of freeze dried acai, your body receives around 14 grams of fiber.

Excellent source of amino acids and plant sterols

Acai contains 19 different amino acids, supplying your body with more than 8 grams of protein for every 100 grams of acai. Three plant sterols that maintain a healthy heart and digestive system can be found in the acai berry: beta-sitosterol, campesterol and sigmasterol.

The Brazilian acai fruit is 90% seed and 10% pulp. Only the pulp and skin are edible, but some unscrupulous manufacturers are adding crushed seeds to their acai products. Stay away from any acai drink, capsule or powder that has seeds in it.

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What the ORAC score means

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

Antioxidants help eliminate oxygen free radicals from the human body. This ability is measured through a test tube analysis called ORAC, or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. The ORAC score is used to indicate the amount of antioxidants in one food source.

What are free radicals?
Free radicals are also called oxygen radicals. These are chemicals that form inside our bodies from natural processes such as digestion or physical activity. External forces such as pollution, solar radiation and rotten food also cause free radicals.

What do free radicals do?
Imagine rust forming on metal. As rust eats away the surface, the metal erodes and eventually becomes unusable. This is how free radicals attack our body – they weaken our cells, organs, tissue and other important parts, leading to diseases such as cancer, heart ailments, osteoarthritis and dementia.

The ORAC scale
Dr. Guohua Cao, a chemist-physician, is credited with the creation of the ORAC index. The ORAC test identifies and measures important antioxidants in a food source.

Foods with a high ORAC score can raise the antioxidant levels in the blood by up to 25 percent. Doctors recommend that we consume fruits and vegetables with a total ORAC score of 1,750 per day.

Because some plants contain more antioxidants than others, it is possible to achieve 1,300 ORAC units from seven kinds of vegetables or 6,000 ORAC points from just one type of fruit. Eight to ten servings of brightly colored fruits and dark green vegetables can give you an ORAC score of 5,000.

Acai tops the ORAC list
Blueberries, raspberries, grapes, broccoli, garlic, oregano and tomatoes rate high on the ORAC scale. But no single food source comes close to the ORAC score of the acai berry from Brazil.

A study done by researchers from the US Department of Agriculture, the University of Arkansas, Brunswick Laboratories, the National University of Singapore and the University of California confirmed that freeze-dried acai fruit pulp has the highest ORAC antioxidant values of any food.

Compared to blackberries (53), pomegranates (105), and blueberries (92), acai has an amazing ORAC score of 1,027 per gram. Some samples of freeze-dried acai turned out ORAC results of up to 50,000.

While these figures are impressive, they do not apply to all acai. Frozen, spray-dried and air-dried acai have lower ORAC values because many of the polyphenolics, enzymes and nutrients of the acai fruit are lost in the process.

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Why Antioxidant Supplements and Pills Do Not Work

Thursday, January 15th, 2009

With all the antioxidant supplements and pills available to you today, how do you know if they’re going to work?
 
Some companies that produce antioxidant supplements and pills want you to believe that using their product over more natural ways of consuming antioxidants is a far better method to stop the oxidization of your cells. It’s a personal call that you have to make when deciding if that is true or not, but if you read the labels on the bottles of these supplements, they will say that their claims were not substantiated by the FDA, and that their product was not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease. So how do you know if the supplements and pills are going to work?

In general, antioxidants are meant to slow down the oxidizing processes that cause damage to cells. Although it is a normal function of the body, it may also be damaging and increase risks of certain illnesses. So, taking antioxidants would be a smart thing to do, but it’s how you go about it that will make all the difference.

Foods rich in antioxidants like acai berries, pomegranates, and carrots have been determined, in many studies, to lower the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol. Everyone knows that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables are good for you, but not everyone likes them and opts for the supplements and pills. The biggest deterrent of getting your antioxidants in pill or supplement form is that the quality and quantity of the vitamins and nutrients found in natural foods are far greater than any pill. Some studies have shown that people who prefer the supplements over naturally acquiring them had a higher risk of heart disease and strokes.

It’s best to keep in mind that these supplements are not drugs, and by no means can offer any guarantees. Through the many studies performed on them, it has been proven time and again that these antioxidant supplements contribute no health benefit to your body. Don’t be one of the people who look for the easy way out. Rewards often come with hard work and a good diet.

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