No other food known to humans has been as widely ascribed with health benefits as the acai berries. These small blue-purple berries has a vast wealth of goodness stored in them, which is why they are so widely recommended by health specialists and dieticians. Getting at the berries is not so easy if you are not in the South American continent, but ingenious retailers have packaged the berries in various forms and distributed them all over the world. Another source to get these berries is through the Internet, through which these berries are retailed worldwide.
The huge amount of popularity of the acai berries is because of the wealth of goodness that they contain. The following are just some of the benefits that these berries provide.
1. Weight Loss
This is probably the first on the list of health benefits of the acai berries. The acai berries are extremely rich in antioxidants which can speed up the body's metabolism by destroying the free radicals. This helps in proper utilization of fat and hence acts as a cure for obesity.
2. Anti-Aging
The antioxidants present in the acai berries can prevent the reactions in the body that can lead to aging. They can reduce the physical symptoms of the aging process such as the appearance of wrinkles and scars, graying of hair, loosening up of skin, etc.
3. Maintaining Good Vision
The acai berries are rich in vitamin A content. This vitamin is vital for good visual health. People who consume acai berries regularly find that they can focus their eyes better than others when the light conditions are poor.
4. Improving Blood Functions
Acai berries promote the healthy circulation of blood to all parts of the body, which helps in the proper assimilation of food and in the proper removal of waste food matter through the excretory organs. It also helps in speedy healing of wounds through the blood clotting process.
5. Improving Digestion
Acai berries contain several vitamins that can act as coenzymes in various bodily processes. Coenzymes are substances that help enzymes. Since digestion is mostly governed by enzymatic actions, these berries can improve the digestive functions of the body. In fact, the digestive systems are improved to such an extent that undigested waste matter is never retained in the body, which makes the need for treatments such as colon cleansing completely unnecessary.
6. Enhancing Energy
One of the most traditional uses of the acai berries has been providing energy to the body. When a bowl of acai pulp is consumed, the body experiences an increase in stamina and a capacity to do more physical work.
7. Strengthening the Immune System
The immune system is necessary for protecting the body from various infections and pathogenic conditions. Acai has the capacity to increase the resistance of this system so that the body stays healthier.
8. Enhancing the Sexual Function
Acai berries are also renowned for improving the sexual potency in men. Its slow burning constituents such as the carbohydrates and fats provide men with a constant energy supply to keep up the sexual act.
9. Controlling Bad Cholesterol Levels
Acai berries introduce good cholesterol into the body. This is the cholesterol that is needed for the various body functions. This automatically reduces the amount of bad cholesterol in the body.
10. Inducing Proper Mental Balance
These berries are fantastic for mental health. They can promote healthy concentration, improved memory skills and generally keep a person away from mental problems.
Health Benefits Of Berries
The acai berries contain a chemical class known as plant sterols in abundance. Plant sterols, or phytosterols, have long been known to improve the cardiac health in humans apart from several other benefits. People who subsist on a diet of plant foods that are rich in sterols are known to have a better heart longevity than other people and they are also better protected from other cardiovascular problems such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease and the risk of seizures. In fact, the benefits of plant sterols are so prominently accepted in today's health-conscious world that manufacturers of several food products are actually going ahead and fortifying their foods with both natural and synthetic plant sterols. However, the benefits that these products contain are always of a very dubious nature.
This is where acai berries score greatly. These berries are renowned for several health benefits, but one of the most important benefits that they carry is the presence of a high concentration of plant sterols. There are various sterol compounds presently, but it is most important to speak about beta-sitosterol, which occupies up to 70 to 90% of the total sterol content in the acai berries. Beta-sitosterol is a compound that is chemically quite similar to cholesterol (which is also a sterol, by the way), but it has a very peculiar action on cholesterol. It can act with the cholesterol that is present in the blood and reduce its density. Thus, beta-sitosterol works in the metabolism of cholesterol in the body so that it does not tend to accumulate.
Cholesterol is the main culprit behind most of the heart diseases prevalent in the human race. It can accumulate in the lumens (bores) of the arteries and thus reduce the flow of blood in them. If the cholesterol accumulates in the coronary artery (the artery leading to the heart), it can reduce the blood flow to the heart, which will result in impaired heart function. In time, the excess pressure on the heart can give rise to diseases and even risks of heart seizure. If the accumulation is built into any other artery of the body, then it can give rise to high blood pressure, which again is a very dangerous condition. With the help of the plant sterols present in it, acai berries ensure that a person having their diet can lead a healthier life with benefits to cardiac health.
Acai berries have been hailed for several benefits in recent times, but the most important benefit seems to be their effectiveness in reducing harmful cholesterol from the body. This is in light of the fact that the greatest share in world mortality today is of heart-related problems. It is conjectured that if all people of the world were to go on an acai berry diet, then the human mortality would drastically come down. Also, the fact that the acai berries can act at reversing some of the aging symptoms and make the person 'feel' younger and not just 'look' younger, these berries are being looked upon a potential source for a healthy heart and a prolonged life.
Both Mike Berry & Steve Gerencser are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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