A study recently conducted at the University of Florida in Gainesville on the properties of an extract of the acai berry produced some surprising results. When exposed to acai berry extract, cancer cells died. These were cancer cells which have proven to be resistant to other treatments. This was the first of many studies planned on the properties of the acai berry in cases of cancer.



In this test, leukemia cells were exposed to acai berry extract, with the surprising result that 86%of the cancer cells self-destructed. Acai berries were already known as one of the best sources of antioxidant compounds, but this study's findings are truly extraordinary. An assistant professor at the University of Florida (in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Services) was able to confirm for us that this figure of 86% was indeed the case.

Other fruits may also contain antioxidants which can kill leukemia cells, but all of the research done to date is only preliminary, as there are other things which need to be taken into account. The figures yielded by this first study however show great promise.

The Australian public has quickly jumped on the acai bandwagon, with great popularity for a diet rich in tropical fruits such as acai, noni, goji and mangosteen. There are quite a large number of ongoing promotions for juice products made from these fruits. Many of these fruits have been found to be high in antioxidants.

A study in Brisbane, Australia in March of 2008 has focused on the differences between the juice type antioxidants and the olive leaves antioxidants. While the results found in the olive leaf has very promising results when it comes to containing antioxidants, the studies with the acai berry are far more conclusive.

The most interesting of these studies are, of course, the ones which have been done on fruits and cancer. U.S. researchers are working tirelessly to find a cure for cancer, especially leukemia. Australia is doing the same in regard to cancer research. Leukemia is the most common disease related cause of death in children aged 20 and younger worldwide. For this reason, leukemia research is a priority for many nations around the globe.

Because only basic research that has been done up to a certain point, more studies are warranted. The acai berries have anywhere from 50 to 75 compounds that have not been established yet. The main reason the berries are so hard to study is that they are very perishable.

Acai berries are roughly the same size as a blueberry and are dark purple when ripe. They contain a single seed and decompose rapidly if not frozen or used straightaway. Native to the Amazon River basin, freezing these berries for a long trip is not always a viable option.

The most accessible option for importing into Australia is the acai powder which results from the pulp being dehydrated and freeze-dried. The resulting powder is easier and cheaper to export and can be used to make pure acai supplements that have all the nutritional benefits of the original fruit. Moreover, the freeze-dried powder has all the health-giving properties of the berry itself.

While the research is still very much a work in progress, this super fruit, along with other newer therapies give researchers hope that someday there may be a cure developed for the scourge of leukemia.