Acai Berry Products May Well Help You Drop Body Fat

By Rebecca D Scott

The strong acai berry that is grown only in the rainforests of Brazil is a nutritional powerhouse. If you have read any of the exploration on this little berry you will see that there are claims ranging from weight loss to illness prevention to anti-aging.

Yet, it is easy to stay cynical in the face of such extravagant claims. Is it in fact probable that one tiny fruit can be such a mighty ally for our fitness? The answer is yes and the details about this tiny little berry are becoming more and more obvious with each scientific study.

The acai berry contains a profusion of nutrients including an array of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, phytosterols and dietary fiber. It is actually one of the most healthy foods ever found in nature.

Current study involving one of the flavonoids found in the acai berry indicates that this berry may be helpful for weight loss and disease prevention. The acai berry contains an exceedingly robust flavonoid called anthocyanins. This is the water-soluble, vacuolar pigment the makes the deep purple, deep blue and deep red colors in some of the healthiest foods found in the natural world.

This pigment is responsible for making blueberries the deep blue-black color, for making red grapes that dark claret red, and purple cabbage purple. This pigment is also found in eggplant, blackberries, purple corn, red wine, cherries and strawberries. The tiny little acai berry has one of the peak anthocyanin contents of any other food.

Some current controlled studies involving laboratory mice showed that anthocyanins prevented obesity when the mice were fed a high-fat diet. In the studies they gave the mice purified anthocyanins from blueberries and strawberries. The group that was given the anthocyanins gained a smaller amount of weight and had a lower body fat level than the control group.

An interesting footnote is that a further group that was fed the actual strawberries and blueberries did not achieve the same result and that group of mice may have even had more plumpness. While it is uncertain if the consequence of the anthocyanins found in these mice translates to humans the fact is that this robust flavonoid is enormously healthy and healthful nonetheless.

This is by no means evidence and every individual must come to their own conclusions but the anthocyanins result may somewhat explain why so many people have had such great triumph with weight loss by using acai berry products. Since the acai berry is so perishable and it must be speedily processed to protect the nutrients, many of these products will in reality contain a more purified form of anthocyanins. - 31805

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