What is Acai Good for? The Science Behind the Super Fruit

The acai berry has experience a recent explosion in the supplement market, but many people have been left wondering, “What is acai good for?” You will hear plenty of hype about the little berry. People will tout it as a miracle cure for just about everything you can imagine. But you really need to understand the science behind the berry in order to understand what impact it will have upon you. So let’s break things down a little.

Antioxidants vs Free Radicals

The first thing you are likely to hear about when discussing the acai berry is antioxidants. But why all the fuss? Well, it starts with something called free radicals. Essentially, these are atoms which are missing an electron from their standard pair. Because of this, they seek out other atoms and steal their electron. This is a normal process and occurs in everyone. In fact, free radicals are essential in fighting off harmful bacteria. But they have a mean streak as well. Especially when you get too many of them. An overabundance of free radicals can lead to mutations at the cellular level. They can damage DNA itself and cause any number of health problems. Antioxidants slow down free radicals and balance out the good with the bad.

What Do The French Know That Americans Don’t?

Still looking for more answers to “what is acai good for”? Let’s go to a scenario which isn’t quite as familiar as antioxidants and free radicals. It’s called the French Paradox. For years, health professionals have been baffled as to why the French people, who live on a typical diet of meats and saturated fats, have low incidence of coronary heart disease. It was later found out that the anthocyanins found in red wine that is also a staple among them, was helping to offset their high fat intake. Now where does acai come in in all these? Acai contains a high level of anthocyanins just like red wine, and yet none of the alcohol content.

Shouldn’t we stay away from fat?

Not only should you consume fats, you have to. The body requires fat to function. But you must also be aware of the differences in fat. While many Americans consume plenty of saturated fats, the bad kind, they do not get nearly enough unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats, found in acai berries, are known to lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. And they contain omega fatty acids, which the body needs, but cannot produce on its own.

So now you know that there is actually a lot of truth to the said health benefits of acai berry. It’s no miracle cure to be sure, but it does contain some of the most important nutrients that our body needs. As more people are looking into the health benefits of this fruit, you can be sure that there will be even better answers the next time you ask - what is acai good for?

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