by Dan-N on June 18, 2010
For the last 2 years we have written about various Acai Berry Scams. Look in our Acai Scams category and we have over 25 posts on the various acai scams on the market. Free Trial Offers, magic acai pills that let a 300 pound person lose 310 pounds overnight, fake news journalist like Julia Miller – we have covered it all.
What is the Point of Taking Acai Anyway?
At times it can seem like Acai is just an over hyped supplement that should be avoided. However, if you get beyond the ridiculous weight loss claims and free trial offers you start to get to the real benefits of the Acai Berry – it is one of the highest antioxidant fruits in the world. Great you say, but who are we to say what fruits have the highest antioxidants? Well, it is not us saying it – it is the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)!
The USDA List of ORAC Values – New and Improved!
In May 2010 the USDA released the “USDA Database for the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods, Release 2″. Pretty sexy title huh? Here is link to the whole report -
USDA 2010 ORAC List
ORAC is a way to measure the antioxidant capacity of foods. If you want to learn more, you can read our ORAC Article, but what you really need to know is the higher the ORAC value the more antioxidants in the food. When the USDA first released this report in November of 2007 they did not test Acai, but now with Release 2 – Acai is finally included.
No, that Acai ORAC Value is Not a Typo…
Let’s take a look at some well known fruits and their ORAC value…
- A nice Golden Delicious Apple comes in at 2,670 ORAC/100 grams
- Blueberries – a summertime favorite is at 4,669 ORAC/100 grams
- Cranberries, that healthy treat tests out at an impressive 9,090 ORAC/100 grams
- Wild Blueberries get a wildly high score of 9,621 ORAC/100 grams
- Acai Berry Freeze Dried Powder – Astronomical score of 102,700 ORAC/100 grams
There is no typo or misplaced decimal point – Acai Berry Freeze Dried Powder really has over 10x more antioxidants that wild blueberries (previous considered one of the highest antioxidant fruits in the world)!
Shop Carefully and Acai Berry Really Can Be a Tremendous Addition to Your Diet
The acai that is shown in the USDA report is freeze dried Acai made from the skin and pulp of Acai Berries. If you want to enjoy the antioxidant benefits of Acai, you need to go with a supplement that only uses freeze dried Acai powder. Forget the “free trial” deals and “magic weight loss acai pills” – they all use spray dried Acai which has less antioxidants than an apple. You want to go with brands like the Perfect Acai, Sambazon and Amazon Thunder – all which state that they only use Organic Freeze Dried Acai Berry Powder.
by Dan-N on December 7, 2009
When it comes to superfruits like Acai, muscadines and resveratrol – you often see claims about how these fruits can help with cardiovascular function or cholesterol levels. What is interesting is that very few sites actually get into the science of how these fruits can work their magic. Let’s dig a little deeper…
I Guess Scientific Names Sound Better than “Fruit Filling”
You know all that stuff that make up a fruits – we call it pulp, fruit filling or fruit stuff – but that is not very scientific and way too easy to pronounce. Here are some technical terms for all the good stuff in fruit…
- Plants and Fruits are made up of stuff! The broad term for the top level components in plants and fruits are Polyphenols. There are over 10,000 different Polyphenols in the plant kingdom.
- Because biologist love to classify things, there are groups that fall under Polyphenols. Flavonoids are a large group of components in the Polyphenol class. So, while there are thousands of different flavonoids, all flavonoids are part of the larger Polyphenol grouping.
- You like words you can’t pronounce? How about Proanthocyanidins (or oligomeric proanthocyanidins or OPC) or Anthocyanins? These are things that fall under the Flavonoid group. Isn’t biology fun?
We will stop there – not because the classifications end, but just because we realize your finger is probably just about to hit the close button on your browser!
Going to a party and want to impress everyone with your knowledge of Resveratrol? Try this one out on them –
Resveratrol is a phytoalexin. Phytoalexins are flavonoids. All flavonoids are Polyphenols. So, Resveratrol is a phytoalexin, flavonoid and polyphenol!
What Does Any of This Have to Do With How Fruits Help With Cholesterol?
Sorry, the boring biology lesson on terms that no one can pronounce is now over. What is important to take away from the above is that fruits, and especially superfruits like Muscadine and Acai, are packed with all these nutrients and antioxidants. Many of the polyphenols in Acai and Muscadine are powerful antioxidants. Resveratrol, anthocyanins, OPCs – all powerful antioxidants.
How Do Antioxidants Help With Cholesterol?
I am sure you have hear about the “good and bad” cholesterol. It is generally accepted that LDL Cholesterol is the bad cholesterol and HDL cholesterol is the good cholesterol. While on a simple level this is true, it is actually a little bit more complicated when it comes to when LDL Cholesterol starts causing real health issues.
Oxidized LDL Cholesterol – The Really Bad Cholesterol
What is worse than having high levels of LDL Cholesterol? Having high levels of Oxidized LDL Cholesterol! Oxidized LDL Cholesterol is exactly what its name suggests, LDL cholesterol that has been attacked by free radicals and becomes oxidized. Numerous studies have found a strong correlation between high levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol and heart disease. In fact, the correlation between Oxidized LDL Cholesterol and heart disease is much stronger than the correlation between LDL cholesterol (not oxidized) and heart disease. Clearly, you want to do what you can to avoid Oxidized LDL Cholesterol.
How All Fruits (including Acai and Muscadine Grapes) Can Help
Nobody eats food that has Oxidized LDL Cholesterol. We eat foods with LDL Cholesterol and the oxidation happens inside our body due to free radicals. Fruits are high in antioxidants and superfruits like Acai and Muscadine Grapes are really high in antioxidants. It is the antioxidants in fruits that can help battle the free radicals and give you the best chance of keeping LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and becoming really bad cholesterol!
People often think of antioxidants helping with skin tone, the immune system or general energy levels and while this is all correct, they can really help on a much deeper level. Oxidation does not just lead to skin spots and other skin issues, oxidation works on a cellular level and can cause serious health issues. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants is one of the best ways to keep oxidation in check, keep LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and sure, it can help your skin look better to!
Our Standard Disclaimer – We Are Not Giving Medical Advice
Nothing we say here should be taken as medical advice. We are not making any health claims about what a fruit can do for you. Simply, we believe a healthy diet, rich in fruits, can provide benefits. If you have any specific medical questions you should consult with your doctor. High oxidized LDL Cholesterol levels and heart disease are very serious issues and you should work with your doctor to correct any issues you may have.
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