Acai Berry And Its Health Benefits
In this Article
Nowadays, health and healthy food have become the key focus of our lives. Due to our fast-paced lives, we look for sources to add maximum nutrition to our diet in easy and quick ways. By helping us gain maximum nutritional benefits with minimal calories, superfoods have become our heroes. Superfoods are packed densely with a high volume of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals and offer a myriad range of health benefits.
Acai berry is one such popular member of the superfood squad. With a delicious flavor and beautiful appearance, Acai berry is topping the superfood charts and is called the “it” food. You can see it all around you, from Insta feeds to food shows! So, you might have wondered if the Acai berry really has any health benefits. Let’s find out what exactly Acai Berry is and what its benefits are.
What Is Acai?
To know the benefits of acai berry, we first need to know what acai berry is first. Acai berries grow on acai palm trees in the rainforests of Central and South America. The one-inch round and deep purple-colored berries look a lot like grapes. Though the acai berry seed makes for almost 80% of the berry, the remaining 20% of flesh and skin have plenty of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
An important fact to remember is that a cup full of acai berries has 70 calories. And it has a deliciously sweet taste with an earthy flavor. Some people often compare the taste of acai berries with a combination of dark chocolate mixed with blueberries. So, with fewer calories, you can freely enjoy the holistic benefits of acai berries for good health.
Nutrition Facts About Acai Berry
To know how eating acai berry can boost our health, we first need to know what acai is made of. To further know the nutritional facts about the acai berry, let’s see what a 100-gram acai berry serving (pure and unsweetened) contains:
- Calories – 70
- Fat – 5 g (6% DV
- Protein – 1 g
- Fiber – 3 g (11% DV)
- Carbs – 4 g(1% DV)
- Calcium – 23 mg (2%DV)
- Vitamin A – 26mcg (2% DV)
- Potassium – 121 mg (2% DV)
What Are The Benefits of Acai Berry
Acai berries are popularly nicknamed “purple gold” and provide relief from many health issues. However, a lot of people wonder what does acai helps with exactly? So, let’s put your mind at ease and find out the benefits of acai berry.
1. Reduces cholesterol and risk of heart diseases
It may appear that eating a diet with fish, almonds, and avocados is the only way to obtain enough omega-3 fatty acids. However, acai berries are also an excellent source of heart-healthy fats. Eating many of these heart-healthy fats will help decrease your cholesterol and reduce your risk of coronary heart disease. They are also a good source of protein and fiber.
2. Promotes bone and muscle health
Acai berries are high in calcium and help maintain your bones, heart, muscles, and nerves.
3. Helps in maintaining blood sugar level
Acai berries are high in fiber, which not only helps you maintain a healthy bladder along with keeping your blood sugar stable.
4. May lower the risk of cancer
According to many studies, eating produce-filled meals lowers the risk of cancers. Acai berries are high in antioxidants, and antioxidants help prevent free radicals from damaging DNA, which causes cancer. So eating a diet with acai berries may lower the risk of cancer.
5. Aids weight-loss
Acai berries are low on calories, have zero sugar content, and are high on nutrition, so adding them to your diet along with regular exercise can aid in weight loss.
6. Helps with arthritis
Anthocyanins, which are present in acai berries, have been proven to have an anti-inflammatory impact that can help decrease arthritis symptoms.
7. Promote immunity and skin health
Acai berries are high in antioxidants. In fact, they have more antioxidant content than other berries. So acai berries can help strengthen your immune system and protect your cells from free radical damage. The high content of acai berry vitamins and other nutrients boosts immunity and good health. The high content of anti-oxidants is one of the main acai berry benefits for skin health. Consuming these berries regularly can help with combating many skin issues, from acne to aging.
8. May support brain health
The antioxidants produced from acai berries protect brain cells from the harmful effects of inflammation and oxidation, impairing memory and learning.
How To Purchase Acai?
Acai berries are fragile and perish in a short time, so purchasing fresh acai is difficult. However, you can easily purchase frozen acai berry puree, juice, dried acai berries, or acai powder from your local super-mart. Acai is available even in tablet form in the market.
Acai berry unsweetened puree, dried acai berries, acai tablets, and acai powder benefits are similar to consuming fresh acai berries. So you can purchase them in any form that is convenient for you and enjoy their health benefits. However, remember to purchase the supplements from a reputable brand known for its high-quality and authentic products.
Risks of Having Acai
Acai berries are generally safe to consume regularly. However, like any other food, anything in excess can be harmful. So, remember to consume them in moderate quantities. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid eating acai berries, as there is insufficient information on the safety of these berries. It’s best to consult your doctor and take their advice if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before adding acai berries to your diet.
Inform your health care provider if you’re taking acai in greater quantity than you’d typically take dietary supplements. If you have an MRI or any medical condition, it’s vital to inform your doctor that you’ve been consuming acai berries. Acai taken in high dosages might skew the results of the MRI test. If you’re going to use acai pills or supplements, make sure you pick a known, high-quality brand. Also, talk to your doctor about potential drug interactions and whether a supplement is the best approach to reach your health goals.
How To Make Acai?
A lesser-known truth about acai berries is that they have a minimum shelf life and aren’t actually marketed in their fresh form outside of their growing region. They’re usually processed into a pulp and marketed as a frozen fruit puree, pressed juice, or dry powder when they’re exported. They’re also used in the flavoring of foods like yogurt and sorbet.
The frozen puree is by far the most popular acai berry product since it’s simple to make, widely available, and delicious. To make acai, you can purchase acai berry juice or puree and add it to your daily smoothie or juices. Frozen acai puree is easy to add to your breakfast bowl for a delicious flavor.
To make a delicious and healthy dessert, add acai puree to fresh fruits or nuts or granola bowl with a bit of coconut milk or water. One can conveniently add acai puree to homemade jellies and ice-creams. You can find a good brand of acai puree, or you can also use acai powder. You can easily add acai powder like puree to cereal, oats, or homemade granola bars.
Acai is a delicious berry that is not only high in taste but also in nutritional value. Adding it to your daily diet will help you get optimum health without any compromise on taste. However, remember to aim for holistic health and focus on the entire diet with an active lifestyle.
Also Read:
Health Benefits of Watermelon
Benefits of Eating Mushrooms
Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
