Harvested in South American rainforests, the acai berry is a popular fruit which gained attention as Dr. Nicolas Perricone announced it to be the number one "superfood" on the planet when he appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Acai berry is commonly sold in pulp, freeze-dried or juice form. The acai berry is the main ingredient in a non-alcoholic antioxidant cocktail on the market known as MonaVie.
Acai Berry Nutritional Information
According to Dr. Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic, the acai berry is an excellent source of antioxidants, fiber and healthy fat. With a fatty acid content that resembles olive oil, the acai berry is also rich in oleic acid. According to Dr. Perricone, the acai berry contains 10 times more antioxidants than red grapes and between 10 and 30 times the anthocyanins (which act as antioxidants) of red wine.
Acai Berry Benefits
Oleic acid found in acai keeps the cell membrane supple. According to Dr. Perricone, oleic acid found in acai berry allows parts of the cell such as neurotransmitters, insulin receptors and hormones to function more efficiently. Antioxidants found in acai berry combat premature aging while promoting cardiovascular and digestive health, according to Dr. Perricone.
MonaVie Ingredients
The primary ingredient in all MonaVie juices is the acai berry. MonaVie Active Blend contains both pureed and powdered acai berry. MonaVie's Original blend is a combination of many different fruits.
MonaVie Nutritional Information
MonaVie is naturally high in potassium, most likely due to the wide variety of exotic fruits that are in combination with the acai berry. Both MonaVie Original and Active contain 62 to 66 mg of potassium per oz. One ounce of MonaVie contains 12.4 units of Vitamin K.
Considerations
The use of the acai berry in dietary supplements is plentiful, as are the claims of what it is capable of doing for you. Marketed primarily to promote weight loss, acai berry is also marketed for gaining energy, lowering cholesterol and for anti-aging purposes. According to Dr. Zeratsky, research is limited and claims on the effectiveness of acai remain unsubstantiated. Nevertheless, dark fruits such as the acai berry are known to be valuable in a healthy diet due to the heart-healthy polyphenol antioxidants they possess.
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