Acai Berry Nutritional Value
The latest superfood is a berry that comes from the Brazilian rain forest called Acai Berry. What exactly makes it a superfood?
First, let’s look at its antioxidant properties
ORAC, or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, is a method of measuring antioxidant capacity of various foods. The measurement was developed by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institute of Health. While the measurement is not official, it is a good way to measure the antioxidant properties of foods such as spices, berries, and legumes (nuts).
The Fight against Free Radicals
Foods high in ORAC are believed to have a positive impact on fighting free radicals in the body. Free radicals are believed to cause premature aging, cancer, along with many other diseases. Free radicals are a byproduct of your normal cell functions and happen naturally in the body.
But as we are exposed to more toxins in our environment, (through smoking, bad diet such as trans fat, radiation, etc), the rate of free radical creation in our body grows exponentially. The more free radicals in our body, the less healthy our cells become. Unhealthy cells lead to many health problems over time. Not only that, but free radical damage is believed to make us age much faster. But we can fight free radicals with antioxidants.
Antioxidants fight free radicals
Antioxidants are reducing agents that slow down or stop the oxidation of our cells (free radical damage). The acai berry is very high in antioxidants, which can cleanse our body of harmful free radical damage. The USDA recommends 2400-3000 units of ORAC in your daily diet, and we, on average, only consume about 1,000
Here is how Acai stacks up against other fruits
- Acai berry has an ORAC score 5,500 (per 100 grams)
- Blueberries have a score of 2,400.
- Bananas score 220
- Apples score 218
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