Thread: Acai Berry
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Old Tue, Sep-16-08, 19:38
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Kisal Kisal is offline
Never Give Up!
Posts: 14,482
 
Plan: It's anybody's guess!
Stats: 350/250/160 Female 70 inches
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Progress: 53%
Location: Oregon
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I haven't tried it. I'm nowhere near enough to goal to add juices to my plan. Here's some information, though. Doesn't sound to me like it's much better than other fruits:

"Nutritional content

Most of the research to date on açaí has focused on a particular freeze-dried form referred to as Opti-açaí. This powder preparation of freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp and skin was reported to contain (per 100 g of extract) 533.9 calories, 52.2 g carbohydrates, 8.1 g protein, and 32.5 g total fat. The carbohydrate portion included 44.2 g of fiber.[2] The powder was also shown to contain (per 100 g): negligible vitamin C, 260 mg calcium, 4.4 mg iron, and 1002 U vitamin A, as well as aspartic acid and glutamic acid; the amino acid content was 7.59% of total dry weight.
Açaí has an exceptional content of fats, including oleic acid (56.2% of total), palmitic acid (24.1% of total), and linoleic acid (12.5% of total),[2] and also contains a high amount of beta-sitosterol (78-91% of total sterols).[2][3] These oil compartments in açaí fruit harbor dense contents of polyphenols such as procyanidin oligmers and vanillic acid, syringic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid, and ferulic acid which were shown to degrade substantially during storage or exposure to heat.[4]
[edit]Antioxidants of açaí raw materials

A comparative analysis reported that açaí had intermediate antioxidant potency among a variety of frozen juice pulps tested. Antioxidant potency was: acerola > mango > strawberry > grapes > açaí > guava > mulberry > graviola > passion fruit > cupuaçu > pineapple.[5]
A powdered preparation of freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp and skin was shown to contain anthocyanins (3.19 mg/g), including cyanidin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-rutinoside,[2] yet the contribution of anthocyanins to overall antioxidant capacity of açaí is only about 10%.[6] The powdered preparation was also reported to contain twelve flavonoid-like compounds, including homoorientin, orientin, taxifolin deoxyhexose, isovitexin, scoparin, as well as proanthocyanidins (12.89 mg/g), and low levels of resveratrol (1.1 μg/g).[2]
In a study of different açaí varieties for their antioxidant capacity, a white species displayed no antioxidant activity against different oxygen radicals, whereas the purple variety most often used commercially was excellent against peroxyl radicals, good against peroxynitrite and poor against hydroxyl radicals.[6]
Freeze-dried açaí powder was found to have high antioxidant activity against superoxide (1614 units/g) and peroxyl radicals (1027 μmol TE/g) and milder activity for peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals.[7] The powder was reported to inhibit hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidation in neutrophils, and to have a slight stimulatory effect on nitric oxide production by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages in vitro.[7]
Extracts of açaí seeds were reported to have antioxidant capacity against peroxyl radicals, similar to the capacity of the pulp, with higher antioxidant capacity against peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals.[8]
[edit]Antioxidant activity of açaí juice

When a commercial açaí juice was compared for in vitro antioxidant capacity against nine other fruit juices, wine or tea, it ranked lower than pomegranate, Concord grape or blueberry juice and red wine, was the same as black cherry or cranberry juice, and was higher than orange or apple juice and tea.[9]
Studies have demonstrated that blood antioxidant capacity increases within two hours of consuming a commercial açaí juice.[10]
[edit]Other research

Freeze-dried açaí powder was shown to have mild inhibitory effects on cyclooxygenase enzymes COX-1 and COX-2,[7] and chemically-extracted polyphenolic-rich fractions from açaí were reported to reduce the proliferation of HL-60 (experimental leukemia) cells in vitro.[11] Similar anti-cancer effects in vitro were demonstrated with extracts from açaí pulp oil.[12]
Orally-administered açaí has been tested as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging of the gastrointestinal system.[13] Its anthocyanins have also been characterized for stability as a natural food coloring agent.[14]"

(From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Açaí_Palm)
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