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Acai Extract
Not many of us have ever heard of the name acai until recently.
Today, "Acai", "Acai Fruit", "Acai Berry" are all over the media ranging from
journal, magazine to popular talk
show and even getting endorsement by celebrities. Everyone is buzzing
about the amazing berry. It is recognised as one of the most nutritious and
powerful fruit in the world! -"The No.1 Super Food" dubbed by researchers. How
could a berry that was relatively unknown
just a few years ago, gain such a high
recognition? ...Knowing its nutritional facts is the best way of understanding why many
consider it as super food and why we should consider taking it as part of our
daily diet. Lets take a look at the nutrition facts of this tiny, little berry.
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High in antioxidants
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Oxidation is the interaction between oxygen
molecules and all the different substances they may contact.
When oxidation reactions take place in the body, free
radicals may be produced as an undesirable byproduct. Free
radicals are atoms or groups of atoms that can damage the
cells, impairing the immune system and leading to infections
and various degenerative diseases. An antioxidant is a
molecule capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of
other molecules. Antioxidants are a group of vitamins,
minerals, and enzymes which help protect the body from
forming free radicals. The amount of antioxidants in Acai
Berries are 10 times more then that in red grapes, and twice
the amount found in blueberries.
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Contain an almost perfect amino acid complex
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Amino acids are essential to life, and have a
variety of roles in metabolism. One particularly important
function is as the building blocks of proteins, which are
linear chains of amino acids. Besides building cells and
repairing tissue, they form antibodies to combat invading
bacteria & viruses; they are part of the enzyme and hormonal
system. Amino acids, separated into two categories -
essential and non-essential. Essential amino acids are those
that cannot be manufactured by our body, hence, must be
obtain them from our diet. Non-essential amino acids can be
manufactured by our body, however, our body must have the
right combination of essential amino acids and supporting
nutrients to optimize healthy protein maintenance, so
supplementation may be desirable. 20 amino acids are needed
to build the various proteins used in the growth, repair,
and maintenance of body tissues. Experts say that 7.59% of
the weight of the Acai pulp is from amino acids and that
19 different amino acids
have been identified in Acai (amino acids are the
building blocks of protein).
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Rich source of
monounsaturated (healthy) fats and phytosterols -
Fat content of Acai is 50% where as 74% of this fat content
is healthy fats ( such as Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9.)
together with phytosterols help to promote cardiovascular
and digestive health.
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