In the past few years, perhaps no other fruit has received as much attention as the Açaí Berry. Many nutritionists have proclaimed it’s a superfruit, packed with antioxidants and nutrients that make it one of the world’s healthiest fruits. But is all this praise and attention just marketing hype? How well does it really stack up against other fruits that also have high levels of antioxidants?
Like other berries in its family, Acai Berry contains high levels of antioxidants. But to merely say that it’s rich in antioxidants would be a huge understatement. That’s because Acai Berry has been found to contain one of the highest amounts of antioxidants among all fruits. This is confirmed by its superior ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) rating, which measures the antioxidant content and potency of different foods. In the ORAC rating system, Acai Berry in its dried and powdered form was the fruit with the highest ORAC value and among the highest in all types foods.
As a comparison, antioxidant content for Acai Berry is thought to be almost twice that of Blueberries and almost ten times of grapes. So at least in terms of antioxidant capacity, Acai Berry does deserve its hype.
With that said, this doesn’t mean that you should neglect all the other fruits and food that are also good for you. Antioxidants are just one of the many nutrients that you need to stay healthy. What you really need is a balanced and varied diet, rich in different nutrients that will support all your body’s needs. Açaí Berry is just one of the many foods that could be a valuable part of this healthy diet, but in terms of getting your dose of antioxidants, it’s hard to go wrong with Acai Berry.
In Australia it's quite easy to get your hands on either the dried or 100% Freeze Dried Açaí Powder variety. It's not sweet on it's own so just sprinkle into smoothies or shakes that are already naturally sweetened.
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References:
http://oracvalues.com/sort/orac-value
http://www.myessentia.com/blog/berry-vs-berry-which-is-the-best/
https://www.victoriahealth.com/editorial/facts-and-myths-about-acai-berry
http://www.naturalnews.com/021032_acai_berries_superfoods.html#
