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Acai Berry is Absorbed by the Body Studies Show
A new food that has been sweeping the world as a miracle food known as the acai berry has been questioned as legit or not because of the limited research that has been done on the fruit. A recent study added credence to the acai berry as research proved that the fruit does indeed get absorbed by the body when it is either consumed as a juice or pulp.
That finding, by a team of Texas AgriLife Research scientists, was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Providing evidence that the acai berry fruit absorption in humans is important because it is known to contain numerous antioxidants that stop and prevent free radicals from damaging the body’s cells.
The acai berry is marketed in the U.S. as a wonder food with a recent niche in weight loss. The study involved 12 healthy volunteers who consumed a single serving of acai juice or pulp.
There have been other studies done to show that the human body is able to absorb antioxidants from other foods, but this is the first time that the acai berry has been tested to determine if acai’s antioxidants are absorbed in humans. Acai has a taste that is described by many as a mixture of chocalate and red wine.
Sales of acai products have increased dramatically in the U.S. where it has been touted as a metabolism booster, weight reducer and athletic enhancer.
Brazilian rainforests are the only known place acai berries grow and come from acai palms that can reach heights in excess of 60 feet. The acai berry is about the size of a large blueberry yet only the outermost layers of the fruit, the pulp surrounding a large internal seed, are edible.
Dr. Steve Talcott and his wife have been studying the acai berry since 2001 and are considered pioneers to the English speaking world. In 2004, they published the first ever english study of the acai berry pertaining to the high concentration of antioxidants that are found inside of the fruit.
The Talcotts were initially intrigued with the acai berry from other studies that it had positive effects in fighting cancer. From that information, they then decided to fid out how the fruit is actually absorbed in the body.
“Like vitamin C, the body can only absorb so much at a time,” Dr. Talcott noted.
Tags: Ant Aging, Elederly health, Free Radicals, Health research, medical research, Men's Health, older women's health, women's