Acai Berry Research

We have all heard the stories on how acai berry can help you to live longer, prevent cancer, look younger, lose weight etc. but where is the proof? Well, some scientific studies have in fact been carried out and reported in the news:

What is acai?
The acai berry grows in clusters on the acai palm and has very high antioxidant activity, with people of Brazil apparently describing it as ‘the milk of the Amazon’. Traditionally they have used acai berries to treat skin conditions and digestive disorders, but the recent claims around this popular health food supplement focus on anti-aging.

Is there any scientific support?
In a recent University of Florida study, the acai berry extract was shown to trigger a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukaemia cells in a test tube environment. However, scientists are quick to point out that more human studies are needed before claiming anti-cancer properties or confirmed health benefits.

What’s the best approach?
When it comes to fruit and vegetables, whole is best, as there are beneficial interactions or synergy between different components. Go for a variety of different vibrantly -oloured fruit and vegetables to get a minimum of two fruit and five vegetables every day. However, as acai fruit quickly perish on picking and there is no local fresh supply, foods with extracts may be the way to go. You can find acai berry in various health juices as well as Jalna Vitalize Immune yogurt, which contains vitamin C and echinacea, together with acai berry, raspberry, pear and a daily vitamin and mineral boost.

So while the research is still limited, the evidence does look promising. It will be great to see the results of further studies as they come out.