Information About Acai: Information
Acai (a-SIGH) supplements are produced from the acai berry, fruit from a species of palm that grows in Central and South America. Besides being used in supplements, acai has a long history of use as an ingredient in foods and beverages. Research has revealed that acai berries posses powerful antioxidant properties1; acai supplements were developed to take advantage of these properties.
Acai's Health Benefits
Acai's antioxidant compounds such as anthocyanins and other polyphenols have shown effectiveness against a wide range of damaging free radical compounds2. "Free radicals" are damaging chemicals; some are produced by normal metabolism, others are of environmental (cigarette smoke) or dietary origin (oxidized fats). They have the ability to oxidize and damage any of the many fragile chemicals and structures at the cellular level.
Antioxidants are protective compounds that the body uses to quench or control these free radical oxidation reactions. Each anti-oxidant (acai, vitamin C, vitamin E, alpha lipoic acid, etc) is able protect you against some types of free radicals but not others. No single antioxidant is able to protect against all of them. Therefore it’s best to take a variety of antioxidants for the best protection.
Acai berry supplements are an excellent way to add more beneficial antioxidants to your diet.
Using Acai Supplements
General: Follow manufacturer's directions.
Side effects and Cautions:
None noted.