by Jessica Matias
Acai berries are indigenous to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and wasn’t known to the Americans until recently when nutritionists and health experts discovered its health benefits. The fruit is said to be part of the regular diet of the natives of the Amazon for centuries already and is considered to be the number one antioxidant today.
Our body needs antioxidants to cleanse our system of various toxins. Antioxidants help fight cancer cells and rid the body of the toxins from the food that we eat and the pollutants that we encounter on a daily basis. One of the benefits of the acai berry is its high antioxidant content which is 300 percent more than antioxidants from other fruits. Presence of more antioxidants in the body mean a healthier body. It isn’t a wonder, then, that the native people of the Amazon rainforest are free of the harmful toxins that cause various diseases.
Acai berry is a great way to fight obesity, too. Isn’t it great? Yes, it is. Obesity is one of the major problems nowadays because of unhealthy food and lifestyle that most of us have. Well, it can no longer be much of a problem because acai berry has the combination of antioxidants, amino and essential fatty acids that help a lot to burn fats. It will help you achieve the balanced weight that’s just perfect for your body.
The great amount of antioxidants in acai berry help flush out toxins from the body and can help boost our immune system to fight diseases. Combined with other essential acids, acai berry can boost our immune system into high gear as an anti-viral and anti-bacterial agent. This can be achieved when acai berry becomes an integral part of our regular diet.
Bad cholesterol known as LDL is a threat to our heart, thus, low levels of this bad cholesterol can help prevent heart diseases. To have a healthy heart, we should maintain high levels of good cholesterol known as HDL. Acai berry components can help fight bad cholesterol and maintain a good level of the good ones. It also promotes the absorption of other vitamins such as Vitamins A, D, E and K.
Would you believe that acai berry can also help you attain good eyesight? Yes, it can. It contains an antioxidant found in bilberries known as anthocyanins. It can help relieve eye strain and improve eyesight. When combined with other antioxidants found in acai berry, it can fight other eye diseases such as glaucoma.
When it comes to stamina, acai berry is also a great help. It’s really simple. When your body is healthy and free from diseases combined with a great immune system, it has more capacity to provide you more energy which can help you gain more stamina. Simple, right? This is a must for athletes. So if you are one, why not try eating acai berries before your game and see the results?
Now that we’ve discussed the benefits, let’s go over the side effects of this famous berry. As I’ve mentioned a while ago, acai berries are eaten raw by the native of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil before the fruit was discovered by the US of A. They’ve been eating this fruit for hundreds of years now but there were no reports of side effects.
One thing that has been observed when eating the acai berry is that you will lose your appetite. For most people, it’s not such a big deal side effect. In fact, it can be a positive thing for those who doesn’t want to gain weight and are on a diet. But then, losing one’s appetite can be a side effect for some.
The other thing is that, because it’s gaining popularity now, it may cost you a lot buying product containing the juice of acai berry. It’s because most manufacturers are into the acai berry bandwagon now. Although I’ve said that raw acai berry has no side effects, I cannot guarantee the supplements and other processed acai berries sold in the market now. It’s because they may have added other substances such as caffeine to their products. Might as well check the nutrition facts to be sure. There’s no harm doing that.
Always remember this, weigh the acai berry benefits versus the acai berry side effects. I’m sure that the positive effects will weigh more than the side effects.