HEALTHY LIVING RESULTS

You might have heard of acai berries by now. They are one of the superfoods, containing mass amounts of antioxidants as well as B vitamins and amino acids. More importantly, they contain anthocyanins which are phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are a new area being researched. They are a natural component of plants meant to protect the plant from damage and disease. We receive similar benefits when we eat the plant.

Acai berry nutrients are thought to prevent disease, aid in weight loss and slow aging. More than likely, this is a direct result of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nature of the various nutrients.

The antioxidants fight free radicals, preventing the damaging affects at the cellular level. They also aid in repair and replenishment of cells and bodily tissue. Inflammation causes many disease processes such as atherosclerosis. It is also behind aging and plays a role in obesity. The anti-inflammatory action of acai berries may therefore prevent disease, slow aging and aid in weight loss.

Acai berries are not found in the produce department because they are grown in the Amazon on large palm trees. Instead, you will find acai berry juice and frozen acai berry mixtures meant for smoothies or topping. You may also find powdered acai berry that you can use in a smoothie as well. Read labels carefully to make sure the product is not loaded in sugar. Juices tend to be watered down versions of what was once a healthy fruit.

On the supplement end, however, there are oodles of products. You might find acai berry supplements in liquid extract form, powders or pills. Though these might be great products, the bad news is there are quite a few acai berry frauds as well. When something becomes as popular as acai berries in the health supplement arena, there are bound to be some rotten eggs in the dozen.

The biggest fraud would be the “free trial” fraud. Acai berry supplements are offered as a free trial. The customer pays a minor shipping charge, so the company is given the person’s credit card information. Unbeknownst to the customer, however, they automatically sign up for future shipments. Their credit cards are charged for the shipment before it even arrives in most cases. Worst of all, you may end up fighting tooth and nail to get the charge removed and stop the auto-shipments. Most of these companies transfer call after call and keep people waiting on hold long before anything is remedied.

The weight loss industry (the crooked ones in the bunch!) have also honed in on acai berry. Yes, acai berries can aid in weight loss, but nothing exists that aids in healthful weight loss without proper diet and exercise. Take caution in ordering acai berries touted as being this magic bullet in weight loss.

Ultimately, you need to research the company a bit. Look for certifications of good business practice such as seals offered by the Better Business Bureau. You should consider making a phone call. If you get put on hold right away, this is likely another acai berry fraud! If someone wanted to buy something from you, would you put that person on hold?

Look for the acai berry fraud. Go there and learn which acai berry brand your can rely on.

The EU (European Union) recently recommended pregnant and nursing women take daily omega 3 DHA fatty acid supplements.

The EU committee of more than 50 nutritional experts from the Perinatal Lipid Nutrition Group (PeriLip) and Early Nutrition Programming (EARNEST) unanimously agreed pregnant and nursing mothers should supplement their diets with 200 mgs/day of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) - a long chain omega 3 fatty acid found primarily in fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and tongol tuna/

The committee, with the support of seven international scientific organizations, made its recommendation based on two major points:

One - The committee revealed that pregnant and nursing women in western cultures don’t eat sufficient amounts of fatty fish; it is generally recommended that we consume two servings omega 3 DHA for a healthy pregnancy. The committee also discovered the average DHA intake of pregnant and lactating women in the U.S was less than 18 % of the recommended daily amount and only 2 % of these women meet their daily needs of DHA. Since your baby gets its nutrition from its mother, if the mother is not getting enough of the fish oil then is the developing baby in the womb or the nursing baby is not getting enough either.

Two - Studies also uncovered that pregnant women who ingested the recommended daily dosage of omega 3 DHA have much healthier pregnancies as well as deliver babies that are full term and have higher birth weight then mothers who did not take the recommended daily dosage. In addition, additional studies revealed that the benefits of the omega 3 DHA extend beyond birth as well. When babies received the recommended amount of omega 3 fish oil, especially DHA before birth have optimal brain and eye development and motor, thinking and language skills. In addition, the study revealed a decrease risk of developing problems later on such as asthma, juvenile diabetes and ADD/ADHD.

Professor Berthold Koletxco, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Munich, stated, “We reviewed a wealth of evidence on the benefits of DHA omega 3 and hope our findings will offer guidance for healthcare professionals on the optimum DHA omega 3 intake during pregnancy and nursing.”

In addition, professor Koletzco also shared, “We also hope that new and expectant mothers will be able to use this specific information to ensure that they are getting enough DHA omega 3 to gain the nutritional benefits throughout their pregnancy and during nursing.”

EU recommends getting the majority of your omega 3 fish oil from sources like salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and tuna as they have the richest sources of omega 3 fatty acids. It is also important to note that there are no negative side effects to consuming more than the recommended amount of 3 fish oil is 200 mgs/day of omega 3 DHA.

As far as fish toxicity is concerned, most experts agree that as long as pregnant and nursing women (and everyone else as well) avoid eating large predator fish such as shark and swordfish, two or three servings a week of one of the above fatty fish is perfectly safe. In fact, a recent Harvard University School of Public Health study concluded that fish oil health benefits far outweigh any threat of toxicity by as much as 500 to one. In other words, toxicity is not a threat.

So if you’re pregnant, nursing or even just thinking about it and want to have a smart, healthy baby, start eating more fatty fish and taking omega 3 fish oil supplements ASAP. Your baby will be glad you did.