Generality
What are Acai berries?
Acai berries are the fruit of an arboreal palm - Euterpe oleracea, Fam. Arecaceae - which grows in the northern forests of Brazil, reaching heights of over 20 meters.
The growing international demand for acai revolves around pressing advertising campaigns on the alleged therapeutic virtues of these fruits, which actually are based on a small number of scientific studies.
The fruits are called Acai berries from the revisitation of the indigenous term "wasa'i" [(fruits that cry or purge water].
Description
The fruit of Acai is a globular drupe with a purple color, similar to a large grape of black grapes, but with less pulp and a single seed
As shown in the figure, the Acai berries are enclosed in panicles of 700-900 elements.
Acai berry seeds
Including 80% of the mass of the fruits, the seeds of Acai berries can be ground and destined for the feeding of livestock or for fertilizing plants.
Acai oil
The seeds of Acai berries are a rich source of fat. After pressing, they can give rise to Acai oil.
Acai oil is rich in phenolic compounds such as vanillic acid, syringic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatecuic acid and ferulic acid; also catechins and numerous oligomers of procyanidins abound (see below).
Acai oil is green in color, has a sweet aroma and a high content of oleic and palmitic fatty acids.
It can be used for cooking, as a salad dressing, in cosmetics or detergents such as shampoo, soaps and skin moisturizers.
Oral administration of Acai oil has been tested as a contrast agent for MRI of the gastrointestinal system.
Furthermore, the anthocyanins contained in it, characterized by excellent stability, are also used as a natural food coloring.
Indications
When to use Acai berries?
Acai berry traders, and the products derived from them, have several beneficial effects, including:
- Anti-aging
- Slimming
- Prevention and fight against cancer
- Prevention and fight against diseases on an inflammatory, autoimmune and allergic basis
- Protection from excess cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases, and - it is appropriate to say this - you name it.
However, the hypothetical health effect of Acai berries is attributable to very specific nutritional factors, which certainly have a beneficial but not miraculous effect. This is the case of anthocyanidins.
Anthocyanidins for health
Acai berries have a high anthocyanin content. These are typical antioxidants of fruits with dark red, blue and black shades (for example dark grapes, blueberries, blackberries, etc.).
The use of Acai berries, associated with a healthy lifestyle and an adequate diet, is concretely recommended for:
- Improve cholesterol metabolism
- Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Possibly, to prevent the damage of type 2 diabetes mellitus
- Optimize circulation and microcirculation, hindering capillary fragility and related manifestations
- Combat oxidative stress
- Help reduce, as far as possible, the occurrence of cancer.
Property and Effectiveness
What benefits have acai berries shown during the studies?
Considering the important amount of scientific publications relating to the beneficial effects of antioxidants, as well as to some bibliographic findings on the potential therapeutic properties of Acai berries, these fruits and the products derived from them (juices, capsule extracts, yoghurt, cosmetic formulations, etc.) they are often described as a kind of panacea.
Let's see why.
Antioxidant power of Acai berries
As in grapes, the anthocyanidins, the relative glycosides and the other polyphenols of Acai berries, concentrate in the peel, reaching concentrations higher than those of berries.
The overall antioxidant power of the anthocyanidins contained in Acai berries is roughly comparable to that of other fruits, known for a long time for the same virtues.
According to a US study, the overall antioxidant power of Acai juice is lower than that of:
- Pomegranate juice
- Red wine
- Strawberry grape juice
- Blueberry
- Black cherry juice ( Prunus serotina )
but higher than that of the juices of:
- Orange
- Blueberry and apple
- Cold tea.
Other nutrients of Acai berries
The nutritional profile of Acai berries is completed by the discrete (but certainly not exceptional) percentages of calcium, iron and vitamins A and C, as well as the generous presence of fibers and phytosterols.
The protein and lipid content is also good, with prevalence of monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid - about 56%), moderate percentages of polyunsaturated (mainly 12.5% ca linoleic acid) and one of the most atherogenic fatty acids, palmitic acid (24.1 % ca).
Doses and Mode of Use
How to use Acai berries?
The use of Acai berries is food, but also as a supplement.
Acai berry products are taken by mouth and without a specific recommendation. Only if they are the ingredient of a counter product, the company is required to suggest a dosage; on the other hand, this recommendation may change from one product to another based on concentrations of the active ingredient.
Assuming you want to use fresh Acai berries or any derivatives, you could recommend a portion equivalent to 150 grams two or three times a day.
Side effects and contraindications
When should acai berries not be used?
The only known contraindication to taking Acai berries is individual hypersensitivity, consisting of specific intolerance or food allergy.
There are no known drug interactions or relevant side effects.
Precautions for Use
As always, prudence is a must. Acai berries, in fact, are basically a good antioxidant and nothing more.
What do you need to know before taking Acai berries?
A study conducted in vitro on cell cultures has a paltry scientific value, if one wants to transfer results and conclusions about the human body in its entirety; indeed, if the transfer of efficacy were so immediate and automatic we would have for some time been extraordinarily effective weapons to treat the vast majority of diseases still awaiting therapeutic solutions.
Furthermore, like any vegetable drug subject to pressing marketing campaigns, there is no lack of references to the traditional uses of Acai berries, used since ancient times for their precious nutritional properties empirically derived from the discovery of indigenous populations. In reality, as explained in the article, the regular intake of Acai berries, and / or their extracts, has no additional benefit compared to the consumption of local fruits in their entirety, such as whole black grapes or wild berries .
Fraudulent marketing of Acai berries
Finally, it is worth mentioning the important economic "deception" perpetuated in 2008/2009 by some companies to the detriment of internet users worldwide. The trap set by these companies consisted in sending a free trial sample to the victim, after specifying his online personal data, accepting the contractual clauses and a possible, small debit on a credit card (or entering his identification details) . Reading between the lines of these clauses, however, the shrewd buyer authorized the company to send him - a short distance from the free sample - an additional supply of Acai berries, charging him a substantial amount on credit card for the service rendered . All this, unless it had proceeded with a rapid - and often difficult - cancellation, within a few days of acceptance of the contractual clauses.
