What is the Latest Acai Berry Research

The acai berry has gotten a truckload of media attention since Oprah decided to give this little berry a place on her site. But, Oprah is not a scientist. What is the latest acai berry research ? What have been the facts behind this newly rediscovered acai berry ? Read this article to find out the latest research on acai berries.

As a fad takes hold many people jump on without doing their homework. What can a little berry from South America do for you ? The answer to that is; “quite a lot”. A study done by the American Chemical Society found that the polyphenolic in the acai berry could make cancer cells shrink. This is called apoptosis, or a form of death of the cells, in this case, cancer cells. The ingredients in the acai berry caused cancer cells to reduce their growth by up to 86 percent. This is good news and should produce even more acai berry research.

While the Oprah site emphatically claims that she does not endorse any acai berry product, her site does have glowing reports on the acai berry by writers there. No specific testimonies from first-hand users are mentioned, but lofty claims such as; “detoxifies and cleanses the colon”, “aids the immune system”, “promotes anti-aging”, and others are written at the Oprah site. No acai berry research seems to be attributed to these claims.

While acai berry research seems to be in short supply, there is a wealth of information available about the ingredients of the acai berry. The acai berry has some very powerful ingredients that have already been researched in the past. The anthocyanins are a potent antioxidant that helps to prevent the damage from free radicals. It has been proven that the antioxidants from the acai berry are absorbed in the body. A team from a Texas university used the pulp and juice of the acai berry to produce a “significant increase” in antioxidant activity in twelve volunteers. This happened twelve and 24 hours after the acai berry was ingested. This is a major finding, and increases the need for yet more acai berry research.

There is no doubt that much of the hype surrounding the acai berry is unjustified. That does not mean this dark purple berry from the Amazon will not help you. You probably eat blueberries regularly. An acai berry is very similar to the blueberry, but has more powerful ingredients. The latest acai berry research is not all that revealing. This means you must trust the testimony of those who are using this so called “superfood”. Do your best to study up on the benefits and side effects before you start taking any new food or drug regularly.