Acai

By admin On February 8, 2011 Under How to's

Questions and Answers about Acai

Q. How many calories in 100 grams of Acai fruit?

A. Seems that all over the Internet you can find different stats on this question many of which are false the best information I have been able to find on this matter and probably the most trust worthy was found on wikipedia and the measurements are of 100 g of dry Acai powder the answer they got is 533.9 calories.

Q. How much protein is in 100 grams of Acai fruit?

A. Again the information on this seems to be all over the place but best answer we came up with is that for every 100 grams of dry Acai berry powder you get 8 gram of protein made up of some 19 different types of amino acids.

Q. Can Acai berry fruit/juice/powder really help me lose weight?

A. The truth is no matter what you have read about Acai Berries incredible power to help you lose weight the simple answer is “Who Knows” there have been no scientific documented studies that prove or disprove that this fruit has the stuff to help you miraculouslyshed those extra pounds. However lets break Acai berry down, first of all every 100 grams of Acai powder holds approximately 52.2 grams of Carbohydrates 32.5 grams of fat normally not something you would call a super dietary food, but when you look closer 44.2 grams of the 52.2 grams of Carbs is made up of dietary fiber and dietary fiber is an essential part of an healthy diet, it help to slow down digestive process, fight obesity, stabilizing blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol levels ,this is not bad quite good actually, and of course lets not forget the 8 grams of protein also not bad, and the Fat is also not so bad in fact it is made up mostly of the good fats you heart, brain and body need mostly Omega 9, Omega 6 and Omega 3. Also found in Acai are vitamin C, 260 mg calcium, 4.4 mg iron, and 1002 U vitamin A, as well as aspartic acid and glutamic acid; the amino acid content was 7.59% of total dry weight. I am not a doctor nor am I a scientist but from what I know about the above this is at the very least a good additionto any Healthy diet But definitely not a miracle diet remedy.

Q. What else can you tell me about Acai?

A. Quite a bit actually lets see

In the general consumer market, açaí is sold as frozen pulp, juice, or an ingredient in various products from beverages, smoothies and foods to cosmetics and supplements.

Apart from the use of its fruit as food or beverage, the açaí palm has other commercial uses. Leaves may be made into hats, mats, baskets, brooms and roof thatch for homes, and trunk wood, resistant to pests, for building construction. Tree trunks may be processed to yield minerals. The palm heart is widely exploited as a delicacy

Comprising 80% of the fruit mass, açaí seeds may be ground for livestock food or as a component of organic soil for plants. Planted seeds are used for new palm tree stock, which, under the right growing conditions, requires months to form seedlings. The seeds are a source of polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids.

Açaí is notable for its potentially rich polyphenol content.

A comparative analysis from in vitro studies reported that açaí has intermediate polyphenol content and antioxidant potency among 11 varieties of frozen juice pulps, scoring lower than acerola, mango, strawberry, and grapes.

A powdered preparation of freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp and skin was shown to contain anthocyanins (3.19 mg/g); however, anthocyanins accounted for only about 10% of the overall antioxidant capacity in vitro. The powdered preparation was also reported to contain twelve flavonoid-like compounds, including homoorientin, orientin, taxifolin, deoxyhexose, isovitexin, scoparin, as well as proanthocyanidins (12.89 mg/g), and low levels of resveratrol (1.1 μg/g). A study on another different freeze-dried acai product (Opti-Acai) reported that the formulation contained much lower levels of anthocyanins, proanthocyanadins, and other polyphenol compounds as compared with blueberries and other antioxidant-rich fruits.

Various studies have been conducted that analyze the antioxidant capacity of açaí juice blends to pure fruit juices or fruit pulp. Açaí juice blends contain an undisclosed percentage of açaí.

When three commercially available juice mixes containing unspecified percentages of açaí juice were compared for in vitro antioxidant capacity against red wine, tea, six types of pure fruit juice, and pomegranate juice, the average antioxidant capacity was ranked lower than that of pomegranate juice, Concord grape juice, blueberry juice, and red wine. The average was roughly equivalent to that of black cherry or cranberry juice, and was higher than that of orange juice, apple juice, and tea.

A study in 12 healthy fasted human volunteers demonstrated that blood antioxidant capacity was increased within two hours after consumption of a commercial açaí juice beverage or applesauce, but did not investigate any physiological effect of these supposed antioxidants. The generation of reactive oxygen species was not significantly affected by acai juice consumption.

Quackwatch noted that “açaí juice has only middling levels of antioxidants—less than that of Concord grape, blueberry, and black cherry juices, but more than cranberry, orange, and apple juices.” The extent to which polyphenols as dietary antioxidants may promote health is unknown as no credible evidence indicates any antioxidant role for polyphenols in vivo, In minute concentrations, polyphenols may affect cell-to-cell signaling, receptor sensitivity, inflammatory enzyme activity or gene regulation.

In an in vitro study of different açaí varieties for their antioxidant capacity, a white one displayed no antioxidant activity against different oxygen radicals, whereas the purple variety most often used commercially had antioxidant activity against peroxyl radicals and to a lesser extent peroxynitrite but little activity against hydroxyl radicals.

Freeze-dried açaí powder was found to have antioxidant activity in vitro against superoxide (1614 units/g) and peroxyl radicals (1027 μmol TE/g) and mild activity for peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals. The powder was reported to inhibit hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidation in neutrophils, and to have a slight stimulatory effect on the reactive radicalnitric oxideproduction by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages in vitro. These results, however, apply only to in vitro conditions and remain unknown for whether they are physiologically relevant. Rather, more subtle, non-antioxidant roles in vivo are likely. Extracts of açaí seeds were reported to have antioxidant capacity in vitro against peroxyl radicals, similar to the antioxidant capacity of the pulp, with higher antioxidant capacity against peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals.The anthocyanins of fruit likely have relevance to antioxidant capacity only in the plant’s natural defensive mechanisms and in vitro. The Linus Pauling Institute and European Food Safety Authority state that dietary anthocyanins and other flavonoids have little or no direct antioxidant food value following digestion. Unlike controlled test tube conditions, the fate of anthocyanins in vivo shows they are poorly conserved (less than 5%), with most of what is absorbed existing as chemically-modified metabolites destined for rapid excretion.

Freeze-dried açaí powder was shown to have mild inhibitory effects on cyclooxygenase enzymes COX-1 and COX-2, in vitro. Chemically-extracted polyphenolic-rich fractions from açaí were reported to reduce the proliferation of HL-60 (experimental leukemia) cells in vitro. In vitro anti-proliferative effects were also observed with extracts from açaí pulp oil.

In a study of rats fed a high cholesterol diet, supplemental feeding with dry açaí pulp reduced blood levels of total and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and superoxide dismutase activity.

Orally-administered açaí has been tested as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging of the gastrointestinal system. Its anthocyanins have also been characterized for stability as a natural food coloring agent.

The fruit, a small, round, black-purple drupe about 1 inch (25 mm) in circumference, similar in appearance but smaller than a grape and with less pulp, is produced in branched panicles of 500 to 900 fruits. The exocarp of the ripe fruits is a deep purple color, or green, depending on the kind of açaí and its maturity. The mesocarp is pulpy and thin, with a consistent thickness of 1 mm or less. It surrounds the voluminous and hard endocarp, which contains a single large seed about 0.25–0.40 inches (7–10 mm) in diameter. The seed makes up about 80% of the fruit (Schauss, 2006c). Two crops of fruit are produced each year. The ripe fruits are harvested as food.

In a study of three traditional Caboclo populations in the Brazilian Amazon, açaí palm was described as the most important plant species because the fruit makes up a major component of their diet, up to 42% of the total food intake by weight.

In the northern state of Pará, Brazil, açaí pulp is traditionally served in gourds called “cuias” with tapioca and, depending on the local preference, can be consumed either salty or sweet (sugar, rapadura, and honey are known to be used in the mix). Açaí has become popular in southern Brazil where it is consumed cold as açaí na tigela (“açaí in the bowl”), mostly mixed with granola. Açaí is also consumed in Brazil as an ice cream flavor or juice. The juice has also been used in a flavored liqueur.

Açaí pickers climb the palms and use machetes to cut off branches full of açaí berries. Açaí perishes within 24 hours and was originally limited to the Amazon. Modern refrigerated transport made it possible to ship frozen açaí to the beach towns of Brazil.

Today, a half-dozen serious brands market açaí in the beverage space. Although most açaí is grown conventionally, in 2003 USDA Organic certification was established for the açaí palm and later implemented fair trade certification.

In May 2009, Bloomberg reported that the expanding popularity of açaí in the United States was “depriving Brazilian jungle dwellers of a protein-rich nutrient they’ve relied on for generations.”

On the contrary, Greenpeace International’s website clearly states that “the tasty dark violet wine of açaí is the most important non-wood forest product in terms of money from the river delta of the Amazon.” The Los Angeles Times also reports açaí is a renewable resource that can provide a sustainable livelihood for subsistence harvesters without damaging the Amazon Rainforest. Organic açaí is picked in the wild and helps to preserve the forest and support harvesting families making the forest more profitable standing than cut down. While conventionally grown, monoculture açaí farming is a threat to the rain forest, açaí has been used to successfully reforest already degraded forest lands.

In the regions of açaí production, such as Pará, açaí palms have replaced sugar cane and other cultivation choices more damaging to the natural environment, such as cattle farming. Such practices indicate that systematic cultivation and reliable commercial supplies have become more prevalent.