If you've been following the news, watching TV talk shows, reading newspapers, magazines, or tabloids, there's a very good chance you've heard about the Açaí Berry. It seems almost everyone - young or old, fit or unfit, fat loss oriented or muscle bound is considering adding this highly discussed berry to their diets.
But, what's all the fuss about? And is this something you should really consider? Or, if you prefer strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries, will you get just as many benefits from filling your diet with them? Let's look a little further at this issue.
The Nutritional Content Of This Berry
The Açaí berry is being called one of the healthiest types of fruits you can eat, surpassing blueberries which were formerly known as a nutritionally top pick.
One of the primary things that really sets this berry apart is its omega-3 fatty acid content. Since most fruits are virtually fat free, this puts this one in a whole other ballgame.
Chances are you've already heard at one point or another how healthy essential fatty acids are, however many people still struggle to get their daily intake in. This berry makes it much easier.
Per 100 gram serving of the Açaí berry, you'll also get about 10 grams of carbohydrates (8 of those being from fiber), 1.46 grams of protein, as well as about 6 grams of dietary fat.
No other fruit has a fiber content quite like this one does, making this a perfect solution for those who are on low-carb diets or those who have issues with blood sugar levels.
Along with these macronutrients, the berry is also a rich source of calcium and iron, two minerals that are rarely found in fruits. It also is a good source of Vitamin A, B1, and E, along with aspartic acid, and glutamic acid.
The Health Benefits Of This Berry
Some of the health benefits that regular consumption of the Açaí berry has been linked to include:
- Increased energy levels
- Improvement in digestive functioning
- Enhanced mental clarity
- Higher quality and deeper sleep
- Effective at fighting free radicals
- Helps to detoxify and cleanse the system
- Boosts the immune system
- Increases sexual desire and performance
- Prevents cancer
- Slows the natural process of aging
- Increases skin's vitality
- Improves blood cholesterol profile
- Enhances the health of the heart and circulatory system
- Prevents artherosclerosis
- Decreases arthritis and other related joint pain
- Helps speed up recovery from injuries (or physical training for that matter)
- Reduces signs of depression
- Stabilizes blood sugar levels, greatly helping those with diabetes
- Improves your physical strength
So, as evident from this list, this berry will prove to provide almost everyone with some type of benefit they deem useful.
Basically, if you are looking for an antioxidant-rich food, this is the food to look for. Recently the berry was featured on the Oprah Show, where Dr. Oz, author of the You Diet, states it as one of his favorite foods for protecting the body from the process of oxidation. On the show he claimed that it has twice the antioxidant content as a blueberry, so it's a wonderful alternative.
Likewise, Dr. Nicholas Perricone, MD, FACN, a board-certified and research dermatologist also said on the Oprah show that the Açaí berry is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world.
Rachel Ray has also featured the berry on her show, revealing that one glass serving will give you the equivalent of three servings of fruits and vegetables.
How To Take The Açaí Berry
One thing to note though is that it's not advised to just eat the berry raw, instead the berries are harvested and the pulp is extracted from the berry, which is what is sold in stores. Most people will use it as a drink; however it is also available in powder form.
Currently there have been no reported side effects to including the Açaí berry in your diet, however since its popularity is fairly new, there is still plenty of research being conducted on long-term consumption and what all the benefits or cons are to using it.
Conclusion
So, if you've been thinking of giving this berry a try, or are looking for a way to dramatically increase your nutritional content of your diet, now is definitely the time.
It's becoming more readily available all across America so you shouldn't have too many issues finding it and incorporating it into your menu.
Glutamic Acid
Glutamic acid is one of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids and its codons are GAA and GAG. It is a non-essential amino acid. The carboxylate anions and salts of glutamic acid are known as glutamates.