We cannot often eat acai berries fresh in the West. We rely more on eating acai powder, but that is a large concentration of nutrients. Acai powder contains so many nutrients that it has medicinal properties. Acai berry powder has the most antioxidants of all types of fruit powder. This makes the acai berry very good for our immune system. NB! This article is written from the personal view of the author and may contain information that is not scientifically substantiated and/or in line with the general view.
Contents:
- General information acai berry
- Acai berry in Suriname
- Ingredients acai berry
- Acai berry is the best scavenger of free radicals
- Good for immune system
- Acai powder may work against cancer
- Acai berry powder increases antioxidant status
- Acai berry against arteriosclerosis
- Acai berry powder diabetes
- Eating tips acai powder
General information acai berry
The Latin name we use in science for acai berry is Euterpe oleraceae . The acai berry grows naturally mainly in the Amzone region of Brazil, but you can find the tree throughout Central and South America. The acai berry grows on a small palm tree. The acai berry is a purple-black fruit.
Acai berry in Suriname
In Suriname, where the acai berry palm originally grows, some mothers give a puree of acai berries to their babies. The variety of customs among Surinamese is great. Some people see acai berries as poor man’s food. While in the West acai berries are an expensive supplementary food. Aucaners, a specific group of Surinamese, derive part of their identity from drinking podosiri, or acai berries. At the beginning of the third millennium, more and more acai berries were shipped to the Netherlands from this South American country. Professionalization of acai berry cultivation has begun.
Ingredients acai berry
Acai berries contain flavonoids, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, homoorientin, orientin, isovitexin, scoparin and taxifolin deoxyhexose. It also contains unknown flavonoids. It also contains 16 types of amino acids. It also contains saturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid, oleic acid and palmitic acid. It also contains the sterols betasitosterol, campesterol and sigmasterol.
Acai berry is the best scavenger of free radicals
American researchers conducted research into the acai berry in 2008 and saw a fruit with a record number of antioxidants. Freeze-dried acai berry powder is the greatest scavenger of free radicals of any fruit. Acai berry contains a remarkably high number of polyphenols, according to scientists from the US
Good for immune system
Polysaccharides in acai berry stimulate monocytes and macrophages. These are elements in our body that are part of our immune system. The T cells, also important for our immune system, are also activated by eating acai berries. This means that the acai berry has an excellent and vitalizing effect on our body and immune system. The researchers speak of an immunomodulatory effect. This effect is mainly caused by improved communication between the various immune system cells.
Acai powder may work against cancer
In 2013, a Brazilian study was published investigating the development of tumors in the intestines of rats. A group of rats with colon cancer were fed acai powder for 20 weeks, after which the researchers saw that there was less spread of tumors and that the total number of tumors had decreased. Acai powder may be able to combat existing tumors and help prevent the spread of tumors. The study used rats that had developed cancer due to the addition of chemicals. Only when human studies are conducted can we make more definitive conclusions about its medicinal efficacy against cancer.
Acai berry powder increases antioxidant status
A Brazilian study in 2014 reports that many people have reported about the antioxidant properties of acai berry and all kinds of medicinal properties associated with it, but that this data has never been examined in vivo by scientists. This research by the Brazilians shows that the acai berry directly and indirectly increases the antioxidant status of an organism, on the basis of which it can be assumed that the acai berry activates the immune system to such an extent that the chance of disease development is less.
Acai berry against arteriosclerosis
American scientists published a report in 2011 showing that the antioxidant-containing acai berry has anti-inflammatory properties that work well against arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is the underlying mechanism for all kinds of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The researchers measured, among other things, the cytokine content and the macrophage content in mice that had been given acai powder. It turned out that inflammation at the cellular level or low-grade inflammation occurs less quickly if a lot of dried acai berry powder is consumed. Mice were used as laboratory animals in the study.
Acai berry powder diabetes
Acai berry powder is regularly used in treatments aimed at weight loss. A study shows that berries can indeed increase the secretion of fats. Blackcurrants have approximately the same effect. In addition, berries have a stimulating effect on the pancreas. Berries can also soothe non-alcoholic liver enlargement. This form of liver disease occurs in 80% of diabetes cases and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Because the berries can also regulate blood sugar levels to some extent, this type of food seems ideal for people with diabetes or diabetes mellitus.
Eating tips acai powder
- The acai berry powder can be used as an instant powder to make a refreshing drink in combination with water.
- You can add acai berry powder to a porridge such as oatmeal. It is also tasty to mix with home-made muesli.
- You can add some acai powder to a homemade fruit juice in a slow juicer.
- Acai powder can be added to cakes, cookies and other baked goods to give the dough more nutritional value, fruit flavor and dark color.
- You can add acai berry powder to a smoothie
- You can add acai powder to a dip sauce based on yogurt or crème fraîche. You can use this dipping sauce to dip freshly cut fruit before eating it.
- You can add acai berry powder to ice cream to add more flavor, nutritional value and color.
- You can add acai berry powder to pancakes to make purple pancakes.
