Advertisements for the acai berry are all over the Internet. This miracle fruit from South America was hailed as the number one super food on the planet for its exceedingly high nutritional content. Acai berries are loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that no other fruit can provide. Among the most important acai health benefits is its ability to fight obesity.
Acai is rich in dietary fiber — a type of carbohydrate from plant materials that are indigestible to humans. Fiber moves food down your digestive track faster and smoother. It also keeps your stomach lining and intestines free of toxins.
However, Americans consume less than 50% of the dietary fiber levels required for good health. In fact, with the youth’s alarming dependence on fast food, this value dips to as low as 20%, heavily contributing to the obesity crisis in the US.
Fiber from vegetables, fruit, grain, and legumes can reduce the risk of diabetes, high blood cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and digestive disorders such as constipation, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, and colon cancer.
Legumes, wheat bran, prunes, Asian pears, raspberries and blackberries are among the most fiber-rich foods on the planet. But sitting at the top of the list is the acai berry, which, according to two research groups, contains 25-44% of dietary fiber in its pulp.
Acai berries are also loaded with amino acids. These little proteins energize your body so you can perform physical tasks such as brisk walking and cardio workouts. Acai contains more than a dozen different kinds of amino acids, making it the best single source of this important building block.
Whereas obesity is a result of accumulating bad fat, acai berries counter this with a generous amount of good fat — specifically Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids. Omega fatty acids found in acai negate the effects of bad cholesterol while maintaining good cholesterol.
Make no mistake — obesity can kill you! It can lead to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, migraines, and debilitating back pain. The acai berry alone will not cure all your health issues. It should be taken with proper nutritional diet and regular exercise. But a heaping helping of acai health benefits can be your first big step towards keeping fit.
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