Acai berries have become the latest trendy super fruit alongside the mighty pomegranate, mangosteen, and goji berry. Let me first say that all of these fruits are good for you, because all fruits have some nutritional value, but some are more potent than others and these berries are often promoted with magical healing powers that are simply unrealistic. However when combined with good juicing habits and some moderate exercise, it can help to remove waste which along with the exercise can help you shed weight, and really help you achieve a whole body cleanse.
Acai juice blends are full of sugar, and rarely is it ever stated on the nutrition facts what the actual percentage of acai juice is in the container. From the research I’ve done the best form should you choose to get acai is in freeze dried powder form. I say this because provided you get it from a reputable company, it’s in the purest state-along with the puree option that you can get it in, next to having the berry itself of course. And the reason most of us outside of Brazil cannot get these amazing berries is because they spoil after 24 hours of being picked and can only be grown in the Amazonian climate, so anyone trying to sell you the whole berries themselves is trying to scam you, don’t buy it.
The acai berry has 10 times more antioxidants than red grapes and 10 to 30 times the anthocyanins of red wine. However this is not a statement of POTENCY, this is a statement of the VARIETY of different antioxidants and anthocyanins. The biggest acai berry benefits in regards to a total cleanse or partial cleansing are its trace fiber content and its impressive levels of omega fatty acids. Now having said this, the acai is not a significant source of fiber, but you can get a couple grams out of the powder form and if mixed with juice, especially with freshly juiced juice, the enzymes will unlock a lot of what’s beneficial about the acai powder and provide a very effective carrier of the acai nutrients, whereas mixing it with just water or store bought juice would not have this effect due to not having live enzymes.
In regards to the fatty acids it contains all three omega fatty acids but mostly consists of omega 9 which is a monounsaturated fat also known as oleic acid, which the body CAN produce in small quantities. Therefore it is not an essential fatty acid but DOES become so if you body is lacking the other two particularly Omega 3’s and then you would need to get it from your diet. Acai can be an effective addition to a juicing and whole body cleanse regimen if kept in perspective and not solely relied on. In my next article on acai juice benefits, I will go into more detail about which brands of acai I prefer and why and what you should look for in a acai product for use during a total cleanse.
