Many experts have praised the healthful properties of the Acai berry , a small, dark purple fruit from the Acai palm tree that is indigenous to South America.  In Brazil, the berry is the primary sustenance for the Caboclo people of the Amazon basin.  Although the berry has been marketed primarily as a weight loss supplement, recent studies have focused on Acai’s reputation as a superfood, a term that describes nourishment that has a high phytonutrient content, giving it special therapeutic properties.
Anthocyanins are a type of phytonutrient that are present in many edible berries and fruits that are blue, red or purple in color, such as blueberries, elderberries, cranberries and strawberries. When they were tested through biochemical analyses, clinical trials, cell-based studies and animal experiments, anthocyanins exhibited a wide range of anti-carcinogenic and therapeutic functions.  In addition to showing anti-inflammatory and anti-cardiovascular activity, anthocyanins were also found to be anti-angiogenic – meaning that they could reduce excess growth of blood vessels, a precursor to tumor formation [1].  Anthocyanins reduce the oxidative stress that has been linked to aging.  They also improve cognitive brain function and protect the integrity of DNA.  Since DNA damage is considered to be a major cause of aging, anthocyanins are an excellent anti-aging phytonutrient.

The Study – Acai Increases Lifespan

The free radical theory posits that aging is caused by oxidative damage to cells.  Macromolecules, such as DNA, accumulate oxidative damage through time, resulting in aging.  An effective approach to reversing the effects of aging is the reduction of oxidative damage.  Animal experiments have demonstrated that lifespan is extended when oxidative damage is reduced.
A recent study, which was published in Experimental Gerontology’s January 2010 issue, was the first to examine Acai berry’s anti-aging properties, using Drosophila melanogaster – the fruit fly – as the animal model [2].  Two aging models were established to evaluate Acai’s health-imparting properties.  Model 1 tested Acai’s ability to mitigate a poor diet.  Model 2 tested Acai’s ability to promote longevity.

1.  Acai Negates The Damaging Effects Of A High Fat Diet

Previous studies had already demonstrated the beneficial effects and anti-oxidant activity of Acai pulp’s phytonutrients.  For the new study, the researchers conjectured that Acai would negate the effects of consuming a high-fat diet, which is as harmful to fruit flies as it is to humans.
In the first test, two groups of fruit flies were separated into an Acai group and a Control group.  Both were fed a high-fat diet proven to reduce longevity by 19%.  The Acai group received a supplement of Acai pulp that constituted 2% of their food.  The Control group received no supplementation of Acai.  The test showed that while the Control group had a reduction in lifespan due to the high-fat diet, the Acai group experienced a 22% increase in longevity.  In essence, that amounted to a restoration of their normal lifespan.

High-fat diets set the stage for an abundance of serious diseases including insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.  Since the study demonstrated that Acai pulp can mitigate the health effects of high-fat diets by acting as a medicinal food, the lead researcher, Dr. Xiaoping Sun, explained that the findings suggest that prevention and control of type 2 diabetes may be one of the health benefits of consuming Acai pulp.
2. Acai Reverses Oxidative Damage

The research team theorized that Acai pulp would mitigate oxidative stress.  Model 2 used fruit flies that had been genetically mutated to have a dysfunctional SOD (Superoxide Dismutase) enzyme.  The SOD enzyme repairs cells and reduces the damage caused by free radicals.  SOD-dysfunctional fruit flies are incapable of repairing oxidative damage and therefore exist in a constant state of oxidative stress.  During the span of the SOD-dysfunctional fruit flies’ life, the research team fed them a normal diet that included 2% Acai pulp.  The findings showed that Acai pulp increased the mean lifespan of these fruit flies by 18% as compared to the Control group, which was fed the same diet, but did not receive Acai supplementation.  Model 2 showed that Acai extends longevity by mitigating oxidative stress.

The authors of the study suggested that Acai’s antiaging properties are the result of high levels of polyphenolics, which cause Acai berry to operate as a scavenger of free radicals.  One noteworthy parallel is to a study of the effects of resveratrol on mice.  Resveratrol, a polyphenolic compound and a constituent of red wine, has increased longevity in test mice that were fed a high-fat diet [2].

Conclusion

Although the antioxidant properties of Acai berry have been mentioned in over 20 studies in peer-reviewed journals, this study is the first to test the berry’s anti-aging properties using an animal model.  Studies intended to show Acai’s weight-loss properties are still ongoing.  Whether that molecular mechanism will be elucidated or not, there can be no doubt that anthocyanin-rich fruits and berries are one important component of a healthy weight loss diet.

An overall improvement in diet can be achieved by incorporating the Acai berry in one’s diet. The effectiveness of many popular weight loss diets can be enhanced by consuming fresh vegetables and fruits, especially anthocyanin-rich superfoods such as Acai berry, that have the potential to promote human health and longevity.

Tags: Acai Berries, Acai Berry, Acai Berry Juice, Acai Berry Pulp

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 10th, 2010 at 4:44 pm and is filed under Weight Loss. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.