What for centuries was a secret kept deep in the canopied rainforest is now available in America. It’s a small purplish fruit called acai (pronounced ah-SAH”-ee).

What Is It?

Perhaps you have heard of acai, seen it on food labels or as an ingredient in your vitamin enriched water. Acai is a potent antioxidant. In fact, on a scale used by the USDA called the ORAC (Organic Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale, acai scored five times that of blueberry. A professor at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has stated,” Acai berries are already considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants.”

What Can It Do For You?

Antioxidants strengthen cells and boost your immune system. They help your body fight off free radicals which attack the cells in your body. Free radicals from pollution, cigarette smoke, chemicals and other irritants can lessen our cells’ immune capacity. Antioxidants and Vitamin E, both richly found in acai, are the best warriors in the defense of these cells.

And There’s More…

Acai berries are also rich in B vitamins, fiber and minerals such as copper, potassium and manganese, as well as protein and omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids. This fruit has a low glycemic index, so it is excellent source of nutrition in the diabetic diet. Often mixed with guarana, natural caffeine, it can be an energy booster.

The Amazon natives have used this wonder fruit in many forms over the centuries to cure diarrhea, skin sores and fevers. Now scientists are just beginning to confirm its benefits for modern consumers who so often are lacking key nutrients in their fast food lifestyles.

The Benefits

Personal testimonies have found acai to

• Increase energy
• Raise the metabolic rate
• Assist in a healthy weight loss
• Improve digestion
• Slow the age-related decline
• Reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke
• Manage cholesterol
• Improve vision

Other benefits such as increased sexual desire and performance, enhanced physical stamina, improved mental capacity, reduced insomnia and depressive symptoms, healthier skin and a boosted rate in healing injuries and sores have also been reported.

The Most Astounding of All

In controlled laboratory conditions at the University of Florida at Gainesville, acai actually killed leukemia cells. While this is just initial study data, scientists are continuing to explore the possible ramifications of this discovery.

Where Can You Find Acai?

Because of its growing popularity and modern preservative methods, acai can now be found outside South America where as little as five years ago it was nearly impossible. Acai is a delicate fruit in one of the most environmentally delicate regions of the world. It spoils so quickly after being picked, the fresh fruit could only be transported safely within Brazil and Colombia.

Freeze-drying the acai into a powder has made the purplish palm fruit more accessible and easily added ingredient to teas, juices and even ice creams. Store shelves are abundant with this supplement. But be wary!

Go Organic

Before you assume you are benefiting form this wonder supplement in your vitaminized water, granola snack or cereal, realize that many manufacturers have also added preservatives and chemicals that may negate its benefits. Before you discern and purchase acai in reputable organic food stores, ssk if it was freeze-dried within 24 hours of harvest. Make sure it did not originate from China or was spray-dried. And of course, make sure there are no added sugars, water, preservatives or soy.

In order to assure you have a pure product, or to find out more about acai berries, you can go online to www.buy-acai-berry-now.com and learn from someone who has made it his profession to research this fruit. Joel Carr has personally lost over twenty pounds, experienced a more active lifestyle and improved health from thanks to acai capsules. His resulting passion for this nutritious berry led him to travel to its source, the Amazon, and learn from the people who have used it for centuries.

The Facts beyond the Hype – Acai and Diabetes

By Joel Carr

Anywhere you look now, be it online or in magazines, on TV talk shows or by the water cooler, the word ACAI seems to be the subject of conversation. It is labeled the ultimate weight loss fruit, and a cure-all for all sort of diseases. But is it?

Acai (pronounced a SHA-ee) is a small, very delicate berry plucked from the palm trees that grow along the Amazon River. Because it rots quickly, acai could only be enjoyed within 24 hours of picking; that is until modern science recently discovered a way to freeze dry it into a powder and ship it worldwide. With that came the temptations of mass marketing’s supply and demand. Therefore, a good many acai product manufacturers cut the powder with fillers such as flour and sugar – ingredients not friendly to the diabetic diet. If a diabetic, after checking with his dietician or physician decides to take acai as a supplement or a fruit juice, make sure the product is guaranteed to be 100% pure from the Amazon and freeze dried within 24 hours of picking. If this cannot be verified, do not buy it.

The fruit is highly rich in antioxidants, in fact measurably higher than any other dark fruit. Antioxidants help promote cell growth and boost the immune system. One side effect of diabetes can be more rapid cell deterioration. So, supplementing acai could prove beneficial in combating this.

Acai contains Omega 3, 6, and 9, essential fatty acids needed for healthy muscle tone, including those in the heart. Heart disease is another concern for the diabetic. It is naturally high in fiber which promotes good digestion and there is increasing evidence that the berry can help reduce cholesterol. Acai is high in vitamins B6, B12 and E, and minerals – all essential for healthy diabetic diets.

Acai rates very low on the glycemic index, meaning that the carbohydrates in the fruit break down slowly and do not cause a spike in the blood sugar. This helps to regulate the amount of blood sugar entering your system, aids in stabilizing your metabolism and promote a healthy weight loss by keeping you feeling full longer. For a diabetic who must monitor their glucose rates and lose weight, this is good news.

Can this wonder fruit cure diabetes? That would be a very hard claim to prove. What acai added to the diet as a daily supplement can do is help regulate blood sugar, maintain cholesterol, provide fiber, stabilize the metabolism for healthy weight loss and give the immune system a good boost. That is beneficial to any diet, diabetic or otherwise.

So ignore the outrageous hard sell and take this article to your medical professional. Together you can decide if adding 100% pure acai juice or powder to your diet is appropriate.

For me it has been. I have lost over 20 pounds the healthy way, have more energy, better muscle tone and do not feel hungry all the time. I also do not have sugar highs and lows and get less colds and flu symptoms. And I would love to hear your acai berry testimonials and also help to answer any questions you or your medical professional have. You can reach me at my website: www.buy-acai-berry-now.com for the real truth about acai and diabetes.