Fat Loss 4 Idiots Opinion

Friday, July 17, 2009

The Question Everyone Is Asking: What Is Acai Good For?

By Travis Van Slooten

The acai berry has experience a recent explosion in the supplement market, but many people have been left wondering, "What is acai good for?" You will hear plenty of hype about the little berry. People will tout it as a miracle cure for just about everything you can imagine. But you really need to understand the science behind the berry in order to understand what impact it will have upon you. So let's break things down a little.

Antioxidants and Free Radicals - Good versus Evil?

A common notion we usually have upon hearing the words antioxidants and free radicals is that these two have an ongoing battle inside our bodies, the free radical being the harmful substance and the antioxidant, the body's defender. Free radicals are atoms which lack an electron to complete a pair, and they go from atom to atom, stealing electrons wherever they can. This process produces even more free radicals and while free radicals are normal occurrences in the body, too many of them lead to cellular damage, and in turn, diseases. The process by which cells are damaged is called oxidation. Antioxidants therefore, are named as such because they slow down the oxidation caused by free radicals.

What Do The French Know That Americans Don't?

Still looking for more answers to "what is acai good for"? Let's go to a scenario which isn't quite as familiar as antioxidants and free radicals. It's called the French Paradox. For years, health professionals have been baffled as to why the French people, who live on a typical diet of meats and saturated fats, have low incidence of coronary heart disease. It was later found out that the anthocyanins found in red wine that is also a staple among them, was helping to offset their high fat intake. Now where does acai come in in all these? Acai contains a high level of anthocyanins just like red wine, and yet none of the alcohol content.

Must You Avoid All Fats?

Definitely not. Fat is often pointed out as something we should avoid at all costs but there are actually good fats. These are the type of fats contained in acai berries which reduce bad cholesterol and promote good cholesterol. What makes this fat from acai doubly important is that good or unsaturated fat are not produced by the body and can only be obtained from dietary intake.

So does all of this mean that the acai berry is a miracle cure for everything that ails you? Hardly. And anyone who tells you it is just wants your money. But the acai is a remarkable little fruit which contains many healthy compounds that your body loves. So if you are still asking what is acai good for, the answer is that it is simply good for you! - 17269

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