Acai Berry (aka assai palms) is touted as an anti aging superfood. But do acai berries live up to their reputation? A native of the South American rainforests, this little purple berry has gained huge fame in the natural anti aging arena, probably because it is extremely high in antioxidants when compared to other fruit such as grapes, pomegranates and blueberries.
The traditional local use of acai berry is to boil into a tea for reducing fevers and healing skin conditions. The roots were also boiled to make preparations to reduce menstrual pain and also as a treatment for diabetes. In this part of the world we prize the acai for it’s detoxifying and regenerative powers.
Whatever your reason for taking acai, it’s extremely high level of antioxidants make it a must have for every healthy food cupboard. As acai berries lose their potency quite quickly, fresh berries can be quite difficult to source in the West, so I like to take mine as a supplement or powder. See Acai Immuno Defense Supplements.
Acai Berry Superfood
Acai berries are extremely rich in antioxidants as well as many other beneficial nutrients including vitamins A, C and E, essential fatty acids (omegas 3, 6 & 9), phytosterols (plant sterols), magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, anthocyanin (a flavonoid) and amino acids. The little acai berry is literally a superfood powerhouse packed full of essential nutrients your body will love.
- Vitamin A: An essential vitamin for your immune system, vitamin A also benefits your vision, reproductive system and skin. This vitamin plays a big role in boosting skin health and hydration, reducing fine lines and wrinkles, boosting elastin production, removing damaged elastin fibres, improving sagging skin and boosting skin circulation.
- Vitamin C: A well known skin loving nutrient, vitamin C protects your skin from environmental stress as well as helping to stimulate the production of collagen. The more collagen your skin produces, the younger it looks. The natural anti inflammatory properties of vitamin c make it the perfect supplement for healing skin conditions and for treating sensitive skin. Vitamin C is also an essential nutrient in supporting a strong immune system.
- Vitamin E: This skin rejuvenating vitamin is not only a very powerful antioxidant, it also helps in maintaining your skin firmness and hydration. Vitamin E is renowned for ‘mopping’ up free radicals and eliminating toxins from your body. It is also essential for eye health as well as the proper functioning of blood and brain systems.
- Essential Fatty Acids: Probably one of the most important nutrients in skin care, essential fatty acids like omega 3, 6 and 9 are the basic building blocks of healthy cell membranes, keeping your skin plumper, hydrated, nourished and able to properly maintain it’s natural oil protection barrier.
- Phytosterols: Naturally occurring in nature, phytosterols help replenish and restore aging skin, keeping it pliant, supple and looking youthful. This tiny molecule can penetrate deep into the skin helping to lock in moisture and preventing dehydration and is also beneficial in treating dry and easily irritated skin.
- Magnesium: Every single cell in your body needs magnesium, a mineral responsible for over 600 known body functions. From flexible muscle movement to converting food into energy to regulating your nervous system, magnesium is an essential nutrient. As well as being anti inflammatory, magnesium helps protect your skin from environmental damage and regulates skin cell repair and regeneration, keeping your skin looking plumper and fuller for longer.
- Iron: Iron deficiency leaves your skin looking pale and dull, allowing dark circles to develop under your eyes and depriving your skin of life boosting oxygen and nutrients (red blood cells carry oxygen & nutrients to the skin). Acai berries contain iron, helping boost skin health and leaving it glowing and radiant with a pink healthy complexion.
- Calcium: A vital mineral, calcium protects your skin from harmful UV as well as maintaining your skin’s natural protection barrier (a layer of sebum that coats, moisturises and protects your skin).
- Potassium: A crucial nutrient in supporting the rapid growth of new body cells, playing an important role in keeping your skin looking young, healthy and glowing. Potassium also assists in cell repair, helping to heal skin blemishes as well as wounds and scars.
- Anthocyanin: With strong antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties, the anthocyanins found in acai berries work wonders in protecting your skin from harmful UV rays as well as safeguarding against abnormal skin pigmentation. Also an important nutrient in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome and supporting your natural immune system (see article on Leaky Gut Syndrome & immune system functioning)
- Amino Acids: Indispensable in promoting the healing of wounds and repairing damaged skin, amino acids are the building blocks of both peptides (collagen) and proteins throughout the body. In their role of skincare, they maintain balanced skin hydration, texture, resilience and the overall suppleness and flexibility of your skin.
Acai Berry Benefits
Acai Berries have so many benefits, really too numerous to list, so I have stayed with the most important ones, as below;
- Detoxify the body
- Can help protect against heart disease
- May be beneficial to diabetes sufferers
- Supports the immune system
- Benefits healthy digestion
- Can enhance cognitive function
- Aids in cell repair and renewal
- Assists in energy production
- Promotes restful sleep
- Can help delay premature aging
- Assists in keeping skin youthful
- Help lower cholesterol levels
- Benefits cardiovascular health
- High in antioxidants to combat free radicals.
What Are Free Radicals?
What Are Antioxidants?
Antioxidants are the molecules that fight free radicals in our bodies. They are truly little miracle workers repairing the damage caused by UV, environmental stress, aging, diet and general bad lifestyle. Your body has it’s own antioxidant defenses to keep free radicals in check but we also get a huge amount of antioxidants from the food we eat. The more antioxidants we ingest, the better our overall health can be. In a noted ORAC Test (oxygen radical absorbance capacity), acai berries outranked blueberries, cranberries and most other berries in terms of antioxidant levels making them my number one go-to antioxidant supplement.
Note: An oxygen radical absorbance capacity test is a scientific test used to gauge how effective foods are in their antioxidant content.
The Acai Berry Takeaway
As you have probably guessed, I am a personal fan of acai – in any form. Acai isn’t just great for your skin, it has awesome benefits for your entire body, especially in your fight against aging. Whether you take your acai as a supplement, powder or fresh, it’s a fruit that will make a big difference to your life.
Enjoy!
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