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The best understanding of the health benefits of acai berries comes from understanding the ORAC concept. In this article, we will discuss the close relationship between these two popular aspects of maintaining good health. You will then be able to make an informed defense of why acai berry products in pill and powder form are part of your daily health routines.
ORAC concept
ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. It is a measure of the amount of antioxidants present in certain foods and chemical substances, the measurement of which is carried out through test-tube analysis.
The general rule of thumb is that the higher the ORAC units in a certain food, the better that food will be judged in terms of antioxidant capacity. Some examples of natural foods subject to the ORAC test are tart Montgomery cherries, kale, blueberries, cocoa, and of course, acai berries.
ORAC Benefits
How exactly do the ORAC units in certain foods help maintain good health on the inside and slow the signs of aging on the outside? It just seems like a stretch that the acai berry, for example, can be considered a possible source of the fountain of youth.
Well keep in mind that free radicals are naturally present in the body and are also protected by the food we eat and the environment we live in. Unhealthy lifestyle habits like smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, and overeating junk food add to free radical levels in the body, speeding up the aging process. Think of the action of free radicals in the body like a peeled apple or a piece of fingernail left out to become rancid or rusty, respectively. Then you’ll have an idea of how free radicals cause aging in our all-too-human bodies.
But when we introduce antioxidants from the foods we eat on a daily basis, we are increasing our body’s ability to fight free radicals. Antioxidants are beneficial substances such as vitamins, minerals and polyphenols, among others.
The benefits of a higher intake of antioxidants include higher levels of protection against many diseases, from the common cold to cardiovascular conditions and cancer, due to a stronger immune system. Many studies have also pointed to the ability of antioxidants to lower the risks of mental illnesses such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
ORAC in Acai Berry
Among all the fruits, vegetables, and berries tested for ORAC units, it is the acai berry that yielded the most beneficial result. The fresh acai berry has an impressive ORAC score of 5,500, while freeze-dried acai products achieve an impressive 3,500 ORAC units per serving. Instead, blueberry only has an ORAC score of 2500.
It should be noted that the USDA recommended amount of 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables only delivers 1,750 ORAC. However, the same agency also recommends a daily intake of 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC units per day. Even when you eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, you’ll still be far behind in the antioxidant count.
We are fortunate to have ready-to-eat acai berry products in the form of powders, pills, and juices that can supply our bodies with more than the recommended amount of antioxidants. This is a type of nutrient that we can never get enough of in terms of ORAC units.
Few of us realize that the majority of the population in almost all developed nations suffers from chronic malnutrition, regardless of the amount of food we consume each day. Unfortunately, from the 1960s onwards, our food has only a fraction of the micronourishment it once did. This results in a situation where the body craves more and more food in an attempt to make up for less and less nutrition, hence the unprecedented levels of obesity!
The sooner you start supplementing with a quality nutrient-dense food like acai, the sooner you can realize your true potential and start walking the path of wellness and true quality health!