Home | Health & Fitness
Layne Beachley was born and bred in Sydney Australia and may be seen as the greatest female surfer ever. In fact, she has won the Association of Surfing Professionals' World Surfing Championship seven times over. As with other champion athletes, she has secrets to her success, but one of them is her diet. One component of that champion-making diet is the Acai fruit. In fact, the acai fruit may be one of the most nutritious found in the world. Found in the Amazon rainforest, acai berries have the highest oxygen radical absorbance capacity, or ORAC, of any berry settable worldwide. The ORAC rating compares levels of antioxidants present in food products and is a standard method. Antioxidants are substances, including vitamin E, vitamin C, beta carotene, and active substances in green tea among many others, which protect the body's cells from the damaging effects of oxidation, or the "rusting" of the arteries and tissues of the body. Oxidation naturally occurs whenever we eat any food, but left unchecked it leads to premature aging and early death. The acai berry contains an abundance of oleic (omega-9) monounsaturated essential fatty acids. These substances help to lower the so-called "bad cholesterol," LDL, while maintaining "good" cholesterol, HDL. Linoleic polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-6 fatty acids) provide the same benefits. This means that the acai fruit provides healthy fats of the body, which are essential for strengthening the cardiovascular system and the heart. Of course, all great athletes along with the rest of us need these fatty acids for good health. In addition, the acai berry contains phytosterols, which are sterols that come from plants. These compounds of plant cell membranes assist our bodies in many ways, but one of their major benefits is that they reduce blood plasma cholesterol and provide a source of dietary fiber. The acai berry, though, doesn't just stop there. It has many other benefits, including a special class of flavonoids called anthocyanins. These are the plant colours that give many plants their blue, red and purple colouring, found in many flowers, cereal grains, vegetables and fruits. Represented by over 600 molecular structures, research has found the properties of the Acai berry to boast benefits including: protection from liver damage; significant blood pressure reduction; eyesight improvement; powerful anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities; the inhibition of mutations caused by mutagens that arise in cooked food; and the suppression of human cancer cell growth. Clearly, the Acai berry and its fresh, all natural juice should be considered a "superfood" and "superdrink". Health conscious Aussies as well as those who may want to follow in Layne Beachley's bare footsteps and become champion athletes should incorporate Acai berries and products into their diets.
Article Source: http://www.articleselections.com
About the author: Marcus C. Evans is knowledgeable on the unbelievable health benefits of the Acai Berry. See the "AmazonPower" website for more information on this new nutritious Super-Food and what it can do for your health.
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
