Every American adult wants to have a slimmer, better-looking figure. Many people desire to achieve fast and effective weight reduction. Diet crazes are all over the internet. Magazines and TV commercials try injecting their own weight loss products to wolf-hungry consumers. Almost every health and wellness company markets their own exotic, unique sounding slimming products to the ever-eager weight losers.
In the past few years, acai berry has slowly gained strong momentum in the United States market. With its unique-sounding name and claims for dramatic weight reduction, no wonder, the entire nation embraced this product without any reservation.
However, there is still one question left unanswered: Can acai berry really cause effective weight loss? If yes, then how?
Acai, scientific name Euterpe oleraceae, is a common palm tree in Brazil. This palm tree bears an edible fruit, the acai berry. This fruit is comparable to the size of a blueberry and it usually grows in bunches. Interestingly, unlike the popular trend that uses acai berry for losing weight, natives of South America use it as an anti-diarrheal alternative medicine.
The acai berry is very rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, vitamin B, potassium, calcium, iron and phosphorus. The acai berry’s vitamin C content is so high thus protecting the native inhabitants South America against the development of scurvy.
Acai berry also has nineteen essential amino acids and fatty acid that is much the same as those seen in olive oil. Its caloric content seemed healthy too at 88 to 265 kilocalories per 100 grams, depending on the variety of acai you consume.
Scientists proved the high antioxidant property of acai berries. In fact, studies show that it can enhance the activity of the immune system, the important defense mechanism of the human body against disease-causing microorganisms, and it can reduce a patient’s risk against stroke and certain types of cancer. Antioxidants protect the cells against the damage resulting from the activity of free radicals, the active chemical compounds that cause early aging and other problems.
Acai berries contain loads of anthocyanins, a special antioxidant that affects the function of insulin. Insulin is a special hormone greatly involved in regulating the weight by preventing the body’s use of energy from the calories you ingest. Decreased response of the body to insulin, a phenomenon seen in type 2 diabetes, can cause increase in weight. The intentional weight reduction, on the other hand, can improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Vanderbilt University states that anthocyanins may improve weight regulation in mice. In fact, mice fed with anthocyanins-rich fruits showed a significant decrease in weight and body fat composition.
Inhibition of salivary a-amylase, the human enzyme found in saliva that starts the process of digestion, results from the intake of acai berry, says Vanderbilt University. Theoretically, this amylase inhibition results in the poorer absorption of carbohydrates within the digestive tract resulting in decreased overall caloric intake. However, this theory needs hard scientific proof to demonstrate the impact of acai berry’s salivary a-amylase inhibition in human subjects.
Acai berries contain high amounts of dietary fiber. In fact, one third of its weight is all fiber. Even though dietary fibers have no direct effect to losing weight, high intake of fiber can promote better digestive system health and it can increase one’s satiety even with a lesser amount of calories taken.
With all these weight loss proofs presented to you, do you think acai berry can really boost weight reduction? Yes, it can, especially if coupled with proper diet and exercise.
There is no magic pill for losing weight. Dietary supplements can help you eliminate those extra pounds of fat. Nevertheless, these supplements can never cause weight loss on their own. Good self-discipline is still the foundation for effective weight loss and weight maintenance.
