Acai berry fruit, even in the presence of a high fat diet, can truly improve survival, says a study conducted in the Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore and published the journal Experimental Gerontology in March 2010.
Oxidative damage and stress are thought to be an essential part of the normal aging process and reducing the presence of these factors can be an effective intervention against the development of aging.
Acai berry, a fruit uniquely seen in the Amazon, is a fruit gaining popularity allover the world because of its rich phytochemical content. It has an impressive anti-oxidant property that can fight against the development of inflammation, cancer and cardiovascular problems. However, little is known in its ability against the aging process particularly in the cellular level.
In this particular study, a group of researchers from the said institution evaluated the effect of acai berry in improving the lifespan of flies. They have found that female flies, after the supplementation of 2% acai berry in food, had longer lifespan even when fed with a high fat-containing diet. Upon close investigation of the flies’ genes, they have noted that even though most genes were not altered after the ingestion of acai berry juice, two detoxification genes and a heat-shock related protein had better transcript level. Furthermore, the transcription level key gene needed for the process of producing glucose within the fly’s body decreased. Interestingly, the lifespan of the female flies significantly increased despite the presence of higher oxidative stress brought about by the high fat diet.
Thus, the researchers concluded that acai berry has the ability to improve the survival of flies that are fed with a high fat diet. However, further laboratory investigation and clinical trials are necessary to prove this fact in the human population.
