Fat burning properties of Acai Berry
Acai berry the common Amazonian fruit has become widely popular for its multi-benefit profile. Acai berry is now being consumed as raw fruit, fruit juice and as dietary supplements across the world. Some of the major benefits of acai berry include: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. Additionally, further research is being carried out to identify other latent benefits of regular consumption of acai berry. One among these is its ability to burn excess fat.
High cholesterol and drawbacks
Cholesterol is the collective term used to refer to different types of fats and fatty acids present in our body. While a normal concentration of these fats helps in proper functioning, an accumulation of these fats can result in a number of disorders. One of the major groups of disorders is the heart disorders. Accumulation of fat within the blood vessels occurs in individuals who consume a high fat diet. Additionally, excess calories consumed tend to get accumulated in the form of fat cells in our body. Such a condition increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks which at times can be life threatening.
Burns fats, improves health
The fat burning ability of acai berry has been mainly evaluated in animal studies. In addition to the presence of heart-healthy fats, acai berry also helps in burning excess fats in the body thereby improving life span, especially in individuals who tend to consume a high fat diet.¹, ²
The fat burning properties were noted to be effected at the gene levels in an animal study wherein supplementation of acai berry improved the lifespan of the animals being fed on a high-fat diet. The findings of the study also suggested that the supplementation of acai berry activates the stress response mechanism to negate the effects of oxidative stress thereby improving the lifespan of the animals.²
Another study which evaluated the hypocholesterolemic effects of acai revealed the benefits of acai in individuals consuming a hypercholesterolemic diet. The animals being fed on a high fat diet were noted to have beneficial effects with the supplementation of acai berry. Acai berry consumption was noted to decrease the total lipoprotein values and also the levels of the bad cholesterol. Additionally, it also decreased the activity of superoxide enzymes that tends to damage the healthy cells and tissues in our body. Thereby it was concluded that the administration of acai berry tends to reduce the high cholesterol levels and can thereby improve the health of individuals who have high-fat concentration in their body.3
Further research is being conducted to replicate the effects of animal studies in human beings. The fat burning ability of acai berry can not only be beneficial in preventing the risk of heart attacks or strokes, but can also be useful in reducing the weight in overweight or obese individuals.
References:
- Neida S, Elba S. Characterization of the acai or manaca (Euterpe oleracea Mart.): a fruit of the Amazon. Arch Latinoam Nutr. 2007 Mar;57(1):94-8.
- Sun X, Seeberger J, Alberico T, Wang C, Wheeler CT, Schauss AG, Zou S. Açai palm fruit (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) pulp improves survival of flies on a high fat diet. Exp Gerontol. 2010 Mar;45(3):243-51. Epub 2010 Jan 18.
- De Souza MO, Silva M, et al. Diet supplementation with acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) pulp improves biomarkers of oxidative stress and the serum lipid profile in rats. Nutrition, article in press