#11: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth

This is day eleven of our education of the 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Woo Hoo! Some of these you won't be surprised by, some you will. I'll take one out of each food group each day to mix it up a bit.

All information is from the book by jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth".

Day 11: Acai Berry Juice

Acai berries grown on an Amazon palm tree and have been prized for hundreds of years by Brazilian natives for their ability to provide a sense of strength and energy and a high nutritional content. The juice tastes like and interesting blend of berries and chocolate

“The acai berry got the best public relations boost any food could possibly hope for when Dr. Nicholas Perricone picked it as one of his ten top antiaging superfoods and it was subsequently featured on Oprah, giving this little Brazilian native instant celebrity. Does it deserve the hype? The answer is a qualified maybe. I’d never call the acai berry one of the ten top antiaging foods on the planet. But put the acai berry into a search engine and you’ll find no shortage of ringing endorsements and glowing testimonials about its powerful health benefits. Unfortunately, most of these come from companies that are marketing acai berry juice. That doesn’t mean there isn’t great stuff in this berry—there is. But it does mean that you should take the hype with a lot more than a grain or two of salt.”

•The berry is rich in antioxidants

•Rich in anthocyanins, that have an extremely high antioxidant activity and can reduce inflammation and protect blood vessels and the nervous system, including the brain

•Contains a rich diversity of polyphenols that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer

•Though there is no published human trains, one study showed that extracts from acai berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86% of leukemia cells in a test tube

•One researcher said that the acai berry showed a lot of promise, but that it would be a stretch to assume that it contained compounds you couldn’t get elsewhere (in other fruits and vegetables and in tea and wine, for example). That doesn’t mean it’s not a great food—just that it’s no magic bullet.

WORTH KNOWING

The acai berry itself—which is difficult to find and not usually consumed outside of Brazil—is rich in a number of compounds, including healthy fats. Which of these compounds—specifically the fats—survives in the juice depends on the philosophy and methods of the manufacturer.

For the previous posts:
day one: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57017--1-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day two: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57180--2-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day three: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57278--3-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day four: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57482--4-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day five: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57516--5-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day six: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57602--6-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day seven: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57689--7-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day eight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57791--8-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day nine: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/57940--9-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth
day ten: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/58069--10-the-150-healthiest-foods-on-earth