The acai berry is an inch-long reddish, purple fruit . It comes from the acai palm tree (Euterpe oleracea) native to tropical Central and South America and has been a traditional food of the native people of the Amazon for hundreds of years. Acai derives from a word of indigenous peoples of South America meaning "fruit that cries." The fruit is used as a natural ink or dye and the wood is used in house construction (palm thatched roofs). Ethnobotanists have recorded no less than 22 different uses for all parts of the Acai tree. Due to what is being called the 'acai craze' in the United States, one proposed project in Brazil has called for the planting of five billion acai trees in the next 10 years.

How does it work?

The acai berry has been shown to contain a number of antioxidants (3) , including anthocyanins (4) which may boost the skin's ability to prevent oxidants from harming connective tissues. It also contains phytosterols which may protect epidermal collagen, and flavonoids, which may exert anti-inflammatory properties.  omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, which are vital to proper cell contraction and regeneration; monounsaturated oleic acid, which may help the body to absorb omega-3 oil through the cell membrane more effectively; as well as phytonutrients and minerals such as potassium, iron, phosphorus and calcium. Acai berry purportedly posseses more proteins than an egg, and the vitamins B1, B2, B3, C and E. The oleic acid content of açaí has been reported to be the same as in olive oil.

What do we use it for?

In recent times, research on acai fruit has been centered on its potential antioxidant properties. Acai fruit has also shown anticancer (1) and anti-inflammatory activity (2)diseases casued by oxidative damage such as heart disease. It has also been used as immune stimulant, energy enhancer. Anthocyanins and flavonoids found in Acai fruit are powerful antioxidants that help defend the body against life's stressors. They also play a role in the body's cell protection system. Free radicals are harmful byproducts produced by the body. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants may interfere with aging and the disease process by neutralizing free radicals. By lessening the destructive power of free radicals, antioxidants may help reduce the risk of some diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Some studies state that the antioxidant capability of the acai fruit is even greater than that of cranberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, or blueberry. It has been reported that the antioxidant properties of Acai berries may also be effective at promoting weight loss although further research is still needed to confirm this.

How should we take it?

No typical dose has been set for acai berry as yet but effective doses appear to be 2000mg of whole acai berry. No contraindications are known.

Refs:

1. Pozo-Insfran, D., Percival, S. S., and Talcott, S. T. Acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) polyphenolics in their glycoside and aglycone forms induce apoptosis of HL-60 leukemia cells. J Agric.Food Chem 2-22-2006;54(4):1222-1229.

2. Schauss, A. G., Wu, X., Prior, R. L., Ou, B., Huang, D., Owens, J., Agarwal, A., Jensen, G. S., Hart, A. N., and Shanbrom, E. Antioxidant capacity and other bioactivities of the freeze-dried Amazonian palm berry, Euterpe oleraceae mart. (acai). J Agric.Food Chem 11-1-2006;54(22):8604-8610.

1. Jensen, G. S., Wu, X., Patterson, K. M., Barnes, J., Carter, S. G., Scherwitz, L., Beaman, R., Endres, J. R., and Schauss, A. G. In vitro and in vivo antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities of an antioxidant-rich fruit and berry juice blend. Results of a pilot and randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover study. J.Agric.Food Chem. 9-24-2008;56(18):8326-8333.
2. Rodrigues, R. B., Lichtenthaler, R., Zimmermann, B. F., Papagiannopoulos, M., Fabricius, H., Marx, F., Maia, J. G., and Almeida, O. Total oxidant scavenging capacity of Euterpe oleracea Mart. (acai) seeds and identification of their polyphenolic compounds. J.Agric.Food Chem. 6-14-2006;54(12):4162-4167.

Which doesn’t seem to worry most Scandinavians!

By Tim Locke

4th October 2011 - If you have fair skin, you probably can't stay in the sun for too long before you start to burn, and that UK researchers say, could be causing a lack of vitamin D that may be helped with supplements.

Vitamin D and the sun

Getting enough sun to promote healthy vitamin D levels can be a difficult balance against the risk of melanoma or skin cancer.

Most people in the UK should get enough vitamin D though the summer sun to last them through the darker winter months. However, the Department of Health says a "significant proportion" of the population have low vitamin D levels. This has lead to more cases of the bone conditions rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.

The government already recommends vitamin D supplements for:

• All pregnant and breastfeeding women
• All infants and children from six months to five years, unless they are drinking 500ml or more a day of infant formula
• People who do not get sun, such as people confined indoors for long periods and those who cover their skin for cultural reasons
• People aged 65 years and over

Earlier this year the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued new guidance saying being out in the sun can be good for you, but prolonged exposure can significantly increase the risk of developing skin cancer. A rise in cases of rickets has been blamed on children covering up too much. In December last year, UK dermatologists and health charities issued a joint statement on the benefits of getting vitamin D from the sun.

Fair skin

Professor Julia Newton-Bishop, lead author of the study based in the Cancer Research UK Centre at the University of Leeds, tells us: "We've shown that fair-skinned individuals, people who burn in the sun, tend to have lower levels of vitamin D". She says her study backs up previous French and UK research, "It is intuitive because those people burn in the sun, and tend to protect themselves, partly because of concerns about skin cancer, but more because they don't like to get burnt."

Newton-Bishop, a specialist in melanoma skin cancer, says: "You have to stay out in the sun for rather longer than we had supposed to run at optimum levels of vitamin D. It's clear that people with fair skin find it difficult to manufacture enough vitamin D and protect themselves from burning."|