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Amazonian Antioxidant Açai Berries’ Healthy UK Arrival
A Grove of Acai Palm trees (Euterpe oleracea) – www.eikipedia.org You may be feeling a bit ‘health watch’ bombarded or antioxidant-jaded, but this latest addition to the armoury of excellent health-giving berries is worthy of consideration to add to your sickness and disease ‘preventive’ arsenal. Different countries around the world give different trees the accolade of ‘The Tree of Life’, one such is the Brazilian Açai Palm Tree (Euterpe oleracea Mart.)1 and its fruits. Although the native peoples of the Amazon forest have valued the Açai as a traditional food and natural remedy for eons, long before our contact with them, it was only introduced onto the Western market around 2000.2 Now we are told that at least one leading UK supermarket and one organic supermarket chain are about to pop it onto their shelves in June of this year in the form of a bottled ‘purple, gloopy’ drink.3 A Bit about Açai Common in the flood-plains of the Amazon, Açai Palm trees (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) are native to tropical Central and South America, from Belize south to Brazil and Peru.4 The fruit is a round, black-purple drupe approximately the size of a black grape, only darker, with a single seed and relatively little pulp. It is considered to be one of the most nutritious fruits of the Amazon. Originally eaten fresh-picked as a native food, açai fruit deteriorates rapidly after harvest; hence the need for bottling as a juice for transportation. Its very deep purple frozen pulp is also sold closer to home, but for now it is the juice that is available in the UK. Traditionally, açai fruit pulp is eaten raw or used as a condiment, most commonly with shrimp or manioc (Cassava – Manihot esculenta) which cannot be eaten raw and is a processed starchy substance not unlike semolina or couscous that would not be to everybody’s taste, though manioc itself is an important part of the indigenous South American diet and elsewehre.5 The ‘palm heart’ of the plant Euterpe, the name relates to the mythological Muse ‘Euterpe’, meaning ‘Giver of Pleasure’, is much prized. In particular Euterpe edulis ‘palm heart’ is eaten as a steamed dish. However, conservation issues are involved, as the extraction of the palm’s heart inevitably causes the death of a plant. Some species grow naturally or are cultivated to provide up to 40 multiple stems containing the soft inner growing tip or ‘heart’ on one plant in order that the original plant-stock can survive. As a result, ‘palm heart’ dishes are now regarded as a delicacy, not a staple of diet. It is said to be so expensive that ‘palm’s heart’ is on occasion called ‘Millionaire’s Salad’.6 Açai – Antioxidant Value Why get excited about the introduction of yet another black berry’s potential? Well, açai not only has a long reputation of being a big energy booster to strengthen the immune system, but its contents directly and indirectly speak of many other benefits, from low calorific weight-loss value to cholesterol regulation and much more. In terms of antioxidant value, what Açai’s fruit yields in flavonoids (anthocyanins – red/blue phenols) is ultra-good stuff contra ‘free radicals’, which are said to cause so much sickness, deterioration and disease of the human body. Açai has twice the antioxidant level of blueberries and 50% more than pomegranates.7 Black grapes or red wine have been shown to be helpful to cardio-vascular health – Açai has up to 33 times more anthocyanine than the grape! 8 Bearing in mind that German research revealed last year: “The contributions of the anthocyanins to the overall antioxidant capacities of the fruit were estimated to be only approximately 10%. Obviously, compounds not yet identified are responsible for the major part of the antioxidant capacities of the açai fruit pulp.”9 In other words, with hardly any research done as yet, and it is to be hoped that a great deal more research will be carried out, there’s a lot more first-class revelations to come in both understanding of just how powerful these berries’ compounds may be found to be and their future health values. Perhaps the most startling claim being cited at present is that an extract of açai berry may help fight cancers, such as leukaemia. In February this year a University of Florida study was done to investigate the effects of açai polyphenolics on the antiproliferation and induction of apoptosis (cell death) in HL-60 human leukemia cells.10 The results showed that açai berry extract triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86% of leukaemia cells tested. This is excellent news, but it is early days; much more research is required to scientifically test the fruits for their potential and traditional usages, which often lacks more than anecdotal evidence. Açai - Nutritional Value Whatever further research may reveal about açai’s medicinal worth, it is an exceptional foodstuff and is acclaimed as one of the most nutritive fruits in the Amazon.11 There fortunately appears to be nothing in the composition of açai to cause any reaction when mixed with other food.12 Açai has also been scientifically recognized for its functional properties for use in food and nutraceutical products.13 The fruit is fibre-rich, which is good for the digestion and particularly useful to the elderly or those with delicate digestive problems. It has more proteins than an average egg, 14 which is a natural perfect embryonic food – just think how a complete chick evolves solely from the contents of one egg and you will get the picture. Açai contains vitamins (vitamin B, Costa 1953): B1, B2, B3, C and E, as well as being high in potassium, plus having calcium, phosphorus and other trace minerals. It also has a good essential amino acid complex (amino acids: nature’s building blocks) vital to creating and maintaining good health. Açai has two essential fatty acids (EFA’s), Omega-6 (Linoleic acid) and Omega-9 (Oleic acid), which research shows help maintain normal cholesterol levels. Some Omega-6s improve skin disorders, such as psoriasis and eczema, which may account for açai’s traditional use for the skin. Essential, but technically not an EFA because the body can manufacture a limited amount so long as EFAs are present, Omega-9 (Oleic acid), has recently been shown by Spanish research to block the action of a cancer-causing oncogene (a gene that causes normal cells to change into cancerous tumour cells) called HER-2/neu which is found in about 30% of breast cancer patients. 15 Phytosterols also present, some of which are currently being used to treat symptoms associated with Blood Pressure (BP) and provide numerous benefits to the human body, including reduction of blood plasma cholesterol. Açai and the Environment This is like the other half of açai’s double whammy, because there is another aspect to açai that is very important. The cultivation of the palm is strongly supported by lead environmental groups. Why? To make açai a commercial crop is an alternative to the tree-clearing activities of logging and deforestation in these regions. As The Nature Conservancy reporting on Açai says: “Surfers use it as an all-natural energy drink. Celebrities rave about it (among them Sting and Oprah Winfrey). But what really makes the açai fruit special is the way that much of it is harvested and brought to market.”16 Early in 2000, two eco-savvy entrepreneurs (Ryan Black and Ed Nichols) founded a company called ‘Sambazon’ meaning Saving and Managing the Brazilian Amazon!17 The company, which is committed to preserving the eco-region by providing a sustainable income-generating activity for local growers; it buys organic açai fruit from 1,500 local families who harvest the labour intensive fruit by hand.18 The EcoEnterprises Fund was launched in 2000 by a group of investors, led by the Conservancy and the Inter-American Development Bank.19 A primary goal of the Fund is to overcome traditional barriers between the private and non-profit sectors to create collaborative partnerships.20 This Açai business model is doing fine. It is not only creating the means to protect biodiversity, it is also helping people in poor areas in a dignified manner and, if people get the message, the health of the rest of the world. References: 1. ‘Açai Berry’ by Ray Sahelian, M.D. – http://www.raysahelian.com/acaiberry.html 2. Ibid. 3. ‘Is this berry from Brazil a superfruit that fights cancer?’ by Sean Poulter, Consumer Affairs Correspondent – Daily Mail, 22nd April 200f Launch expected June 2006 at Supermarket chain ‘Waitrose’ and Health Food chain ‘Fresh & Wild’. NB: Since 2004 ‘Fresh & Wild’ has been taken over by ‘Whole Foods Market’ owned by American vegan John Mackey. Price of drink expected to be £1.49p. for 330ml. 4. ‘Açai Palm’ - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acai 5. Ibid. Manioc is eaten in Brazil, Peru, Africa, India and Indonesia. 6. Ibid. 7. ‘Is this berry from Brazil a superfruit that fights cancer?’ by Sean Poulter, Consumer Affairs Correspondent – Daily Mail, 22nd April 2006. 8. ‘Açai’ - http://www.nutraearth.com/nutraearth/acai.asp?s=Corporate NB: The primary anthocyanin in açai is cyaniding-3 glucoside, which has been found to be 3.5 times stronger than Trolox (vitamin E analogue) and the predominant anthrocyanin found in red wine (nalvadin-3-gluscoside) in an ORAC analysis measure of antioxidant capacity. 9. ‘Total oxidant scavenging capacities of Euterpe oleracea Mart. (Acai) fruits.’ Lichtenthaler R, et al. Institute of Nutritional and Food Sciences, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. Int J Food Sc Nutr. 2005 Feb; 56(1):53-64. 10. ‘Acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) polyphenolics in their glycoside and aglycone forms induce apoptosis of HL-60 leukemia cells.’ Del Poso-Insfran D, et al. Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110370, Gainesville, Florida 32611-0370, USA. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Feb 22; 54(4):1222-9. 11. ‘Açai’ - http://www.nutraearth.com/nutraearth/acai.asp?s=Corporate 12. Ibid. 13. ‘Phytochemical composition and pigment stability of Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.). Del Pozo-Insfran D, et al. Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110370, Gainesville, Florida 32611-0370, USA. J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Mar 24; 52(6):1539-45. 14. ‘Açai’ - http://www.nutraearth.com/nutraearth/acai.asp?s=Corporate 15. ‘Mediterranean diet, olive oil and cancer. ‘ Colomer R, et al. Medical Oncology, Institut Catala d'Oncologia, Hospital de Girona Dr. Josep Trueta, Girona, Spain. Clin Tansl. Oncol. 2006 Jan; 8(1):15-21. 16. ‘Community-based Businesses Thrive with the Help of Innovative EcoEnterprises Fund.’ The Nature Conservancy http://www.nature.org/success/art15110.html 17. Ibid. 18. Ibid. 19. Ibid. 20. Ibid. |
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