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Articles About the Acai Berry

Brazilian berry destroys cancer cells in lab, University of Florida study shows

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A Brazilian berry popular in health food contains antioxidants that destroyed cultured human cancer cells in a recent University of Florida study, one of the first to investigate the fruit’s purported benefits.
Published today in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study showed extracts from acai (ah-SAH’-ee) berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested, said Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
“Acai berries are already considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants,” Talcott said. “This study was an important step toward learning what people may gain from using beverages, dietary supplements or other products made with the berries.”
He cautioned that the study, funded by UF sources, was not intended to show whether compounds found in acai berries could prevent leukemia in people.
“This was only a cell-culture model and we don’t want to give anyone false hope,” Talcott said. “We are encouraged by the findings, however. Compounds that show good activity against cancer cells in a model system are most likely to have beneficial effects in our bodies.”
Other fruits, including grapes, guavas and mangoes, contain antioxidants shown to kill cancer cells in similar studies, he said. Experts are uncertain how much effect antioxidants have on cancer cells in the human body, because factors such as nutrient absorption, metabolism and the influence of other biochemical processes may influence the antioxidants’ chemical activity.
Another UF study, slated to conclude in 2006, will investigate the effects of acai’s antioxidants on healthy human subjects, Talcott said. The study will determine how well the compounds are absorbed into the blood, and how they may affect blood pressure, cholesterol levels and related health indicators. So far, only fundamental research has been done on acai berries, which contain at least 50 to 75 as-yet unidentified compounds.
“One reason so little is known about acai berries is that they’re perishable and are traditionally used immediately after picking,” he said. “Products made with processed acai berries have only been available for about five years, so researchers in many parts of the world have had little or no opportunity to study them.”
Talcott said UF is one of the first institutions outside Brazil with personnel studying acai berries. Besides Talcott, UF’s acai research team includes Susan Percival, a professor with the food science and human nutrition department, David Del Pozo-Insfran, a doctoral student with the department and Susanne Mertens-Talcott, a postdoctoral associate with the pharmaceutics department of UF’s College of Pharmacy.
Acai berries are produced by a palm tree known scientifically as Euterpe oleracea, common in floodplain areas of the Amazon River, Talcott said. When ripe, the berries are dark purple and about the size of a blueberry. They contain a thin layer of edible pulp surrounding a large seed.
Historically, Brazilians have used acai berries to treat digestive disorders and skin conditions, he said. Current marketing efforts by retail merchants and Internet businesses suggest acai products can help consumers lose weight, lower cholesterol and gain energy.
“A lot of claims are being made, but most of them haven’t been tested scientifically,” Talcott said. “We are just beginning to understand the complexity of the acai berry and its health-promoting effects.”
In the current UF study, six different chemical extracts were made from acai fruit pulp, and each extract was prepared in seven concentrations.
Four of the extracts were shown to kill significant numbers of leukemia cells when applied for 24 hours. Depending on the extract and concentration, anywhere from about 35 percent to 86 percent of the cells died.
The UF study demonstrates that research on foods not commonly consumed in the United States is important, because it may lead to unexpected discoveries, said Joshua Bomser, an assistant professor of molecular nutrition and functional foods at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
But familiar produce items have plenty of health-giving qualities, he said.
“Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk for many diseases, including heart disease and cancer,” said Bomser, who researches the effects of diet on chronic diseases. “Getting at least five servings a day of these items is still a good recommendation for promoting optimal health.”

Research shows Brazilian acai berry antioxidants absorbed by human body

October 6, 2008 - 2:30pm
A Brazilian palm berry, popular health food though little research has been done on it, now may have its purported benefits better understood.

In the first research involving people, the acai (ah-sigh-EE) berry has proven its ability to be absorbed in the human body when consumed both as juice and pulp. That finding, by a team of Texas AgriLife Research scientists, was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Showing the berry's absorption in humans is important because it is known to contain numerous antioxidants. The berry is heavily marketed in the U.S. as a health food.

I am 40 year-old male who loves to travel. I am one of the luckiest people who was able to travel all over the world. I have to North and South America, Canada, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, El Salvador, Europe, UK, Denmark, Romania, Russia. I also visited South Africa and Morocco..I visited Asia, Japan, China, India, Philippines, and Australia.

I have been very impressed by the culture and social live of many people around the globe. I have learned a great deal of human nature, background, religions, demographics, history.

I love also the outdoor activities starting with jogging, bicycling, dancing, scuba diving, swimming, hiking, fishing, skydiving, skiing, skate boarding.

I am so adventurous as far as food, I have tried all kind of cuisines, Indian, Chinese, Italian, Middle Eastern, ….all of it..

I was so impressed by the characteristic and chemical composition of the Acai berry, the berry that grows in the depth of Amazonian river of the Amzon in Brazil.

I have drunk acai juice from Jamba Juice, Sambazon, Bosa Nova.. I have tried the acai in a energy drink and preserve.. The acai berry has the highest antioxidant value among other fruit, it also contains many vitamins, minerals, rich in protein, fiber and Omega 6 and 9. It is an amazing fruits that I have ever came across.
I am 40 year-old male who loves to travel. I am one of the luckiest people who was able to travel all over the world. I have to North and South America, Canada, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, El Salvador, Europe, UK, Denmark, Romania, Russia. I also visited South Africa and Morocco..I visited Asia, Japan, China, India, Philippines, and Australia.

I have very impressed by the culture and social live of many people around the globe. I have learned a great deal of human nature, background, religions, demographics, history.

I love also the outdoor activities starting with jogging, bicycling, dancing, scuba diving, swimming, hiking, fishing, skydiving, skiing, skate boarding.

I am so adventurous as far as food, I have tried all kind of cuisines, Indian, Chinese, Italian, Middle Eastern, ….all of it..

I was so impressed by the characteristic and chemical composition of the Acai berry, the berry that grows in the depth of Amazonian river of the Amzon in Brazil.

I have drunk acai juice from Jamba Juice, Sambazon, Bosa Nova.. I have tried the acai in a energy drink and preserve.. The acai berry has the highest antioxidant value among other fruit, it also contains many vitamins, minerals, rich in protein, fiber and Omega 6 and 9. It is an amazing fruits that I have ever came across.

Dr. Susanne Talcott, assistant professor with the Texas A&M University’s nutrition and food science department, works with acai. She found that acai antioxidants are absorbed in the human body.
(Photo Credit: Texas AgriLife Research photo by Kathleen Phillips)
The study involved 12 healthy volunteers who consumed a single serving of acai juice or pulp. Researchers believe the results point to the need for continued research on the berry which is commonly used in juices, beverages, smoothies, frozen treats and dietary supplements.
"Acai is naturally low in sugar, and the flavor is described as a mixture of red wine and chocolate," said lead investigator Dr. Susanne Talcott, "so what more would you want from a fruit?"
Talcott, who also is assistant professor with the Texas A&M University's nutrition and food science department, said that previous studies have shown the ability of the human body to absorb target antioxidants (from other produce), but "no one had really tested to see if acai antioxidants are absorbed in humans."
Sales of acai products have increased dramatically in the U.S. where it has been touted as a metabolism booster, weight reducer and athletic enhancer. Advertisements use buzzwords such as health, wellness, energy, taste and organic.
About the only buzzword not used with acai is "local." The berries are harvested in the Brazilian rainforest from acai palms that may reach heights in excess of 60 feet - one of the same palms used to harvest edible hearts of palm.

Dr. Susanne Talcott, assistant professor with the Texas A&M University’s nutrition and food science department, found that acai antioxidants are absorbed in the human body.
(Photo Credit: Texas AgriLife Research photo by Kathleen Phillips)
The fruit is about the size of a large blueberry yet only the outermost layers of the fruit, the pulp surrounding a large internal seed, are edible, Talcott noted.
Talcott and her co-researcher and husband Dr. Steve Talcott began studying the palm- berry in 2001. His first scientific report on acai, apparently the first such study in English, was published in 2004.
Initially, their studies on the berry examined antioxidant and nutritional components in pulp and juice. Later studies showed the berry's activity against cancer cells, Talcott noted.
With that background, the researchers then decided to find out whether those elements were actually being absorbed into the human body or being eliminated unused as waste.
"Like vitamin C, the body can only absorb so much at a time," Steve Talcott explained.
He said the researchers now "need to determine potential disease-fighting health benefits, so we can make intelligent recommendations on how much acai should be consumed.
For the clinical trial, people were given acai pulp and acai juice containing half the concentration of anthocyanins as the pulp and each compared to the control foods: applesauce and a non-antioxidant beverage.
Blood and urine samples at 12 and 24 hours after consumption showed significant increases in antioxidant activity in the blood after both the acai pulp and applesauce consumption, she said. Both acai pulp and acai juice showed significant absorption of antioxidant anthocyanins into the blood and antioxidant effects. The research couple said future studies hopefully will help determine whether the consumption of acai will result in any disease-preventing health benefit and the proper serving sizes for a beneficial dose for people.
"Our concern has been that it is sold as a super food – and it definitely has some good attributes – but it is not a solution to all diseases," she said. "There are a great number of foods on the market, and this could just be part of a well-balanced diet."

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