The Benefits of Berries

 By Ryan Saba

Berries have been shown to be some of the healthiest foods on the planet.  Low in calories, high in fiber, and containing vitamins and mineral your body needs to function optimally, berries are nutritional powerhouses.

Extremely powerful antioxidants, berries protect your body from inflammation.  With their high oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values – a method of measuring antioxidant capacities – berries help to prevent negative effects on the body by turning off inflammation signals, making them a vital part of our diet. These little power foods may be simple but they have been shown to poses a variety of amazing benefit from protecting the heart all the way to enhancing vision. Try Isotonix Maximum ORAC 

Heart Protection
One of the primary benefits of berries is their ability to improve heart health and blood flow throughout the body.  One way this is done is by reducing the buildup of harmful plaque on blood vessel walls, which reduces the risk of arteries hardening.  By keeping arteries clean and avoiding the buildup of plaque, the heart can work more efficiently, reducing the potential of heart attacks and other heart disease related conditions. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below is Dr. Steven Lamm a practicing internist, faculty member at New York University School of Medicine, and the Director of Men's Health for NYU Medical Center discussing Pycnogenol and its amazing benefits in Isotonix OPC-3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also, incorporation of berries into your diet has been shown to reduce oxidation of LDL – or “bad” – cholesterol. Oxidation, the process by which cells and tissue break down, is a key factor in heart disease because oxidized LDL can inflame arteries and increase the risk of heart attacks. Reducing the oxidation levels of LDL cholesterol not only improves overall heart function, but also reduces long term risks of heart disease. Learn more about an exclusive isotonic form of Pycnogenol in (OPC-3)

Powerful Antioxidants
Even though taste is often what we like most about berries, their color is what makes them so good for us.  The rich blues, deep purples and bright reds are a result of a group of phytochemicals called flavonoids. These pigments help to counter cell damage in our bodies caused by free radicals.  Over time, free radicals contribute to disease and are one of the primary factors in the aging process.

Antioxidant compounds protect our bodies from the oxidative damage that is caused by everything from poor diet, environmental toxins and even vigorous exercise.  By neutralizing free radicals, flavonoids may help to reduce the risk of cancer and aid in memory and other brain functions that begin to decline as we age.

Vision Enhancement
Various forms of berries contain lutein, a carotenoid important for healthy vision. Reduced eye function and the degeneration of vision are some of the most common problems associated with aging.  With the ability to protect against glaucoma and cataract progression, berries have been show to promote overall eye health. Berries have also been shown to enhance vision, especially at night, by supporting the regeneration of rhodopsin in the eyes.  This process helps the eyes to adjust better during periods of darkness and also reduces the permeability of the fine blood vessel walls throughout the eye. Berries have also been shown to protect against retinopathy, a condition the leads to impaired vision and blindness due to blood accumulation in the retina.

Sometimes the simplest things offer the best benefits.  Berries are some of the most powerful (and delicious) disease-fighting foods available. Introducing them into your diet – ideally two or three types each day – can improve various areas of health and overall well being.

Acai benefits cholesterol levels: Rat study

Acai benefits cholesterol levels: Rat study

Acai benefits cholesterol levels: Rat study
By Stephen Daniells, 05-Jan-2010
Related topics: Research, Antioxidants, carotenoids, Phytochemicals, plant extracts, Cardiovascular health

The pulp of açai berries may counter the effects of a high-fat diet and reduce the risk of developing high blood cholesterol levels, says a new study with rats from Brazil.

Animals fed a high-fat diet and supplemented with açai pulp had lower levels of total and non-HDL cholesterol, compared to animals just eating a high-fat diet, according to findings published in Nutrition.

“This is the first study, to our knowledge, addressing the potential benefits of açai intake in the cholesterol profile,” wrote the researchers, led by Maria Lucia Pedrosa from the Federal University of Ouro Preto.

“We observed that the addition of açai pulp in the hypercholesterolemic diet had a hypocholesterolemic effect by reducing cholesterol levels (total and non-HDL), which could be explained by a lower food intake and higher faecal excretion,” they added.

High cholesterol levels, hypercholesterolaemia, have a long association with many diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD), the cause of almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe, and reported to cost the EU economy an estimated €169bn ($202bn) per year.

Super fruits from Central and South America

Açai berries (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) have long formed part of the staple diet of Indian tribes. With the appearance of a purple grape and taste of a tropical berry, it has been shown to have powerful antioxidant properties thanks to a high level of anthocyanins, pigments that are also present in red wine.

It is presently being sold in a number of countries, including New Zealand, Australia, South America, Japan, USA, and the Middle East

Commenting independently on the study, açai expert Dr Alex Schauss from US-based contract research organization AIBMR told NutraIngredients that the study does provide in vivo experimental evidence that açai pulp can improve mammalian lipid profiles in response to a high fat diet.

Regarding the safety data, Dr Schauss added that “açai does not appear to cause liver damage as evidenced by the fact that açai does not alter activities of several liver enzymes. This is important since liver damage is a common phenomenon when a drug is taken for a long period of time.”

Study details

Pedrosa and her co-workers used female Fischer rats and divided them into four groups: Two groups consumed a standard diet, and two groups consumed a high fat diet containing 25 per cent soy oil and 1 per cent cholesterol. One standard diet group and one high fat diet group received additional açai pulp at a level of 2 per cent.

After six weeks, the researchers noted an increase in blood levels of total and non-HDL cholesterol and a decrease in levels of HDL cholesterol in the high-fat diet only animals. Such changes were attenuated in the açai-supplemented high-fat diet animals.

The researchers did not directly examine the mechanism behind the effects but noted that the benefits may not be solely due to the polyphenol content of the fruit.

“These results suggest that the consumption of açai improves antioxidant status and has a hypocholesterolemic effect in an animal model of dietary-induced hypercholesterolemia,” concluded the researchers.

Future study

AIBMR’s Dr Schauss noted that future studies should focus on using a better high fat mouse model. “There is a published rodent diet that is close to a typical high fat American diet or McDonald diet that could be used,” he said. He also said that the length of intervention should be increased to six months, while the effects of açai pulp on lipids can be further investigated by looking at both liver and blood vessel morphology, signalling pathways, LDL levels and cardiovascular functions.

Source: Nutrition
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2009.09.007
“Diet supplementation with açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) pulp improves biomarkers of oxidative stress and the serum lipid profile in rats”
Authors: M. Oliveira de Souza, M. Silva, M. Eustaquio Silva, R. de Paula Oliveira, M.L. Pedrosa

You may get an Isotonic form of ACAI at Market America

brought to you by CustomizeME.com
Andrew Rosser's portal for Shopping on the internet, Earning Cash while you shop.
Let me help you find what you want.

www.CustomizeME.com
Have you been Customized?