Acai

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Antioxidant Capacity

In 2015 Biology of Sport published a pilot study which tested the effects of an acai berry based juice blend on 7 sprinters. While 6 weeks of acai berry juice consumption had no effects on sprint performance, it did increase significantly increase antioxidant status and help prevent exercise-induced muscle damage.
In 2008 the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry published a clinical trial measuring the antioxidant effect of acai juice and acai pulp on 12 healthy volunteers. After a single dose of 7 mL/kg body weight (equivalent to 2 cups for a 150 pound person) plasma antioxidant capacity in volunteers was 3 times higher than baseline for acai pulp and 2.3 times higher for acai juice.
In 2006 the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published a study which tested the antioxidant capacity of freeze-dried acai powder against various free radical sources. The superoxide dimutase (antioxidant defense) of acai was 1614 units/gram – “by far the highest of any fruit or vegetable tested to date” according to the researchers.

In 2016 Archives of Oral Biology published an in vitro study which showed that acai berry extract was effective in preventing osteoclastogenesis – the breakdown of bone tissue.

In 2011 Nutrition Journal published a study which evaluated the effects of acai pulp on metabolic disorders in 10 overweight subjects. After taking 100 grams of acai pulp twice daily for one month subjects saw reductions in fasting blood sugar and glucose levels, as well as a 10 percent reduction in total cholesterol.

In 2010 Nutrition published an animal study in which rats fed a high-cholesterol diet were given an acai pulp supplement and compared with a control group (fed only a high-cholesterol diet). After 6 weeks the rats in the acai group had reduced cholesterol levels and increased antioxidant capacity compared with the control group.

In 2012 the Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis published a controlled animal study in which rabbits were fed a cholesterol-enriched diet along with acai extract for 12 weeks. At the end of the study the acai group had lower cholesterol and triglycerides as well as less atherosclerotic plaque in their aortas compared to the control group.

In 2016 Metabolic Brain Disease published an animal study which found that acai pulp provided a protective effect in the brains of rats treated with a neurotoxin – carbon tetrachloride. The researchers concluded that acai pulp has antioxidant properties which could be useful in the treatment of central nervous system diseases associated with oxidative damage.

In 2014 the China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica published an animal study which showed that acai berries helped protect rats from alcohol-induced liver inflammation and fatty liver disease.

In 2011 Latin American Nutrition Archives published a study which found that acai berry processed into acai powder retained a high level of antioxidant capacity.

In 2011 The Journal of Medicinal Food published a pilot study on 14 subjects with limited range of joint motion associated with pain and affected daily living. After 12 weeks of consuming an acai berry juice blend subjects saw a significant reduction in pain and improved range of motion along with improved antioxidant status.

In 2013 Age published a study in which flies given an acai supplement had an increased lifespan, reduced oxidative stress and improved nutrient metabolism.

In 2015 Nutritional Nueroscience published an animal study in which rats close to end-of-life were fed a diet comprised of 2 percent acai for 8 weeks and tested for memory function in a water maze. Compared to a control group, the acai group demonstrated better working memory. Researchers concluded that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of acai may help protect memory during aging.
In 2016 Nutritional Neuroscience published an animal study which found that rats fed acai had increased levels of various anti-inflammatory markers in the brain which could preserve cognitive function in the aging brain.