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Acai is the name of the berry that comes from a palm tree native to the Amazon, mainly in Brazil. The trees grow 30 to 100 feet tall with palms that drape 10 feet long. The berry has very special characteristics in that it is a powerful antioxidant and one of the most nutritious foods in the world because it contains amino acids and essential fatty acids like those found in olive oil (oleic acid) in addition to the antioxidants that it is most widely known for. This is an unusually mixture of nutrients for a berry to have. Due to poor hygiene, the health of Amazonians is typically pretty poor. Those that consume acai berries as a food consisting of more than 35% of their diet have the greatest health and survival rates.

Acai fruit has a high ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) value, which means its ability to quench free radicals from doing tissue damage. It is used indigenously many times a day as a food as it is one of Brazil’s most popular foods especially as a snack called an acai bowl. Acai berries are added to a famous dish called Picadinho de Jacaré and other dishes. There are many recipes using acai that you can access on the web. In addition, the acai juice is becoming more and more popular outside of Brazil.

In our country we mainly use it as a supplement that is touted for weight loss, most likely as a marketing effort. That being true, it underestimates the benefit against chronic inflammatory diseases, cancer and heart disease. Two nutrients in Acai, anthocyanins and flavonoids (responsible for the deep color of the fruit) are inherent to the protection against cellular damage that occurs with age and oxidative stress. People in the US use Acai more to make smoothies, ice cream and in cocktails, in addition to supplementing with capsules or tinctures of the extract.

Amla is another fruit that is harvested from a tree in India and is nicknamed Indian Gooseberry due to its appearance. It is rich in natural vitamin C, in fact 1.8 grams of vitamin C extracted from Amla is equal to 1000 mg vitamin C that is found in supplements. Although it has gained most popularity as a food based vitamin C, it has many more properties than that and is highly respected in the Ayurvedic community as a tonic for all doshas. In the popular formula Triphala, it is used as a bowel tonic. In addition, once absorbed into the system, it strengthens red blood cell counts and efficiency in delivering oxygen to the cells. Due to its content of chromium and zinc, it helps strengthen the immune system and regulate blood sugar as well.

In comparison to vitamin C, it compares best to vitamin C that has bioflavanoids added to the formula which is why I prefer these types of formulas over pure vitamin C supplements. Ultra Potent C is one of my personal favorites, coming in a powder and a tablet form. Whatever you choose to support your immune system and overall cellular protection, please note that it takes time for the effects to be noticed. Your weakened immune system, overtime, will strengthen and you may get to a ripe old age without any degenerative or inflammatory conditions. You’ll be able to look back and be grateful for your proactive support of cellular health and wellbeing!