New Dietary Addition

[Panzerfaust]

I posted about this years ago but I am not going back to look for it. I'm sure some have heard of it and some might have even eaten it before:

Açaí

Several early studies done on the nutritional composition of açaí were summarized by Rogez in a 2000 book in Portuguese entitled "Açaí: Preparo, Composição e Melhoramento de Conservação" (Schauss et al. 2006a). Other previous studies dating back to the 1930s and 40s were not always in agreement on nutritional contents.

A recent study using modern procedures and a standardized freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp and skin powder found nutrient analysis results from 100 g (3.5 ounces) of powder to equal 533.9 calories, 52.2 g carbohydrates, 8.1 g protein and 32.5 g total fat. The carbohydrate portion includes 44.2 g of fiber (Schauss et al. 2006a). Having nearly one-third of its mass as dietary fiber, açaí is an exceptional source of this valuable macronutrient: a 100 g serving of the powder would provide all the recommended fiber needs for adults (20-30 g per day).

Açaí is particularly rich in fatty acids, feeling oily to the touch. It contains high levels of the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid (56.2% of total fats). It is also rich in palmitic acid (24.1% of total fats, a saturated fat) and the polyunsaturated *****-6 fatty acid linoleic acid (12.5% of total fats). (Schauss et al. 2006a). β-sitosterol (beta-sitosterol), a phytosterol that competes with dietary cholesterol for absorption and so may reduce blood cholesterol levels, is also unusually rich (78-91% of total sterols) (Lubrano, 1994; Schauss 2006a).

A later study found vitamin C content was negligible, calcium levels of 260 mg, iron to be 4.4 mg and vitamin A equal to 1002 IU per 100 g of dry weight (Schauss et al. 2006a). A recent study found 19 amino acids in pulp and skin powder, with especially high contents of aspartic acid and glutamic acid. The amino acid content totalled 7.59% of the total dry weight (Schauss et al. 2006a).

Due to the large amount of waste that accumulates during the harvesting of the hearts of palm, sawdust from the left-over trunks of the açaí palms have been analyzed for possible uses including energy utilization. The inner layer of the trunk is mineral rich, and is significantly higher in all the minerals that were tested including sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron compared to the outer layer of the tree. This inner layer could potentially be used as a source for these minerals. Ash content (often used as an alkaline source for saponification or in plant fertilizers) was also higher in the inner section of the tree. Levels of lignins, cellulose, holocellulose and gross heat production were slightly higher in the outer trunk layers, and cellulose levels were fairly high overall (Dyer, 1996).


Antioxidants

The dense pigmentation of açaí has led to several experimental studies of its anthocyanins, a group of polyphenols that give the deep color to berries, other fruits and vegetables and are high in antioxidant value under active research for potential health benefits[1]. A recent study using a standardized freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp and skin powder found the total anthocyanin levels to be 319 mg per 100 grams (Schauss et al., 2006a). Cyandin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-rutinoside are major açaí anthocyanins [2].

Twelve other flavonoid-like compounds were additionally found in the Schauss et al. 2006a study, including homoorientin, orientin, taxifolin deoxyhexose, isovitexin and scoparin, as well as several unknown flavonoids. Proanthocyanidins, another group of polyphenolic compounds high in antioxidant value, totalled 1,289 mg per 100 grams of the freeze-dried pulp/skin powder, with a profile similar to that of blueberries (Schauss et al., 2006a). Resveratrol was additionally found to be present in acai in this study, although at low levels of 1.1 microgram per gram.

A number of studies have measured the antioxidant strength of açaí. Unfortunately, the sources of açaí and preparations (e.g., whole fruit, juice, extract or soluble powder) for reporting the results vary. A recent report using a standardized oxygen radical absorbance capacity or ORAC analysis on a freeze-dried açaí powder found that this powder showed a high antioxidant effect against peroxyl radical (1027 micromol TE/g). This is approximately 10% more than lowbush blueberry or cranberry on a dry weight basis (Wu, 2004). The ORAC value for this freeze-dried powder was significantly higher than when other methods of drying the fruit were tested (Schauss, 2006c). Other powders with ORAC values this high include cinnamon (2675 micromol TE/g), cloves (3144 micromol TE/g), turmeric (2001 micromol TE/g) and dried oregano (1593 micromol TE/g) (Wu, 2004).

The freeze-dried powder also showed very high activity against superoxide, with a SOD assay level of 1614 units/g. Superoxide is thought to be the initial producer of other more potent reactive oxygen species, and thus protection against it is very important as a first line of defense for the body. Antioxidant activity against both peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals was also observed, although effects were milder than that seen against peroxyl radical and superoxide. Additionally, antioxidant molecules from the freeze-dried powder were shown to actually enter freshly obtained human neutrophils and inhibit oxidation induced by hydrogen peroxide, even at very low concentrations of the açaí powder including 0.1 part per trillion (Schauss et al., 2006b). A previous report using a total oxygen scavenging capacity assay also found that açaí has extremely high antioxidant effects against peroxyl radical, as well as a high capacity against peroxynitrite, and a moderate capacity against hydroxyl radical when compared with other fruit and vegetable juices[3] .

Only 10% of açaí's high antioxidant effects could be explained by its anthocyanin content[4], indicating that other polyphenols contribute most of the antioxidant activity. Schauss et al. similarly found that that ratio of the hydrophilic ORAC levels to the total phenolics in the freeze-dried fruit was 50, a higher value than the typical fruit and vegetable ratio of 10[citation needed].

Schauss et al. (2006b) also utilized the "Total Antioxidant" or TAO assay to differentiate the "fast-acting" (measured at 30 seconds) and "slow-acting" (measured at 30 minutes) antioxidant levels present in freeze-dried powder. Acai was found to have a higher "slow-acting" antioxidant components, suggesting a more sustained antioxidant effect compared to "fast-acting" components.

Antioxidant values of the seeds of the açaí fruit have also been reported (Rodrigues, 2006). Similarly to the berries, the antioxidant capacity of the seeds were strongest against peroxyl radicals, at a concentration in the same order of magnitude as the berries. The seeds had a stronger antioxidant effect than the berries for peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals, although still less than its effects against peroxy radical. The results of this study were not linear based on the concentration of the seeds that were used. The authors suggest the future use of the seeds (a by-product of juice making) for antioxidant benefits such as prolonging shelf-life of foods.

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I just had an Açaí smoothie with some whey protein mixed in. I would recommend this to anyone. But of course this particular smoothie would need to be timed properly according to your needs etc.

I had it as a meal replacement today, chalked full of antioxidants and protein (had to be added). This would be more along the lines of a PWO or Pro/Carb meal replacement.

Anyway, food for thought. Açaí is the shit.

If you are interested in ordering the real Açaí, go to www.sambazon.com

[moush]

real interesting...hows the taste??

[athlete20]

Great. I've always wanted to try it.

[Panzerfaust]

How does it taste? Açaí is awesome, you just gotta try it yourself.

I bought a "Gladiator" smoothie for PWO from Smoothie King. 45g Pro, 35g Carb etc. Also had bannana and strawberrys in it. So you should try that too. haha

[B.E.N.]

How does it taste? Açaí is awesome, you just gotta try it yourself.

I bought a "Gladiator" smoothie for PWO from Smoothie King. 45g Pro, 35g Carb etc. Also had bannana and strawberrys in it. So you should try that too. haha

I was talking about this product over in the supplement forum. There is a great product that everyone should try called Mona Vie. You take 2 oz. of it twice a day and it promotes cell repair on a molecular level. The drink (you actually take it more like in like a shot glass type) even has glucosamine in it. I just started taking it but seems to have begun to help with shoulder soreness.

People have said it halts macular degeneration, relieves arthritis, and even eases problems with diabetes. It supposedly replaces multivitamins. Get back to you on how it does after I finish the bottle.

[catabolic kid]

Acai by itself is very bitter. I know that Sambazon tastes good, but they have added sugar to it.

MonaVie is by far the best ACAI product....it has acai plus 18 other fruits...it tastes good. It is alot more expensive than Sambazon, but is much higher quality.

Murilo...MonaVie is something you would be interested in....MonaVies freeze dried acai has the highest antioxidant measures of any fruit tested to date. Dr. Schauss is actually with MonaVie and the ORAC measure of 1027 from the study in your post is from OptiAcai which Schauss develpoed and is available exclusively to MonaVie.

If you had helath issues, I would suggest MonaVie...my entire family in on it and it has worked miracles.