Alternative Health Blog

The acai berry has received plenty of positive mentions in the health media and even on The Oprah Winfrey Show (which, let’s face it, never hurts your marketing cred). But here’s the good news about the acai berry in the news: Two recent studies show that berry’s antioxidants are absorbed into the bloodstream (no small thing) and those antioxidants appear to kill cancer cells.

 Texas A&M researchers cinched down the vital absorption qualities of the Brazilian palm berry, which is pronounced “ah-sigh-EEE (some say ah-SIGH-eee). Their study of 12 volunteers, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, showed that either a single serving of acai juice or pulp can be accepted and used by the body in effective fashion.

“Acai is naturally low in sugar, and the flavor is described as a mixture of red wine and chocolate,” said Texas A&M lead investigator and nutrition professor Susanne Talcott. “So what more would you want from a fruit?”

Talcott published the first acai study written in English back in 2004. She said that “like vitamin C, the body can absorb so much [acai antioxidants] at a time.”

Nonetheless, the outcome is positive as both a general health protector and a weapon of sorts versus cancer cells. A recent University of Florida study linked the berry to an ability to kill human cancer cells in lab samples. In fact, the Florida scientists found that the berry’s extracts prompted a cancer-destroying response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells.

The destroyed cells were exposed to acai extract for up to 24 hours, which aligns with the Texas A&M results showing that acai antioxidants stay in the bloodstream 24 to 36 hours.

The researchers were clear that more studies are needed to confirm the findings and make the even larger leap that acai might kill cancer in active, living human bodies, but they called an encouraging first step. The acai joins grapes, guavas and mangoes as fruits proven to disrupt cancer cell growth and multiplication.

Acai berries are gaining more attention from researchers because what was once considered a highly perishable berry that didn’t fair well traveling from the flood plains of the Amazon River are now processed soon enough for therapeutic antioxidant content.

The acai berry has some deep roots among Brazilians, who have used the fruit to treat digestive disorders and skin conditions. Adding cancer to that list is a formidable and positive possibility.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.