Women’s Health Blog

Though the acai berry has been around for centuries, it wasnt discovered until the 1990s in the western world. It has been used for generations and generations among various tribes, especially around Brazil, for its medicinal purposes.

With the Amazon being the largest rainforest in the world and the acai being grown for the most part in this area, it is easily grown and harvested. Though it is among thousands of different fruits and plants found it the Amazon, it is one of the more prized fruits with its recent discovery of being a great antioxidant and numerous other benefits.

Many tribes throughout and around the Amazon have used the acai berry for both medicinal and sustenance purposes. One of the more prominent tribes, the Shuar, have been using the berry for centuries and are known for their traditions of using the berry for medicine. Shuar tribes have a healer or medicine man or woman known as uwishins who are very knowledgeable about the forest and its secrets. They have learned the different purposes of the plants in the rainforest through experimentation and learning from each other. Theyve even discovered a plant that removes snake venom from the body.

When the acai berry was discovered, tribes throughout the Amazon tested its properties and found out those which are most powerful in todays society such as lowering bad cholesterol, fighting infection, controlling prostate and even promoting a healthy heart. Not only this, but they also revealed that the berry increased energy and even fought off certain diseases that were plaguing Brazilians such as Staphylococcus and Schistosomosis, a disease transmitted by snails.

How did a berry so secluded and very little-known become so famous? It started when sufers along the Brazilian beaches started adding it to drinks and smoothies to help boost their energy when surfing. Soon enough, it became a trend and word started to spread. Researchers and scientists heard of its energy-sustaining property and immediately took it in for experimentation. It was from then on that they realized the acai berrys true potential. With many antioxidants, vitamins and soon-to-be-discovered cancer fighting characteristics, the acai berry became more sought-after by not only the populous, but also other scientists across the world.

Once word started to spread, companies requested to start using it in products such as bars and health snacks due to not only its energy-boosting property, but also the fact that it contained many vitamins and minerals. Not only that, but even incorporated the berry into dishes in restaurants, smoothies just as the Brazilians used them, and in shakes. Not only this, but more recently the acai berry has been capsulated and sold as a diet supplement in drug stores and pharmacies all across the world. Its complete potential may not have been yet discovered, as the acai berry is a relatively new discovery. Rest assured that in the future it might cause some dramatic changes in the way people think and eat, promoting a healthier society and possibly new, natural drugs to help fight off cancer and disease.

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As the acai berry sweeps the world, many people are becoming interested in the fact that it has become the most recent superfood. Facts about its benefits such as increasing energy and stamina and helping balance and maintain major systems of the body are becoming common knowledge. But what exactly makes the acai berry better and different from other superfoods? The Goji berry has also taken the stage. How do they compare?

Goji, or sometimes known as the Chinese Wolfberry, is also climbing the charts as one of the top superfoods. It too, has only been recently discovered and also has the great benefits of antioxidants and various other medicinal purposes. It has been around, secretively, for years, just like the acai berry. Its sudden appearance on the market is due to new scientific discoveries and extensive research. Just like the acai, it has been used by the locals throughout China for hundreds of years. Also like acai, its mostly marketed as a juice.

However, there have been some questions raised between the acai berry versus the Goji berry. There are many similarities between the two, but there are also some subtle differences that make the acai berry a prominent choice. Some similarities include:

o Being called one of the most antioxidant-rich fruits on Earth.
o High nutrient content.
o Several applications in different foods
o Centuries of use by the locals
o Proven research of incredible benefits
o Increasing popularity in markets all over the world

What makes acai better than the Goji berry in a Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) face off? Antioxidant levels in both are very high. However, in the acai berry, they are slightly higher. In the same respect, the acai berry has been more thoroughly researched and examined than the Goji berry has. Theyve both been proven to increase energy and stamina and with high levels of minerals and nutrients, are exceptional in maintaining major organs and systems of the body. The Goji berry is also exceptionally rich in carotenoids. Due to the great level of antioxidants and its superior benefits in the eyes of the ORAC table, the acai is the best overall choice.

However, as a whole including its antioxidant strength, versatility as a food throughout the world and the markets, and nutrient richness, the upper hand has to go to the goji berry. It is more versatile as it is more fat-soluble and is therefore used for almost ever application from foods, yogurts and smoothies. Another major factor is the shipping and transportation process. Acai is hard to keep as they start decaying quickly after harvest. The Goji can be dried and transported, something the acai berry is not capable of.

Although both berries have their differences, they also have their similarities and own unique structure that make each a great option for anyone looking for a superfood that is both beneficial and tasty. Overall, however, the Goji berry must be given recognition as the best choice in a face off between it and the Acai berry.

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