Açaí Berry

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of Açaí berry has taken the nutrition world by storm! With ten times the antioxidant power of grapes, four times the antioxidant protection of red raspberries, and twice the antioxidants of blueberries, the Brazilian Açaí berry is considered to have the best nutritional value of any fruit on earth!

The health benefits of Açaí are astounding. With the symmetry of a grape and the size of a giant blueberry, the Açaí fruit tastes a bit like wild raspberry with a hint of grape. Most people have trouble putting their finger on the taste because it's so different.

The Açaí is a treasure, a one of a kind plant found in the 1.2 billion acre tropical rainforests of the Amazon jungle. This area of the earth houses the largest collection of living plant and animal species in the world, many of which exist nowhere else on earth. The Açaí palm is a tall slender South American (concentrated in Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname) palm, grown for its fruit as well as for the "cabbage" (the cluster of new leaves more commonly called the "heart of palm").

Açaí berries grow on an Amazon Palm and have been highly touted for hundreds of years by Brazilian natives for their ability to provide a sense of strength, energy, and a high nutritional content. Açaí berries are extremely high in essential fatty acids and omega oils 3, 6, & 9. This unique ratio resembles the same combination of olive oil.

60% Oleic (Omega 9) — a monounsaturated essential (fatty acid which helps to lower LDL (harmful cholesterol), while 12% Linoleic (omega 6) — a polyunsaturated essential fatty acid which has also been found to lower LDL while maintaining HDL.

Açaí also contains many valuable Phytosterols. Sterols are compounds of plant cell membranes providing numerous benefits to the Human body, namely the reduction of blood plasma cholesterol. The Açaí berry is considered to have the best nutritional value of any fruit on earth and is currently thought to be #1 among the elite group of top antioxidant foods.

The Açaí berry is a prime source of a particular class of antioxidant flavonoids called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins produce a high ORAC value (the measure of its antioxidant properties), higher, in fact, than any other edible berry on the planet.

The following properties are considered by health experts to possibly be the most significant:

1. Large and Small Blood-Vessels: Anthocyanins ability to neutralize free radicals and prevent oxidation of cells makes them a powerhouse in the fight against arteriosclerosis. Even in trace amounts, anthocyanins effectively protect against LDL oxidation. Anthocyanins protect the integrity of the endothelial cells that line blood vessel walls and help to maintain micro-capillary integrity. The protection of anthocyanins may help prevent capillaries from leaking which is considered a main cause of diabetic retinopathy, which in most cases can cause blindness.

2. Eyesight: Anthocyanins may help improve eyesight by numerous mechanisms. For example, in the Second World War, British fighter pilots who consumed bilberry were found to have improved night vision. Taking advantage of this knowledge, the pilots would consume the bilberry fruits just prior to the mission. However, the effect of the improved night vision was only temporary because of the small quantity of anthocyanins present.

3. Inflammation and Collagen: Anthocyanins neutralize specific harmful enzymes that destroy connective tissue. Their antioxidant capacity also prevents oxidants from damaging connective tissues and facilitates the repair of damaged blood-vessel walls.

4. The Nervous System: The anthocyanin properties in açaí may help protect against neurological diseases. The primary anthocyanins in açaí known as Cyanidin-3-glucoside have been found to help in the reversal of age related neurological deficits.

5. The remarkable concentration of anti-oxidants helps combat premature aging.

6. The juice is an excellent source of dietary fiber.

7. A recent study from the University of Florida, dated January 12 , ----, states that extracts from Açaí berries triggered "a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested." This was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, according to Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor with UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. He further states, "This study was an important step toward learning what people may gain from using beverages, dietary supplements or other products made with the berries."

While Talcott cautioned that the study, funded by UF sources, was not intended to show whether compounds found in açaí berries could prevent leukemia in people, another UF study, slated to conclude in 2006, will investigate the effects of açaí's antioxidants on healthy human subjects. The study will determine how well the compounds are absorbed into the blood, and how they may affect blood pressure, cholesterol levels and related health indicators.

Goji Berry

The Himalayas are the highest mountain range on Earth. Covered in snow and ice at its higher elevations, its lower elevations draped with gorgeous, unspoiled rainforests and lush valleys. It’s here that the Himalayan goji plant (Lycium barbarum L.) grows. The ecosystems of the Himalayas are incredibly rich and diverse, unspoiled and containing abundant life-giving minerals, that the goji plants concentrate in their nutrient-dense berries — causing such a stir in the natural health community.

At the higher elevations all plants naturally concentrate more nutrients to better absorb the energy from the powerful rays of the sun. When you eat the goji berry or drink the juice, that energy is transferred to your body. Goji is considered to be one of the world’s most nutritionally dense foods.

Goji contains these unique properties and phytonutrient compounds:

1. Polysaccharides that are of great importance to the smooth functioning of virtually every cell in the body. They are the carriers of the instructions that cells use to communicate with one another.

2. Nineteen amino acids, including all eight essential amino acids (such as isoleucine and tryptophan) which are indispensable to the function of the human body. Fifty percent of Kycium’s amino acids are free amino acids, and are extremely bioabsorbable.

3. More protein than whole wheat. A total of 13 percent protein.

4. B-complex vitamins, needed for the transformation of food into energy.

5. A broad spectrum of antioxidant nutrients. This includes flavonoids, zeaxanthin (an eye protectant) and beta-carotene (in higher concentrations than in carrots. Lycium has the

highest content of beta-carotene among all foods on earth).

6. A higher concentration of vitamin C than oranges (according to herbalist Ingrid Naiman, 500 times more per ounce).

7. Contains substantial amounts of vitamin E.

8. Beta-sitosterol, a substance that decreases inflammation and has been successfully used to alleviate sexual impotence. It has also been found to alleviate the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, prostate enlargement). This might explain why goji juice has been reported to help improve urine flow and help BPH patients sleep longer without having to get up to urinate.

9. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) for the production of hormones, regulation of inflammation, and for proper nervous system function.

10. A sesquiterpene called cyperone, which has been found to benefit heart health, lower blood pressure, alleviate menstrual discomfort, and also a promising natural therapy for cervical cancer.

11. A powerful anti-fungal and anti-bacterial compound called solavetivone.

12. A natural compound called physalin that increases natural killer cell activity in both normal and tumor-bearing mice. It has been shown to be active against leukemia and to have broad-spectrum anti-cancer effects. Physalin is also being tested as a therapy for hepatitis B.

13. Betaine, which is used by the liver to produce choline, a substance that, when taken in supplemental form, calms nervousness, enhances memory, promotes muscle growth, and protects the liver against fatty accumulation. Along with other B vitamins, betaine helps to reduce levels of the (harmful to the heart when in excess) amino acid, homocysteine.

14. Twenty-one trace minerals, including germanium (vitamin O), an anti-cancer mineral very rarely found in foods. Germanium can help to eliminate or neutralize toxic substances, including heavy metals and free radicals, both of which are strongly implicated in causing age-related and chronic diseases. It has been studied for its radioprotective (radiation protection) and immunoenhancement (immune system building) properties, and even shows promise as an anti-arthritic supplement.

Several studies have been performed to evaluate the effects of germanium on the development of artery plaque (atherosclerosis) that lead to heart attack and stroke. Germanium has been found to prevent liver injury inflicted by excess oxidation.

Everyday exposure to toxins and poor diet can lead to the overproduction of free radicals in the liver. In one study, cancer patients on chemotherapy were given goji berries as part of their everyday diet. The berries’ selenium and germanium content significantly reduced chemotherapy induced free radical damage to their livers.

Goji Reasearch

1. In vitro studies show that goji berries kill many kinds of cancer cells, probably by inhibiting their ability to divide and produce more cancer cells.

2. One study found that cancer patients who ate goji berries had 58 percent slowing of tumor growth compared to controls.

3. A study from the Hubei Medical University in China showed that a purified component of goji polysaccharides dramatically enhanced the ability of mice to swim for long periods and to increase the amount of exercise they could do.

4. Molecules from goji berries were found to inhibit the oxidation of “bad” LDL cholesterol in a study by another group of Chinese researchers. LDL oxidation is believed to be one of the primary factors in artery damage that leads to heart disease.

Mangosteen

Benefits of the Mangosteen Fruit (Garcinia Mangostana)

With the accumulated knowledge of ancient Asian medicine, which was passed on to European explorers and settlers, it’s no wonder that so much modern research has been conducted on the Mangosteen and its beneficial properties. An enormous amount of modern study and research has been channeled toward unlocking the secrets of this remarkable fruit. In fact, scientists have actually identified the major compounds found in the Mangosteen that are responsible for its healthful characteristics. These days, everybody knows about free radicals and antioxidants. Free radicals attack the cells in our bodies every second of every day, and antioxidants work to the repair the damage. Much has been made of the extensive antioxidant properties of vitamins, especially Vitamin C and Vitamin E. But did you know that there exists an antioxidant that is even more powerful than any vitamin? This powerful, life-enhancing substance is called Xanthone. In fact, there is a whole family of Xanthones, and the most dynamic of these are found in the amazing whole fruit Mangosteen. While most people know about the antioxidant benefits of Vitamins C and E, far fewer are aware of the incredibly potent antioxidant power of Xanthones. Xanthones are natural chemical substances that have recently won high praise from numerous scientists and researchers. Xanthones have been studied for their medicinal potential, since they demonstrate a number of pharmaceutical properties.

The Research on Xanthones:

Xanthones have been the subject of intense research for several decades. They are found in a select number of rain forest plants, but nowhere are they found in more abundance that in the pericarp or rind, of the Mangosteen fruit. This smooth, purple covering that was ground with ancient mortars and used to heal infection turns out to be the mother lode of beneficial Xanthones. The two most beneficial Xanthones found in the Mangosteen have been named Alpha Mangostin and Gamma Mangostin. When isolated and thoroughly tested by researchers, these two Xanthones have been found to carry a host of benefits. According to professional journals such as Free Radical Research, Journal of Pharmacology, and the Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, these Xanthones have a remarkable effect on cardiovascular health; are naturally antibiotic, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory; and are some of the most powerful antioxidants to be found in nature.

Research laboratories around the world have now been helping us understand how the Mangosteen fruit works. Modern science is just catching up with what centuries of herbal doctors have already known. For more information go to www.pubmed.com and search for "Xanthones" or "Garcinia Mangostana".

Mangosteen Nutritional Facts:

Mangosteen is a small and very slow-growing tropical evergreen tree. The height of the tree attains 20 to 82 feet. The length of its leaves is up to 10 inches. The width of its flowers is 1 ½ to 2 inches. And maybe male or hermaphrodite is on the same tree.

Mangosteen is native to South East Asia and requires a year round, warm, very humid, equatorial climate. In spite that many people have tried to plant Mangosteen in other places, such as California, Florida, or special greenhouses somewhere outside South East Asia, the outcome turns out to be not succeeded due to the different living conditions. The tree only can grow well in tropical areas and requires abundant moisture. Thailand or Burma is the original place people found Mangosteen.