Why Are Acai Berries The Most Heart Friendly Fruit?
It is known that poor diet promotes heart disease, and is it also known that a health diet can help reduce heart risk,even if you have inherent risk factors such as age, genetics and family history. However it is also known that lifestyle factors can be changed, and a heart friendly diet can be adopted. This not only protects against heart disease, but can also help prevent late-onset diabetes, cancer and obesity.
What is the most important thing? Eat fruit and vegetables, and lots of them, to replace saturated fat with unsaturated fats.
Many studies and research projects have shown that a diet rich in vegetables and fruit may help reduce disease and stroke by up to 25%! So why is that?
The predominant belief is that it is due to the abundance of antioxidants, which guard against heart disease by protecting the LDL, or bad cholesterol from oxidizing. This is what forms plaque in arteries causing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
Acai berries are naturally cholesterol free, due to the fact that cholesterol only comes from animal products. So what is so beneficial about reducing cholesterol? Well it’s linked directly with heart disease. Acai is not just cholesterol-free, but low in heart clogging saturated fat and high in the heart-friendly unsaturated fats ad fibre.
So what types of fat are in Acai? Three types of fats are found in food, which are Saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Poly and Mono unsaturated tend to be liquid at room temperature (vegetable oils).
Acai is relatively low in saturated fats, which tend to increase cholesterol and clog up arteries. Acai also containes unsaturated fats omega 3, 6 and 9, which reduce LDL-cholesterol levels (think they should be L = Low in the bloood) when they replace saturated fats in the diet.
What is acai rich in? Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which help maintain the good HDL-cholesterol levels (think they should be H = High) in the blood. Monounsaturated fats are less likely to oxidize, making them the heart friendly choice.
Remember that acai is also a great source of fibre. This helps lower cholesterol and maintain sugar levels in the body. The Acai berry’s synergy of monounsaturated (healthy) fats, dietary fibre, and antioxidants, help promote cardiovascular system and digestive tract health.