I’m always eager to try new things, especially when those things offer to slow the physical effects of aging. It was with some anticipation, then, that I opened my first bottle of acai juice after seeing it praised so highly by Oprah and in the New York Times. Such high praise isn’t usually without warrant, I thought.

From my first taste I knew that the acai juice I held in my hand was good stuff. Not only does it taste healthy, it smells gorgeous, too. Even if the promised health benefits weren’t so great, I would probably carry on drinking it just for the taste.

I am told that the acai berry juice I am drinking now — even as I type — comes from berries that are harvested in the Amazon basin in Brazil. The people that harvest the crop for my acai berry juice actually eat a lot of these little berries: reports state that it makes up 42% of their diet by weight.

I looked up some of the reasons why acai berry juice is so good for you and while I was confused at first, I found some helpful information out there. I now know that acai provides some of the amino acids and anti oxidants that the body needs — and that sounds good enough for me.

Here’s some information I found about acai berry juice:

Controlling your weight with the acai diet

Acai berries contain high levels of amino acids, phytosterols, fiber and fatty acids, which can improve how efficiently a body burns fat. An acai diet can considerably aid in a person’s attempts to lose weight and stay looking trim.

Antioxidants

It all sounds too good to be true when you first see these small, black fruits, but acai berries contain more antioxidants than any other fruit – three times as much as blueberries, which fall into second place. Antioxidants play a vital role in slowing the aging process by protecting cells and organs from harmful free radicals. Not only will an acai diet help you look spring fresh, you’ll feel better too.

There are many benefits to adding acai berries to your diet. Acai berries are an extremely powerful antioxidant, they have high levels of fiber and they contain several important minerals. Acai berries also help:

• Boost energy levels
• Improve digestive function
• Provide many important vitamins
• Minimize inflammation
• Cleanse and detoxifies the body
• Strengthen the immune system
• Fight cancerous cells
• Maintain healthy heart function
• Prevent atherosclerosis
• Promote healthier and younger-looking skin
• Help alleviate diabetes
• Slow down the aging process
• Improve circulation
• Improve mental clarity/focus
• Enhance sexual desire and performance
• Normalize and regulates cholesterol levels
• Promote sound sleep
• Enhance visual acuity

Fatty acids

While you may think that all fats are bad for you, they aren’t. Our bodies need some fats to keep us healthy. Fatty acids such Omega-3 and Omega-6 are essential to improve metabolism and also to stop us feeling hungry. Acai berries contain large amounts of fatty acids, which can go a long way towards helping a person to lose weight. Our bodies cannot produce Omega-3 and Omega-6 without food, so acai berries are doing a vital job.

Fiber

Fiber is a vital part of a person’s diet because it helps to move food through the body’s digetive track. Without an efficient process, the food would be absorbed and turned into fat cells. Acai berries contain high levels of fiber, which stops a buildup of fat cells and also helps keep hunger at bay.

Amino acids

You may be wondering what amino acids are and how they can help you. Amino acids are basically the building blocks of protein. Muscles have to have amino acids to function properly and to regenerate after vigorous exercise. Amino acids help your body to build muscle mass, which, combined with burning fat better, is a key reason to look at the acai diet. Acai berries contain high levels of amino acids, all of which helps weight loss.

Phytosterols

Phytosterols are the building blocks of cell membranes. They aid your digestive tract by moving out waste materials and more efficiently absorbing essential nutrients. Acai berries are, of course, high in phytosterols.

Disease-fighting qualities

A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed that acai-berry extracts killed off 86% of leukaemia in a test:

“Acai berries are already considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants,” said Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “This study was an important step toward learning what people may gain from using beverages, dietary supplements or other products made with the berries.”

Why go for acai berries?

Acai berries contain high levels of antioxidants, which have never been more essential. We live in an age of phytoestrogens, chemicals, pesticides, and other harmful environmental toxins. Lots of people are acai converts because the berries aid weight loss, while other people are just happy for the increased energy levels. The disease-fighting qualities of acai berries are also an important factor to consider. There are lots of reasons why you might become a fan of the acai diet. Outside of Brazil, the two most common forms of acai-berry products are:

Acai supplements

The easiest and most convenient way to get your hands on acai berries is by taking acai supplements. Some dodgy dealers push bad products, however. It’s best to stay away from anyone offering free trials that ask you to just pay for shipping, only to charge the buyer an extortionate amount of money. They do these by no disclosing the fact that the buyer signed up for a subscription. The sellers then conveniently make themselves impossible to contact.

However, not everything offering acai supplement is out to steal your money. The best supplement on the market at the moment is Acai Pure, a 100% acai-berry product that contains only the good stuff – and nothing else. Acai Pure is made form high-grade acai powder and is America’s best selling antioxidant cleansing formula. Polls consistently put Acai Pure in the top three acai-berry products on the market.

Acai juice and drinks

Acai-juice products are available in many places. You can probably find them in your local health-food store. However, while this may be convenient, it’s important to know that acai-juice products are often not all they’re cracked up to be. They usually contain high levels of sugar or are diluted with the juice of another fuit. The health benefits are therefore greatly reduced. One of the only products that isn’t diluted is Amazon Thunder.

You can tell Amazon Thunder isn’t diluted because when you pour it out of the bottle, it’s thick like ketchup –- more of a paste thank a juice. Amazon Thunder contains nothing but mashed acai berries. This is the best way to get the full benefit of acai berries in the form of a drink. No other product comes close.

Give it a try

Acai berries are the world’s newest superfood and the benefits of an acai diet are many. Don’t believe the hype – try acai berry products for yourself and you’ll be an addict in no time.