Açai Berries and Their Health Benefits

Acai berries are berries that grow on palm trees in the rainforests of South America, including Brazil. They have received a lot of attention due to their potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and polyphenol effects, higher than most other berries. 

They are rich in fatty acids, especially palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acid. The polyphenols in acai berries include anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins. Acai berries are available in freeze-dried form as intact berries, powder, and capsules. 

They have many benefits ranging from risk reduction for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease to heart attack to cancer, but conclusive findings in humans are lacking. 

There are some promising findings in laboratory animal studies, however.Heart attack, or occlusion of one or more coronary arteries causing death of cells in the myocardium (heart muscle), is a major cause of death. In a rat model of coronary occlusion and cardiac injury, administration of acai has been shown to reduce biomarkers of myocardial cell death as well as inflammation and oxidative injury. In mice with diabetic-induce nerve disease, acai reduces cognitive impairment likely due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. 

Acai is effective in both mouse and rat models of wound healing, GI ulcers, and colon cancer, also likely due to its anti-inflammatory effects.

Acai holds promise in humans by virtue of its effects such as antioxidant, vasodilator, antihypertensive, cardio-protector, renal protector, anti-dyslipidemic, anti-obesity, and antidiabetic effects in cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. 

Acai berries are very safe – they have no known adverse effects. Just as with resveratrol and other promising naturally occurring molecules containing polyphenols and having anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects, definitive studies in humans have not yet been completed. Accordingly, we must decide whether to implement the rationale implicit in the phrase, “It won’t hurt and may help” with regard to deciding whether to add this remarkable fruit product to our supplement arsenal.

Note: Although I am a physician, the content in this article is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent illness or disease in the reader – it is for educational purposes only.

References

• Impellizzeri D, Cordaro M, Siracusa R, et al. Myocardial targets for anti-oxidatove protection of acai berry against diabetes myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Free Radic Res. 2023 May;57(5):339-352.
• Impellizzeri D, Siracusa R, D’Amico R, et al. R. Açaí berry ameliorates cognitive impairment by inhibiting NLRP3/ASC/CASP axis in STZ-induced diabetic neuropathy in mice. J Neurophysiol. 2023 09 01;130(3):671-683.
• de Moura RS, Resende ÂC. Cardiovascular and Metabolic Effects of Açaí, an Amazon Plant. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2016 Jul;68(1):19-26.