Brain Boost With Acai Berry

 

Oxidative stress and inflammation are huge factors in brain aging. Scientific studies have shown that berries are valuable in protecting the brain from these two factors. Research also shows that a diet that includes an intake of food that is high in anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory agents such as found in berries may help reduce the risk of developing age-related neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Nutrition-Filled Berries

Aside from being nourishing, berries are also unusually beneficial for your brain. All berries such as blueberries, cranberries, boysenberries, purple grapes, raspberries, strawberries, goji berries and even the acai berry, all contribute to your brain’s health in certain ways. All berries are high in antioxidants, but acai berry contains more antioxidants than most. Berries contain a high amount of a very strong flavodoid called anthocyanins which is a deep, dark pigment that lends the berries their luminous colors.

Proving that the berries are beneficial for memory improvement, scientific studies involving rats showed that the animals given acai berry extracts were able to perform significantly better in maze tests than those of the control group.

In another study, it was established that  motor functions such as balance, coordination and memory were exceedingly improved in rats given an sum of acai berry supplementation that is equivalent to one cup each day for two months in human consumption. It also showed that these berries can indeed help in reversing motor behavior deficiencies.

Berries can also help decrease inflammatory markers in the bloodstream as well as boost the good cholesterol or HDL. They thin the blood in such a manner that is similar to aspirin. Berries are good not just for your brain but also for your cardiovascular and circulatory systems. The acai berry is one of the most nutritious berries as it outranks all the other types of berries when it comes to antioxidant content.

The acai berry’s outstanding advantages can be enjoyed in different forms such as juiced, powdered, smoothie mixes as well as extracts. The acai berry is also available now in pill form.Including nutritious berries to your daily food intake can prevent many of the age-related problems such as dementia and Alzherimer’s.

Other berries that are especially healthful but are more common than acai berries include blueberries, cranberries and blackberries. When these types of berries are in season, they can be found in almost any supermarkets produce section or are also frozen to be available the whole year round. Frozen is just as nourishing as fresh as the freezing process locks in the nutrients in the fruit.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • MySpace

How Do Antioxidants Work For Better Health?

Antioxidants are generally substances that counteract the normal negative effect of cell damage due to oxidation. These naturally occurring substances are found in fruits, vegetables and meats. When consumed, antioxidants are capable of bettering health and bodily well being, but how do antioxidants work for better health in the body?

The Build Up of Free Radicals

As the body ages, the cells collects free radicals which cause damage to the cell structure and genetic makeup. These free radicals, while a natural part of life, tend to build in larger amounts when outside and inside forces are lacking in axntioxidants. Activities such as smoking, strenuous exercise, x-rays, alcohol and sunlight all help in the formation of free radicals. As more and more of these free radicals build up in the human body, health tends to suffer. Now, on to the question of how do antioxidants work?

Antioxidants in Action

In examining the question, how do antioxidants work, we must understand the effects of these free radicals on the body. As the build up of free radicals gains momentum, the cell structure of the body tends to lag. This lag has been thought to cause several hardships on the body such as cancer, heart disease and memory loss. Without the helpful nature of antioxidants, the free radicals will reach levels higher than humanly healthy and, in turn, leave the health of the human body impaired.

While the definite nature of the effect of antioxidants on the body has yet to be determined, it is known that with the right amounts of natural antioxidants, the cell damage caused by these free radicals tends to lessen and eventually repair itself. The two methods that answer how do antioxidants work are termed chain-breaking and preventative.

Chain-breaking, generally speaking, is when an antioxidant breaks the chain of the free radicals. Free radicals tend to steal a small part of a cell and then multiply over and over again. Antioxidants break this chain by stepping in and stopping this reproduction process.

Antioxidants are also helpful in the preventative side of the free radical process. If the right antioxidants are introduced into the body before the chain multiplying occurs, they will be able to render the process oxygen less. This mean the chain of free radical formation will never begin.

For those who have heard about the positive effects of antioxidants and always wondered how do antioxidants work, the process is more simple than it may seem. Antioxidants stop the replication process of free radicals and help to prevent the replication process from ever beginning.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • MySpace