Acai Berry: Can It Fight Cancer, Oprah Asks?

A recent study shows that the acai berry fruit can help fight cancer. This little purple berry (about the size of a grape) contains a powerful antioxidant which is causing it to become an internationally popular super food. It's been known as a fruit of healing for hundreds of years by the native people of the Amazon and is now gaining popularity as a strong fighter against free-radicals.

The acai berry grows in floodplain areas of the Amazon River on palm trees. One could mistake them for blueberries or grapes and yet they contain copious amounts of antioxidants just like them. A natural medicine against free-radicals, acai berries can help strengthen the body's cells and promote weight-loss, strengthening the immune system, anti-aging, and bodily energy. Free-radicals are known to be a cause of many diseases like arthritis, Alzheimer's and Cancer. A food's ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity score) is its antioxidant power and acai berries ranks as one of the highest with a score of 167 while other fruits are much lower, such as blueberries (32) and apples (14). Increasing one's intake of antioxidants is essential to the body's resistance to free-radical induced diseases.

The University of Florida has found that the acai berry caused some human cancer cells to fall apart 86% of the time in a culture, a recent study showed. The University is now looking into finding positive results in benefiting high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. While the acai berry hasn't been proven to cure cancer yet, it is definitely proving to be extremely helpful in preventative medicine, not to mention tasting great!