Raw Food Blog

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Anthocyanin Antioxidants in the Acai Berry

The antioxidant anthocyanin

Anthocyanins are plant pigments that provide fruits its vibrant colors. It also serves as a protection from the sun's ultraviolet rays which could trigger free radicals inside the fruit. They belong to a class of flavonoids making them potent antioxidants. Large quantities of anthocyanins can be found in dark colored fruits like blueberries and acai.
Among the many health benefits of ingesting anthocyanin are:

anti-cancer
anti-aging
anti-bacterial
anti-inflammatory

Eggplant, oranges, berries and even cabbage contain anthocyanin but in varying degrees. The more anthocyanin the fruit has, the more antioxidant benefit you can get from them

Acai berries

Acai berries are found in the Amazon rain forests and they are a good source of anthocyanins and hence antioxidants. Aside from antioxidants, the acai berry also contains many nutrients that our body can benefit well. See Acai Berry and Its Nutrient Value for a discussion on this topic.
The antioxidant properties of acai berry is best described in the article Acai Fruit - Super Antioxidant. Learn about the comparison of its antioxidant capacity compared to other fruits.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Xanthones Antioxidants in the Mangosteen Super Fruit

A lot of the so called super fruits has come to the attention of consumers because of their antioxidants and healthful nutrients. Manufacturers have sprung to fill in the growing market.

One of these super fruits, the mangosteen, has become popular because they contain xanthones. Xanthones are powerful antioxidants as researchers claim. Out of 200 known xanthones, 40 of these substance can be found in the mangosteen fruit - each one having different antioxidant properties. The pericarp or rind contain the highest concentrations.

According to the article A Look at Xanthones and Mangosteen

"Scientific research has made it abundantly clear that no other fruit compares in its health benefits to mangosteen, due to its xanthones and other nutritional properties."

Does the xanthones in mangosteen deliver the health benefits it claims? Here are some testimonials that says it does indeed offer many health benefits.

Researchers say that the darker the peel or rind of a fruit, the higher the antioxidants it contain. Mangosteen has a very dark colored rind, maybe it really does contain a lot of healthful antioxidants.

Antioxidants in Juices
Antioxidant Lycopene Can Treat Many Diseases

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