Carl Cruz asked:

Do you remember Beta Carotene? In the 1980’s, no one but doctors and nutritionists had ever heard that beta carotene even existed, until one day when some technician found that the high BC content in carrots does a lot of good for heart patients.

So in 1992 a major study (18,000 people) was done on the Antioxidant properties of beta carotene by giving it in pill form to cancer patients. It failed miserably.

Researchers are still scratching their heads over why it was such an utter failure, even though beta carotene is a form of Antioxidant.

Vitamin E has a similar story. It too is an Antioxidant; in fact it is the one that the ORAC scale is based upon. Unlike the solid beta carotene pill incident, Vitamin E is in liquid form, so it’s getting fully digested for sure, yet its effects as an antioxidant are pretty nominal.

Aside: It’s a pretty shocking story too… Two large studies involving more than 127,000 people in total were run in 1990 after Vitamin E was found to help Heart patients. Because of this, by the year 2000 an estimated 23 million US citizens were taking Vitamin E daily… But in recent years 7 more such studies have been found to show little or no improvement at all!

Anyway, let me lay down one other scenario, a more modern one. You’ve probably heard the French paradox, but if not, here’s a recap:

French people’s diet is the only one higher in saturated fats and cholesterol than the diet of Americans. It’s been well proven. However, with that diet, you might expect for the French to have a higher incident rate of Heart Disease than Americans, but they clearly do not.

Researchers believe that this paradox is caused by the very high amounts of Anthocyanins in red wine, which the French consume way more than the average amount of daily. Anthocyanins, of course, are one of the most potent Antioxidants.

So, what do you think will happen if they pack a pill full of Anthocyanins?

I’d be willing to bet the exact same thing would happen that happened with beta carotene and vitamin E… Nada.

These examples are hard evidence that Antioxidants must come in natural form in order to be effective free-radical scavengers. It makes perfect sense to me… What is free-radical scavenging but something acting alive and moving around? If you stop that thing cold in its tracks, like say, compressing it into a cold, lifeless pill, then how is that going to preserve the scavenging property?

So, my overall point here today is to get your Antioxidants from a fibrous form, such as berries or berry pulp. Don’t let it get encapsulated or worse yet, made into a solid pill.

Eating the berries off the tree is the best way to get those free scavengers rampaging of course, but since everyone outside of Amazonia doesn’t have that option, your next best bet is to find it processed with consideration for preserving the fiber. Frozen pulp may be the best way to do that, but it really depends on the processing technique.

As for freeze dried Acai, I don’t claim to have all the answers. It seems like that would stop the scavenging dead in its tracks, but then again, freeze-dried Acai has the highest ORAC rating… And specifically with MonaVie, their patented process also includes re-mixing their freeze-dried Acai with fresh pulp… So perhaps that gets both the high ORAC rating and the still-moving scavengers both inside at once. And who knows? Maybe the ones still moving can reanimate the frozen ones!

Try out a free bottle of Acai

Richard van Beek asked:

Medical science is actually telling us to eat dark chocolate for heart health.  How is this possible?  Up until now, we’ve always thought chocolate was bad for us!

It turns out that dark chocolate made from unprocessed cocoa, contains high amounts of flavonoids and phytochemicals.  These are antioxidants found in nutritious foods like raisins, prunes, acai berries, and blueberries.  Cocoa has from its origin an incredible high amount of these antioxidants and science has found a way by cold pressing the cocoa. And that’s responsible for the benefits of dark chocolate for heart health.

It’s not just hype by the chocolate manufacturers.  Here are the results of just four scientific, placebo-controlled studies recently conducted by medical doctors and universities all over the world, to prove that we can eat dark chocolate for heart health without any guilt.

A study by the American College of Cardiology found that blood flow increased significantly in individuals who consumed cocoa for six weeks.  They concluded that more studies need to be done to determine how much cocoa makes a difference.  This is only one study that supports the idea that it’s okay to eat dark chocolate for heart health.

In another study, forty-five borderline obese but otherwise healthy adults were given either cocoa or a placebo.  Doctors measured their blood pressure both before and after, and found that those who ate the dark chocolate had better blood pressure.  The benefits of dark chocolate for heart health are immediate.

The Journal of the American Medical Association has said that eating a reasonable amount of dark chocolate can lower your blood pressure enough to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by up to eight percent.  When you add dark chocolate for heart health to all the other things you do, like getting enough exercise and eating a careful diet, it makes a difference.

A study conducted at the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, looked at men and women with mildly elevated blood pressure.  At the end of the study, those who consumed a small amount of healthy dark chocolate every day had lower blood pressure readings.  Those who consumed white chocolate showed no change.

If you’re pregnant or know someone who is, keep in mind that blood pressure rises during pregnancy.  A little piece of dark chocolate during pregnancy is a good thing, because it can help regulate blood pressure.

Drinking cocoa had the same effect as eating it, opening up a whole world of possibilities.  You can get your healthy cocoa in many ways, dark chocolate for heart health is available in drinks, snacks and chunk form.

Dark chocolate for heart health has just one of the many health benefits and perhaps some that we aren’t aware of at this time.  The brand and reputation continues to grow with the scientific researches done nowadays.  Helping friends and family better their health and improve their way of life can be achieved by eating dark chocolate for heart health.

Try out a free bottle of Acai

Ron Richardson asked:


According to data from the USDA, the Acai berries ORAC value (antioxidant capabilities) is 200-750% higher then any other fruit or vegetable. Science has linked Free Radicals as forces to such diseases as, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, aging, and many more.

“Don’t underestimate the threat free radicals pose to our health. Scientists now believe that free radicals are casual factors in nearly every known disease, from heart disease to arthritis to cancer to cataracts. In fact, free radicals are a major culprit in the aging process itself. By controlling freeradicals, anti-oxidants can make the difference between life and death, as well as influence how fast and how well we age”

A quote from Lester Packer, Head of Packer Laboratory -Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology from, The University of Calf. at Berkeley.

So the evidence of what free radicals can do is now a fact, proven by modern science. Also proven is the fact that antioxidants are the solution to controlling and eliminating them, and preventing the damage they do to our bodies.

What are free radicals and healthy cells

Cells are made up of many atoms. When these atoms are healthy, they make an exact copy of themselves to keep the body healthy. What makes a healthy atom is the fact they have paired (2) electrons. Free radicals are atoms that only have one (1) electron. They go around stealing electrons from healthy cells, thus destroying and damaging them. When these damaged cells replicate, they make an exact copy of an un-healthy cell, thus leading to disease and premature aging.

Why not all supplements are created equal

Just because you take a supplement, does not mean that you will receive all the benefits of that supplement. Because the Acai berry can start to lose its potency within 24 hours of harvest, it needs to be processed in some way, immediately.

The freeze dried process is one of the most effective ways to capture all the qualities and potency. When this method is used properly, your cells receive all the nutritional benefits of the Acai berry. This can have a dramatic and positive effect on your body. If not done correctly, you are missing out on the health benefits, as well as wasting you hard earned money.

Whatever natural supplement you choose, be sure that it is easily absorbed by your body. Some supplements, in a pill or capsule form, can travel through the entire digestive system, and still be undissolved when the reach the colon. If they reach the colon in the undissolved state, your body can no longer realize the benefits, they are wasted along with your money. Be sure they are easily absorbed, and in the correct quantities for your body.

Through modern science, we know that almost all known diseases and ailments are a direct result of what we are feeding, or not feeding are bodies. Don’t under estimate the importance of natural health supplements have in repairing and maintaining our cells for a healthier you!



Acai Perricone Diet