Foods That Help Fight Cancer

In a first to investigate the acai berry, the University of Florida found in a recent study that the fruit contained enough antioxidants to destroy human cancer cells.

The results showed that the acai berry destroyed leukemia cells 86 percent of the time where it triggered a self-destruct response according to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry where the information was initially published.

There is a rich source of antioxidants found in the acai berry and antioxidants are important in fight off harmful toxins that lead to cancer. The research showed that having some sort of acai berry extract added to the daily diet can do wonders for the human body.

The study also noted that it is not intended to show that leukemic can be cured in humans with the the acai berry elements.

This study was never intended to raise any false hopes that the acai berry is a cure for leukemia. The results are still very positive however. The human body has shown promising results with compounds that have been tested under the cell-culture model.

Other fruits have proven similar results in killing cancer cells like mangoes, grapes and guavas. Scientist are still unsure what role antioxidants play in fighting cancer cells as there are other factors that come into play as well.

Acai berry must be consumed shortly after they are picked which is why so little is known about them. The process of being able to maintain the valuable qualities is so new that very little research has ever been done on this fruit.

The Euterpe oleracea is the palm tree that produces the acai berry, and are commonly found along the flood plains of the amazon river. The color of the berry is a dark purple and the size of a blue berry. There is a large seed that is surrounded by an edible pulp encased in a thin layer.

The indigenous people of the amazon have used the acai berry to treat symptoms ranging from digestive disorders to skin conditions. The acai berry has also been proven recently to help loose weight and gain energy.