Acai Health

These are two’headline’ Superfoods that have come out of South America in recent times. Acai berrieshave been quite a sensation, in all senses of the word, with a huge number of health supplements now proclaiming to tap into the health benefits of the berry. But the Maqui berry has made quite a splash itself lately– and recent studies  strongly suggests health benefits that can more than hold their own vs the Acai.

So the question to ask is– which is better?

Maqui Berry vs Acai Berry

It is vital that you make sure that your mind is working when comparing these two berries. Both make strong health claims, most of which have been checked by scientific studies. But there has been very little research studies of side by side results so we are only able to make an educated guess in comparisons.

Because of this lack of scientific comparison it is important that we only deal in facts– facts that have been researched and authenticated by the larger scientific community. It is these results( not the unsubstantiated claims) that we shall be comparing.

ORAC Scoring

The Acai berry and the Maqui berry can bothboast large amounts of antioxidants. The normal way to measure the antioxidant level of foods is by using the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) score. In this case the higher the ORAC score the more antioxidant the food has.

The ORAC table

1. Maqui Berry 820
2. Acai 160-300
3. Blueberry 61
4. Raspberry 21
5. Grapes 14

This indicates that the amount of antioxidant in Maqui exceed those in the Acai berry. This is important when it comes to health benefits.

This is because having a high level of antioxidants is one of the basic factors  making up a ‘superfood’. Most of the health claims that the two berries make as to boosting health levels come from the amounts of antioxidants that they are both able to show off. Antioxidants are cardinal to our health in several important ways.

• They help fight cancer.
• They have anti-ageing capabilities.
• They build-up the bodys’s immune system.
• Enhance our energy levels.

and much more as well. As the Maqui has somewhere in the region of 3 to 4 times the amounts of antioxidants of the Acai it means that it can boast more powerful benefits with regards it’s position as a health supplement.

Nutritional Benefits

There are extremely high levels of vitamins and nutrients in both the Acai and the Maqui berries. However there is not any simple umbrella scoring method to count such factors (unfortunately) as there is with the antioxidants.

What has become noted is that the far greater amount of nutrients and vitamins in the Acai than in the Maqui indicates that it is more ‘powerful’ in this aspects of being a health product.

This points to

• The Acai gives more direct energy (though indirect energy from antioxidants also happens)
• Poor diets, or restricted diets, are boosted significantly by the Acai
• Growing your body (such as building muscle) is easier with the enhanced nutritional properties of the Acai.

One unique aspect of the Acai is that is contains Omega 3.  Omega 3 is vital for our health but is only found in fish and nuts – and the Acai berry.

Which Berry is Best?

With that indepth look which of the two berries is the best when it comes to our health?

The answer is very subjective as it is entirely based around what you want your health supplement to be doing.  The Maqui berry could be said to be more powerful if you are able to get all your vitamins and nutrients from other sources as the health boost from the far higher antioxidant levels is significant.

However if you want a health supplement that is able to deliver everything, antioxidant benefits and nutritional/vitamin boosts then you are best of looking at the Acai berry.

So what it eventually comes down to is your own preferences and lifestyle.  Both berries work as a health supplement, but can give you different results.

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