Plant Sterols - the Secret for the Heart Health Benefits of the Acai Berries
Posted on 06. Apr, 2009 by admin in Acai Berry Diet
Steve Gerencser asked:
The acai berries contain a chemical class known as plant sterols in abundance. Plant sterols, or phytosterols, have long been known to improve the cardiac health in humans apart from several other benefits. People who subsist on a diet of plant foods that are rich in sterols are known to have a better heart longevity than other people and they are also better protected from other cardiovascular problems such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease and the risk of seizures. In fact, the benefits of plant sterols are so prominently accepted in today’s health-conscious world that manufacturers of several food products are actually going ahead and fortifying their foods with both natural and synthetic plant sterols. However, the benefits that these products contain are always of a very dubious nature.
This is where acai berries score greatly. These berries are renowned for several health benefits, but one of the most important benefits that they carry is the presence of a high concentration of plant sterols. There are various sterol compounds presently, but it is most important to speak about beta-sitosterol, which occupies up to 70 to 90% of the total sterol content in the acai berries. Beta-sitosterol is a compound that is chemically quite similar to cholesterol (which is also a sterol, by the way), but it has a very peculiar action on cholesterol. It can act with the cholesterol that is present in the blood and reduce its density. Thus, beta-sitosterol works in the metabolism of cholesterol in the body so that it does not tend to accumulate.
Cholesterol is the main culprit behind most of the heart diseases prevalent in the human race. It can accumulate in the lumens (bores) of the arteries and thus reduce the flow of blood in them. If the cholesterol accumulates in the coronary artery (the artery leading to the heart), it can reduce the blood flow to the heart, which will result in impaired heart function. In time, the excess pressure on the heart can give rise to diseases and even risks of heart seizure. If the accumulation is built into any other artery of the body, then it can give rise to high blood pressure, which again is a very dangerous condition. With the help of the plant sterols present in it, acai berries ensure that a person having their diet can lead a healthier life with benefits to cardiac health.
Acai berries have been hailed for several benefits in recent times, but the most important benefit seems to be their effectiveness in reducing harmful cholesterol from the body. This is in light of the fact that the greatest share in world mortality today is of heart-related problems. It is conjectured that if all people of the world were to go on an acai berry diet, then the human mortality would drastically come down. Also, the fact that the acai berries can act at reversing some of the aging symptoms and make the person ‘feel’ younger and not just ‘look’ younger, these berries are being looked upon a potential source for a healthy heart and a prolonged life.