If you are looking for one of the best sources of rich antioxidants, it is quite obvious that the natural choice is fruits and vegetables.
Sources of Antioxidants
There are different sources of antioxidants including oranges, berries and much more. The list is long and it may not be possible to discuss about each one of them. However, we will spend a few lines talking about the major source of antioxidants that is nearly as good as acai berry.
Grapes
Grapes are considered to be a rich source of antioxidants and are rich in various vitamins like A, B, C and E. However, the concentration of antioxidants may not be as good as that of acai berry.
Blueberry
Blueberries for ages have been considered to be one of the riches sources of antioxidants. In fact if there are people suffering from Vitamin K deficiency, then they are often asked to eat generous quantities of blueberry or extracts of blue berries. Apart from the above, strawberries, goji berries, cranberries, bilberries, and a few others are also good sources of antioxidants.
These fruits including acai berry have been used not only for oral intake but also for giving a facelift to the skin. Hence, it is common to see the growing demand for acai mask for skin toning and also for anti-aging purposes.
Similarities Between Acai Berry and Blueberries
Both acai berry and blueberry belong to the berry family and this is perhaps the biggest similarity between the two. However, apart from this there are not much to choose as far as similarities are concerned. We are listing down the major differences between the two fruits so that the readers can take an informed and correct decision.
Blueberry Nutritional Information
- One cup of raw and fresh blueberries should provide around 84 calories.
- It does not have any fat content.
- Further, you also would be able to get 1 gram of protein and 21 grams of carbohydrates.
- The good thing about blueberry is that the carbohydrates consist of 15 grams of sugar and 4 grams of dietary fiber.
- It also is a rich source of important micronutrients and antioxidants.
- It provides a rich source of Vitamins E and C and you could get around 8 percent of vitamin C and 30 percent of vitamin E RDA with one cup-serving.
- It also could provide around 20 percent of RDA of manganese.
Acai Berry Nutritional Information
- On the other hand one cup of acai berries that is natural and exotic could provide you 125 calories of nutrition.
- This includes 2.4 grams of fat, around 29 grams of carbohydrates and just around 0.8 grams of protein.
- It also comes with 4 grams of dietary fiber and has around 20.8 grams of sugar per cup. This is significantly higher when compared to blueberries.
- However, when one looks at the micronutrient or antioxidant properties of acai berry, it has quite a few impressive collections to offer. This is where acai berries score heavily over blueberries. It helps you to get around 12.5 percent of recommended daily allowance of Vitamins B12, B6, riboflavin and thiamin.
- Additionally, it also helps you to get around 25 percent of RDA as far as Vitamin C is concerned.
- The mineral content is almost the same as that of blueberries. It offers you around 12.5 percent of the RDA of folate and there also is trace concentration of other minerals like magnesium, iron, calcium and so one.
Concentration of Antioxidants In Acai Berry and Blue Berry
Blueberries do not come under the category of super fruit though it is rich in anthocyanidins. The antioxidants present in blueberry, according to research studies has helped to improve the memory of rats and therefore could be useful in improving learning power in human beings. Blueberries are also known to be good ammunition to fight the negative impact of free radicals. It could be helpful in preventing cancerous tumor growth and also improve cardiovascular health.
Why Acai Berry Is Classified As A Super Fruit
However, there is no denying the fact that acai berries come under the category of super fruits. This title has been based on some research studies. These studies have proven that they are a rich source of useful micronutrients as well as some selected macronutrients. They are a rich source of flavonoids, proanthocyanidins and anthocyanidins and they same are not available as abundantly as they are found in acai berries.
A combination of the above antioxidants in acai berries could help in fighting many adverse health conditions like cancer, arthritis, increased levels of cholesterol, and could even be useful in managing overweight and obesity problems. But, more studies need to be made for the right conclusion.
Conclusion
When one takes into account the nutrition breakup in general and antioxidant breakup of acai berries, it is quite obvious that this super fruit stands out as clear winner. It helps to fight many diseases and medical conditions when compared to blueberry and various other berries and fruits available in the market today.