Top Foods (Acai Berry) for Anti-Aging

By: Dr Michelle Honda Ph.D.

Anti-aging is a hot topic today. Why are some people 10 to 15 years younger looking than their chronicle (real) age, while others appear well beyond their years? Viewing ourselves in the mirror is only a small portion of what is really happening within our bodies.

According to scientists, diet significantly impacted ones health and longevity.
A British study in 2007, involving 20,000 men and women, over a span of 15 years, reported on factors that were most important in extending life. Number one was quitting smoking and perhaps surprising, number two was eating five servings of fruits and vegetables everyday. Following fruits and vegetables, moderate consumption of alcohol and exercise, extended peoples lives on average by 14 years longer that those who did not adopt the above lifestyle.

What are the anti-aging properties in fruits and vegetables?
Foods rich in flavour, colour and aroma contain anti-aging components called flavonoids. The primary property of flavonoids is their antioxidant value in plant based foods. There are 4,500 flavonoids which fall into several different categories.

Only Antioxidants from Fruit and Vegetables Impact the Aging Process!
While there is good evidence to support the role of oxidative stress and aging, there isn’t supportive research showing antioxidants in the form of supplementation retard the aging process.(1) Large clinical trials have not detected any benefit as demonstrated in the following statements which would then suggest the other aspects of the plant based antioxidants are the key differences.(2) “Diets high in fruit and vegetables, which are high in antioxidants, promote health and reduce the effects of aging; however antioxidant vitamin supplementation has no detectable effect on the aging process, so the effects of fruit and vegetables may be unrelated to their antioxidant contents.”(3) “One reason for this might be the fact that consuming antioxidant molecules such as polyphenols and vitamin E will produce changes in other parts of the metabolism, so it may be these other non-antioxidant effects that are the real reason they are important in human nutrition.”(4)

What are the major culprits in the aging process?
Based on massive research, the role of free radicals has been proven to enhance the aging process. Free radicals cause oxidative stress associated with a wide range of aliments including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Diabetes, Atherosclerosis, Neurological deficits, Cancer, Arthritis, Pain and Inflammation and many more.

What creates free radicals in our bodies?
Free radicals can be beneficial when in the form of a byproduct, which occurs naturally in the body’s metabolic processes. However, environment and deficiencies create destructive free radicals. These come in the forms of industrial contaminants, metal toxicity, toxic products and pollutants such as herbicides, pesticides and insecticides. In addition, lack of vitamins and minerals and levels of microbes and pathogens to include parasites, fungus, yeast, bacteria, viruses, vaccines, drugs and misaims.

What is a free radical and why should we care?
A free radical is an unstable molecule that steals electrons from our own healthy cells trying to stabilize themselves. Imagine balancing yourself on one leg. When this occurs, we get a bit of DNA damage and/or a protein becomes dysfunctional. For some, this may not seem like much but all these little damages really add up.

Antioxidants to the Rescue
How do Antioxidants balance Free Radicals in our bodies
An antioxidant is a molecule that prevents or slows the oxidation of other molecules. Antioxidants generously offer up their electrons to free radicals to prevent cellular damage. But each time an antioxidant neutralizes a free radical, it then stops being able to function as an antioxidant.

The body makes a great attempt to protect itself from free radicals though endogenous antioxidants manufactured by our bodies. Although, in combating the excessive amounts of free radicals and their subsequent damage, we must support our body through diet and supplementation.

Herein lies the great value of consuming several fruits and vegetables on a daily basis since many of these foods have exceptionally high levels of antioxidants which support our systems in the areas of function and protection. Antioxidants are our first line of defense against aging and cancer.

Fast Acting and Slow Acting Antioxidants
Antioxidants are classified into two groups: Water soluble (hydrophilic) or lipids (hydrophobic). A slow acting component includes complex organic antioxidants such as phenolics and a fast acting component is a vitamin C type.

Is the ORAC Score Definitive?
The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) is one of the ways of measuring the antioxidant ability of a food or health product to scavenge free radicals. Unfortunately these numbers may be deceiving. Many companies will go to any length to mislead and/or misinform consumers.  A food or products ORAC value can be manipulated by enhancing it with artificial additives or vitamins in order to boost a false claim.

The following is a comparison chart of ORAC capacity of fresh, raw or cooked fruits and vegetables. These values were published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry which is the highest ranked journal in applied chemistry, agriculture and food nutrition. (5,6,7)

Fruit
(micromoles TE/g)
Acai fruit (freeze dried) 1027
Acai fruit (fresh)           185
Acai (spray dried)         55-155
Cranberry                    95
Blueberry (low bush)     93
Plums (black)              73
Plums                         62
Blueberry (cultivated)    62
Blackberry                   53
Raspberry                   49
Apple (red delicious)    43
Acai (frozen)               40
Avocado                     19
Pears                         19
Orange                       18
Peaches                      18
Grapefruit (red)            16
Apricot                         13
Grapes (red)                 13
Mango                         10
Kiwifruit                        9
Bananas                      9  
Nectarines                    8
Cantaloupe                  3
Honeydew melon          2
Watermelon                 1

Vegetables
Artichoke (raw)             90
Peas (black eye)          43
Butterhead lettuce        33
Cabbage (red)             31
Broccoli                       30
Asparagus                   30
Beets                          28
Spinach                       26
Eggplant                      25
Potato (red) cooked      13
Carrot                          12
Lettuce  (leafy)             12
Onions (red/white)        11
Potato (white cooked)    11
Radishes                      10
Salsa                           10
Peppers (sweet)            9
Sweet potato cooked     9
Cauliflower                   6
Celery                          6
Green peas (frozen)      6
Pineapple                    8
Peppers (green)           6
Corn (frozen)               5
Snap beans                 3
Tomato                       3
Cucumber (with peel)    1

It is important to understand that the performance of an antioxidant may be influenced by several factors such as an existing disease, diet and lifestyle. (i.e. alcohol, smoking, environmental toxins) In addition, infections, micro bacteria, digestion and enzymatic activity can affect the absorption and action of antioxidants.

To promote health and wellness we need the phytochemicals found in the colour variety of foods, our primary source of antioxidants. Foods high in antioxidants have a positive impact by increasing our body’s energy and resistance. They also help to maintain our ideal body weight and improve our response to stress.

1. Rattan S (2006) Theories of biological aging: genes, proteins and free radicals. Free Radic Res 40 (12): 1230-8 PMID 17090411
2. Bjelakovic G, et al (2007). Mortality in randomized trials of antioxidant supplements for primary and secondary prevention: systemic review and meta-analysis. JAMA 297(8):842-57.PMID 17327526. 
3. Thomas D (2004) Vitamins in health and aging. Clin Geriatr Med. 20 (2):259-74. PMID 15182881
4. Aggarwal BB, Shishodia S (2006) Molecular targets of dietary agents for prevention and therapy of cancer. Biochem. Pharmacol. 71(10):1397-421doi:10.1016/j.bep 2006 02.009 PMID16563357 
5. Prior R, Wu X, Schaich K (2005) Standardized methods for the determination of antioxidant capacity and phenolics in foods and dietary supplements. J Argic Food Chem 53 (10):4290-4302. PMID 15884874 
6. Schauss AG et al. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2006A, 2006b 
7. Laboratory analysis of hydrophilic ORAC value only (Brunswick Labs, 2005), Schauss, AG et al. Federation of Societies Experimental Biology Journal (2006)

To learn more about ways to improve your health and wellness from Dr Michelle Honda or to learn more about Acai Nutritional Special Blend Beverage, visit http://www.michellehonda.com Dr. Michelle Honda is Holistic Doctor (natural and preventative medicine) in private practice at Renew You Holistic Health in Ancaster - Hamilton Ontario Canada. She holds a Ph.D. D.Sc. in holistic health sciences, holds an advanced nutrition degree (RNCP), is a Master Herbalist and an IIPA Certified Iridologist. In her private practice, she is available via telephone for health  consultations. For more details visit http://www.renewyou.ca or call the clinic at 1-905-304-0111. Copyright 2008, All Rights Reserved. Reprints are acceptable ONLY if the entire article remains intact, including the author resource box!