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The acai is also known as the euterpe palm, palmito açai, Assai palm, pina palm, cabbage palm, juçara, palmier pinot, and assaizeiro. The fruit is from a South American palm which can be primarily found in areas such as Guyana, Suriname, and Brazil. Not only are people after the palm’s fruit but the “heart of palm” as well, which is actually a group of leaves called the cabbage. Traditionally the fronds of the palm are used in weaving and thatching. The fruit itself grows in bunches of 3-8 pieces of tiny, dark purple berries. These berries have often been used as a colorant and for wines and different liqueurs.
Omega-3 and Omega-6 are essential fatty acids which can be found in acai. Omega-9, an oleic acid, is also found in the fruit and along with the others help lower LDL levels (Low Density Lipoprotein). The fruit itself is an excellent antioxidant because of its great concentrations of polyphenols as well as its good levels of vitamin e, phosphorous, and calcium.
At present, the medical uses of the acai include the following:
• Cardiovascular system
• Antioxidant
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antibacterial
• Antimutagenic
The Acai as a contrasting agent
For those requiring MRI scans, the acai is presently undergoing tests for its usefulness as a contrasting agent for the body when exposed to magnetic resonance imaging exams for the gastrointestinal tract.
Below is the summary of just one particular study conducted on the acai as a contrasting agent:
Title of Study/Scientific Paper: Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) as an alternative oral contrast agent in MRI of the gastrointestinal system: preliminary results.
Date: 2004 April
Author/s: Cordova-Fraga T, de Araujo DB, Sanchez TA, Elias J Jr, Carneiro AA, Brandt-Oliveira R, Sosa M, Baffa O.
Department de Fisica e Matematica, FFCLRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirao Preto Sao Paulo 14, 040-91, Brazil.
Summary: Use of contrast agents is a common practice in medical imaging protocols. Paramagnetic properties of certain compounds present in contrast agents have their affects on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals. For abdominal applications, injection is the norm, however they may also be administered orally. Because of the lack of appropriate oral contrast agents, their use as a routine technique is limited. In the study they presented the preliminary characterization and results for implementation of Euterpe Oleracea (popularly named Acai) as a possible clinical oral contrast agent for MRI of the gastrointestinal tract. The pulp of Acai, a fruit from the Amazon area, presented an increase in T(1)-weighted MRI signal, equivalent to that of gadolinium-diethyltriamine pentaacetic acid, and a decrease in T(2)-weighted images. They looked for intrinsic properties that could be responsible for the T(1) signal enhancement and T(2) opacification. Atomic absorption spectra revealed the presence of Fe, Mn and Cu ions in Acai. The presence of such ions contribute to the susceptometric value found of chi = -4.83 x 10(-6). This finding assents with the hypothesis that image contrast changes were due to the presence of paramagnetic material. The first measurements in vivo demonstrate a clear increase of contrast, in T(1)-weighted images, due to the presence of Acai. Consistently, the opacification in a T(2)-weighted acquisition was evident, revealing a good contrast on bowel walls of gastric tissues.
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