What is MonaVie and Acai?

MonaVie is the sophisticated alternative to the vast wasteland of dull health products. MonaVie offers the healthy blend of 19 wondrous and forgotten fruits. It features the acai berry, recognized as one of the "top 10 super foods ...nature's perfect energy fruit." Each fruit and each portion were selected for their specific and known benefits. Their synergistic effect reaches far beyond what any single fruit could accomplish

Açaí Palm Euterpe is a genus of 25-30 species of palms native to tropical Central and South America, from Belize south to Brazil and Peru, growing mainly in floodplains and swamps. They are tall slender attractive palms growing to 15-30 m tall, with pinnate leaves up to 3 m long. The fruit is a very small, round, black-purple drupe, produced in branched panicles of 700-900 fruits. Its appearance is similar to that of a grape, but it has a smaller amount of pulp and a single large seed. link

Why is Acai so special

According to Dr. Nicholas Perricone as featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show and author of The Perricone Promise, "The acai berry is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world... nature’s perfect energy fruit. link

The acai berry has the most potent concentration of antioxidants of any natural berry available.

What are antioxidents?

Watch this video for one answer.

Short Answer - Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radical damage may lead to cancer. Antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals and may prevent some of the damage free radicals otherwise might cause. Examples of antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins C, E, and A, and other substances. link

Long Answer - "Antioxidant" is a classification of several organic substances, including vitamins C and E, vitamin A (which is converted from beta-carotene), selenium (a mineral), and a group known as the carotenoids. Carotenoids, of which beta- carotene is the most popular, are a pigment that adds color to many fruits and vegetables -- without them, carrots wouldn't be orange, for example. Together as antioxidants, these substances are thought to be effective in helping to prevent cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

At the molecular and cellular levels, antioxidants serve to deactivate certain particles called free radicals. In humans, free radicals usually come in the form of O2, the oxygen molecule. The oxygen molecule wants to be oxidized (remember that stuff from your chemistry class?), and this oxidation process can sometimes be carcinogenic. Free radicals are the natural by-products of many processes within and among cells. They are also created by exposure to various environmental factors, tobacco smoke and radiation, for instance.

If allowed to go their merry way, these free radicals can cause damage to cell walls, certain cell structures, and genetic material within the cells. In the worst case scenario and over a long time period, such damage can become irreversible and lead to disease (e.g., cancer). This is where antioxidants come into play.

Antioxidants play the housekeeper's role, "mopping up" free radicals before they get a chance to do harm in your body. Researchers have postulated that antioxidants prevent the possible carcinogenic effects of oxidation. Numerous studies have been carried out on the role of antioxidants in cancer and heart disease prevention.

Some studies have shown that smokers with diets high in carotenoids have a lower rate of lung cancer development than their smoking counterparts whose carotenoid intake is relatively low. Other research efforts have suggested that diets high in carotenoids may also be associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer. Also, vitamin C has been found to prevent the formation of N-nitroso compounds, the cancer-causing substances from nitrates and nitrites found in preserved meats and in some drinking water.

Many researchers claim that elderly people, especially those who have reduced their food intake, frequent aspirin users, heavy drinkers, smokers, and people with impaired immune systems may benefit from taking antioxidant supplements daily. In terms of heart disease and stroke, it is possible that higher levels of antioxidants slow or prevent the development of arterial blockages, a complicated process involving the oxidation of cholesterol. Moreover, antioxidants may deter the collection of plaque on arterial walls.

For information on cancer, heart disease, and antioxidants (as well as on healthy diets, Recommended Daily Allowances for these vitamins and minerals, etc.), you can call the National Cancer Institute at 800-4-CANCER, and the National Institutes of Health's information office at (301) 251-1222. Also, you can always speak with your health care provider, who can be more specific in telling you how antioxidants might benefit you. link

How do they measure Antioxidant levels?

Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities of different foods.

How does Acai juice rank in ORAC levels?

The Amazonian palm berry, also known as ACAI, has the highest ORAC antioxidant values of any food, says a new study, but the researchers suggest that such values are dependent on the drying technique and not applicable to other commercially available acai products.

"You will note that in our paper we report that the highest Total ORAC we found was 155 for any freeze dried sample [of acai], compared to the 1026.9 for OptiAcai [Which is the patent protected method of harvesting and used only in Monavie]. USDA and Brunswick Laboratories confirmed the unusually high ORAC,"

Measurements of superoxide scavenging activity (SOD) and hydroxyl radical averting capacity (HORAC) were also found to be high. The SOD value (1614 units per gram) was said to be the "highest of any fruit and vegetable tested to date," while the HORAC value (52 micromoles of gallic acid equivalents per gram) is said to be similar to that of grapes but lower than that of dark-coloured berries.

"Personally, I am intrigued not only by its extraordinarily high peroxyl scavenging activity, the highest of any food by far reported, but by its unusually high superoxide scavenging activity in vitro because as we go from molecular oxygen to superoxide to hydrogen peroxide we can create the most damaging of all [reactive oxygen species] ROS's, the hydroxyl radical," Dr. Schauss told this website.

While the results for this freeze-dried açai are impressive, they are not applicable to all açai, said Schauss. "Much of what is being shipped out of Brazil comes to the USA or Europe in container sized frozen blocks. This does not prevent the continuous degradation of the polyphenolics. Hence, this would explain why we obtained such low Total ORAC units for frozen açai samples," [this is not true for MonaVie]link

Why can’t I get Acai berries at my grocery store?

...Unfortunately the fruit deteriorates rapidly after harvesting (active properties can disappear after 24 hours) and so it is restricted to being eaten in the growing region or being processed and shipped as juice or frozen pulp...link

Will foods with a high ORAC level stop aging?

From the Department of Agriculture in 1999, before ACAI was discovered...

Foods that score high in an antioxidant analysis called ORAC may protect cells and their components from oxidative damage, according to studies of animals and human blood at the Agricultural Research Service's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts in Boston. ARS is the chief scientific agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

ORAC, short for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, is a test tube analysis that measures the total antioxidant power of foods and other chemical substances.

Early findings suggest that eating plenty of high-ORAC fruits and vegetables--such as spinach and blueberries--may help slow the processes associated with aging in both body and brain.

"If these findings are borne out in further research, young and middle-aged people may be able to reduce risk of diseases of aging--including senility--simply by adding high-ORAC foods to their diets," said ARS Administrator Floyd P. Horn.

In the studies, eating plenty of high-ORAC foods:

• Raised the antioxidant power of human blood 10 to 25 percent
• Prevented some loss of long-term memory and learning ability in middle-aged rats
• Maintained the ability of brain cells in middle-aged rats to respond to a chemical stimulus--a function that normally decreases with age
• Protected rats' tiny blood vessels--capillaries--against oxygen damage

Nutritionist Ronald L. Prior contends, "If we can show some relationship between ORAC intake and health outcome in people, I think we may reach a point where the ORAC value will become a new standard for good antioxidant protection." (See table at end for ORAC values of fruits and vegetables.)

The thesis that oxidative damage culminates in many of the maladies of aging is well accepted in the health community. The evidence has spurred skyrocketing sales of antioxidant vitamins. But several large trials have had mixed results.

"It may be that combinations of nutrients found in foods have greater protective effects than each nutrient taken alone," said Guohua (Howard) Cao, a physician and chemist who developed the ORAC assay.

He and Prior have seen the ORAC value of human blood rise in two studies. In the first, eight women gave blood after separately ingesting spinach, strawberries and red wine--all high-ORAC foods--or taking 1,250 milligrams of vitamin C. A large serving of fresh spinach produced the biggest rise in the women's blood antioxidant scores--up to 25 percent--followed by vitamin C, strawberries and lastly, red wine

In the second study, men and women had a 13- to 15-percent increase in the antioxidant power of their blood after doubling their daily fruit and vegetable intake compared to what they consumed before the study. Just doubling intake, without regard to ORAC scores of the fruits and vegetables, more than doubled the number of ORAC units the volunteers consumed, said Prior.

Early evidence for the protecting power of these diets comes from rat studies by Prior, Cao and colleagues. Rats fed daily doses of blueberry extract for six weeks before being subjected to two days of pure oxygen apparently suffered much less damage to the capillaries in and around their lungs, Prior said. The fluid that normally accumulates in the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs was much lower compared to the group that didn't get blueberry extract.

Neuroscientist James Joseph and psychologist Barbara Shukitt-Hale at the center tested middle-aged rats that had eaten diets fortified with spinach or strawberry extract or vitamin E for nine months. A daily dose of spinach extract "prevented some loss of long-term memory and learning ability normally experienced by the 15-month-old rats," said Shukitt-Hale.

Spinach was also the most potent in protecting different types of nerve cells in two separate parts of the brain against the effects of aging, said Joseph.

"These cells were significantly more responsive when the animals ate diets fortified with high-ORAC foods--especially spinach--compared to unfortified diets," Joseph said. "The spinach group scored twice as responsive as the control animals."

Why spinach is more effective than strawberries--which score higher in the ORAC assay--is still a mystery. The researchers conjecture that it may be due to specific compounds or a specific combination of them in the greens.link

Does drinking Acai cure cancer?

Brazilian berry destroys cancer cells in lab, UF study shows

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A Brazilian berry popular in health food contains antioxidants that destroyed cultured human cancer cells in a recent University of Florida study, one of the first to investigate the fruit’s purported benefits.

Published today in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study showed extracts from acai (ah-SAH’-ee) berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested, said Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

"Acai berries are already considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants," Talcott said. "This study was an important step toward learning what people may gain from using beverages, dietary supplements or other products made with the berries."

He cautioned that the study, funded by UF sources, was not intended to show whether compounds found in acai berries could prevent leukemia in people.

"This was only a cell-culture model and we don’t want to give anyone false hope," Talcott said. "We are encouraged by the findings, however. Compounds that show good activity against cancer cells in a model system are most likely to have beneficial effects in our bodies."

Other fruits, including grapes, guavas and mangoes, contain antioxidants shown to kill cancer cells in similar studies, he said. Experts are uncertain how much effect antioxidants have on cancer cells in the human body, because factors such as nutrient absorption, metabolism and the influence of other biochemical processes may influence the antioxidants’ chemical activity.

Another UF study, slated to conclude in 2006, will investigate the effects of acai’s antioxidants on healthy human subjects, Talcott said. The study will determine how well the compounds are absorbed into the blood, and how they may affect blood pressure, cholesterol levels and related health indicators. So far, only fundamental research has been done on acai berries, which contain at least 50 to 75 as-yet unidentified compounds.

"One reason so little is known about acai berries is that they’re perishable and are traditionally used immediately after picking," he said. "Products made with processed acai berries have only been available for about five years, so researchers in many parts of the world have had little or no opportunity to study them."

Talcott said UF is one of the first institutions outside Brazil with personnel studying acai berries. Besides Talcott, UF’s acai research team includes Susan Percival, a professor with the food science and human nutrition department, David Del Pozo-Insfran, a doctoral student with the department and Susanne Mertens-Talcott, a postdoctoral associate with the pharmaceutics department of UF’s College of Pharmacy.

Acai berries are produced by a palm tree known scientifically as Euterpe oleracea, common in floodplain areas of the Amazon River, Talcott said. When ripe, the berries are dark purple and about the size of a blueberry. They contain a thin layer of edible pulp surrounding a large seed.

Historically, Brazilians have used acai berries to treat digestive disorders and skin conditions, he said. Current marketing efforts by retail merchants and Internet businesses suggest acai products can help consumers lose weight, lower cholesterol and gain energy.

"A lot of claims are being made, but most of them haven’t been tested scientifically," Talcott said. "We are just beginning to understand the complexity of the acai berry and its health-promoting effects."

In the current UF study, six different chemical extracts were made from acai fruit pulp, and each extract was prepared in seven concentrations.

Four of the extracts were shown to kill significant numbers of leukemia cells when applied for 24 hours. Depending on the extract and concentration, anywhere from about 35 percent to 86 percent of the cells died.

The UF study demonstrates that research on foods not commonly consumed in the United States is important, because it may lead to unexpected discoveries, said Joshua Bomser, an assistant professor of molecular nutrition and functional foods at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

But familiar produce items have plenty of health-giving qualities, he said.

"Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk for many diseases, including heart disease and cancer," said Bomser, who researches the effects of diet on chronic diseases. “Getting at least five servings a day of these items is still a good recommendation for promoting optimal health." link

What other Fruits are in MonaVie?

ACEROLA CHERRIES - Acerola thrives in the sandy soils. They are rich in both antioxidants and a range of important vitamins. Acerola Cherries are an especially potent source of Vitamin C.

APRICOTS - Apricots provide a rich assortment of antioxidants and are abundant with soluble fiber, beta-carotene, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, potassium and Vitamin C. They also include a natural salicylate.

ARONIA (Black Chokeberry) - Aronia juice contains very high levels of anthocyanins and flavonoids -- five to ten times higher than cranberry juice. Its beneficial nutrients include antioxidants, polyphenols, minerals and vitamins, as well as important trace minerals. Aronia has Polyphenols, Anthocyanidans, Quinic acid, Vitamins, Minerals, Flavinols.

BANANA - Bananas are a common supermarket fruit and are often taken for granted (few realize the health benefits bananas bring to them). Bananas are the ONLY fruit that comes not from trees or bushes but from large plants that are giant herbs and are related to the lily and orchid family. Bananas have been linked to antioxidant protection.

BILBERRIES - The Bilberry is a close relative of the blueberry and is noted for its phytonutrient content. Bilberry fruit and its extracts contain a number of biologically active components, including a class of compounds called anthocyanosides which are potent antioxidants.

BLUEBERRIES - Blueberries are an antioxidant powerhouse. They contain large amounts of health-promoting phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and phenolics, currently being studied for their antioxidant benefits. Besides antioxidants, blueberries contain condensed tannins, and they offer a great lineup of nutrients like potassium and iron, as well as being an excellent source of Vitamin C.

CAMU CAMU BERRY (Rumberry) - The Camu Camu berry is the planet’s richest source of natural Vitamin C. Its content has been measured as 30-60 times higher than an equal amount of citrus fruit. The Camu Camu berry is legendary for its powers.

CRANBERRIES - Cranberries are rich in many phytonutrients and proanthocyanidins (PACs), including important tannins and Vitamin C. Cranberries contain high amounts of vitamins, minerals, organic acids and various other phytonutrients. Cranberries are a good source of vitamin A, C, B complex, Folic Acid and Fiber. Also included are the minerals Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium and Sulfur. But there is more to them than just vitamins. Cranberries contain important plant pigments called bioflavanoids.

GRAPES (purple/white) - The varying colors of grapes bring a spectrum of antioxidant protective power to this versatile fruit. Purple grapes contain resveratrol, the potent antioxidant found in red wine and other grape products that have been making headlines around the world.

KIWI - Kiwi fruit contains abundant phytonutrients and has gained fame as a delicious source of ample amounts of vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, trace minerals and dietary fiber. Native to China.

LYCHEE - The Lychee is native to the warmer forests of Southern China and probably Vietnam. It has been cultivated in China for well over a thousand years, and would no doubt have been a keenly sought after forest fruit in subtropical Sino-Vietnamese Asia. At 72mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of flesh, lychees are a very good source for this essential vitamin, as well as potassium and other nutrients.

NASHI PEARS - Once reserved as a food to be served only to the wealthy and to Chinese nobles, Nashi pears have been grown, cultivated and eaten for centuries. Little is known about their origin...its estimated that they began appearing at least 3,000 years ago in China. Nashi pears are a great source of dietary fiber, and they’re also very high in potassium and other essential minerals. They contain nearly 10% of the USRDA for Vitamin C, and a high concentration of folates, which make up the Vitamin B complex group.

PASSION FRUIT - Passion fruit is rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, including: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur and B Vitamins. The legend of passion fruit dates back to Biblical time and rainforest natives have for generations used Passion fruit juice.

PEARS - Pears have been revered throughout time. Their cultivation has been traced back 3,000 years in western Asia, and some speculate pears might have been discovered by people in the Stone Age. They were an exotic food item in the court of Louis XIV and were called the “gift of the gods” by Homer in his epic, The Odyssey. Pears have been linked to Antioxidant protection.

POMEGRANATE - Pomegranate juice contains more antioxidants than even red wine, green tea, blueberry juice, cranberry juice or orange juice. Studies show that pomegranate juice is one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants, containing more polyphenol antioxidant than any other drink. Period! And pomegranate polyphenols are now being shown by science to be very useful.

PRUNES - Prunes are dried plums, rich in minerals and phenols, plus they have an extremely high ORAC value. The drying process actually increases antioxidant powers by more than six times! USDA researchers believe that people of all ages should add prunes to their diets.

WOLFBERRY - For thousands of years in China, the Wolfberry has been known as “the herb of longevity.” It provides a powerful combination of antioxidants and polysaccharides. Wolfberry also provides eighteen amino acids and twenty-one trace minerals. Wolfberry, like açai, is known for the many health conditions that are helped by this fruit.