There are different types of free radicals but let's use the oxygen
free radical for this example.
Picture the earth with the moon orbiting it. The moon keeps the earth
rotating on its axis and the tides in check. If we lost the moon the
tides would be so extreme you would be able to surf in Colorado. An
oxygen molecule has two electrons orbiting it like moons. A free
radical is an oxygen molecule that has lost one of its moons
(electrons). The oxygen molecule must stabilize itself so it tries to
steal a moon (electron) from another molecule. One free radical will
damage 3000 cells before it stabilizes itself. The 3000 cells it
damages will damage another 30,000 cells. This happens to 2% of the
oxygen we breathe in. Oxygen free radicals particularly like brain
cells. This is why we have memory problems when we age and that's
just breathing!
The Journal of American Medicine Association states the "90% of all
diseases today are the results of free radical damage". Antioxidants
reduce free radicals.

I recommend products which have the highest antioxidants available,
are the best quality, and have significant research and backing from
medical professionals. Understand that not all antioxidant products
are created equal; in my research these are the only products I have
found that positively affect the quality of the blood. One of them is:

As a functional beverage containing a combination of the most Antioxidant rich low sugar fruits mentioned, we find Acai to be the most advanced Super Antioxidant Supplement Available.

C. NORMAN SHEALY, M.D., PhD

Speaking about the efficacy of Acai

REDUCING FREE RADICALS WITH REAL FOOD

First here is some basic information on Dr. Norm Shealy:

He entered Duke University at age 16 and Duke Medical School at 19. He interned in internal medicine at Duke and then spent a year of general surgery at Banes Hospital, followed by a five-year residency in neurosurgery at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital. He is board-certified in neurological surgery. In 1977 he earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Saybrook Institute, the leading humanistic psychology school.

Watch this Norm Sheally Video

Dr Norm Shealy says, " I've finally found a product that will actually make a significant improvement in Oxidative Damage. I am Thoroughly convinced; MISTICA is a powerful and effective anti-oxidant. It dramatically decreases the effects of Free Radical Damage in the Body."

Dr. Sheally

I have some really exiting news to share. As many of you know, I have long been concerned about the pervasive health effects of oxygen free radicals.

After years of examining every kind of functional food and beverage, and hundreds of vitamin and herbal supplements, I have finally found a product that will actually make a significant improvement in oxidative damage. Routinely, I am approached by companies promoting their “new” super-duper anti-oxidant etc. product, and being open-minded, all I ask is that they prove its effectiveness. Up until now, I have never seen evidence that any food supplement could measurably improve free radical damage.

Several months ago, I was approached about a new product called Mistica, which was touted as a powerful anti-oxidant functional beverage containing extracts from the Brazilian Açai Berry augmented with extracts from 9 additional botanicals. I was skeptical, because of my previous experience with so-called anti-oxidant products, but I agreed to conduct a trial to examine the effects of Mistica on free radical damage.

To measure the extent of ongoing free-radical damage in the body, I used a test that measures malondialdehyde (MDA), a by-product of free radical damage to cell membranes. A small amount of urine is added to a colorless reactive agent that develops color in the presence of MDA. Higher levels of ongoing free radical damage in the body will create higher concentrations of MDA in the urine and a darker color on the assay.

The results of the study were so impressive that I am submitting them for publication in the biomedical literature. Mean (average of the entire group) free radical production was reduced after only 3 weeks by 43% with a “P” factor at a highly significant 0.001 level.

For purposes of this news letter, I would like you to know that I am thoroughly convinced; Mistica is a powerful and effective anti-oxidant. This new product can dramatically mitigate the effects of free radical damage on the body. This is the first, and only, example of a food supplement I have found to have a significant impact on cellular membrane integrity. It appears that Mistica’s unique matrix of “oxygen radical absorbency capacity” (ORAC) nutrients that span the anti-oxidant spectrum (including anthocyanins, phenolics and catechins) is responsible for the dramatic outcome.

-C. Norman Shealy MD PhD

By the time he was 4 years old, C. Norman Shealy knew he wanted to be a physician. Just how far down the road that would take him, he could never have imagined at that time.
Now, Dr. Shealy's ideas have been the foundation for pain management therapies used worldwide, and the ''Shealy Program'' is the mainstay of chronic pain treatment and management sought by patients and physicians alike.

Shortly after graduating from Duke Medical School, and beginning his career as an accomplished neurosurgeon, Dr. Shealy noted: ''The most common symptom in the world is pain, and yet nobody specializes in it.'' At this early phase of his medical life, he decided to look into pain, what causes it, what we can do about it, and how it affects us as human beings.

He had not been investigating long before he recognized that the majority of long term fixes for chronic pain did not come from the established medical community, but from the ''folk domain.'' Shealy began a series of research and experimental processes which included any ideas he could come across that claimed to be able to treat chronic pain in the long term without the use of narcotic medications. Consulting and researching with acupuncturists, mystics, faith healers, color therapists, folk healers, and other non-traditional therapists, and blending this new knowledge with his medical background, Dr. Shealy came to the conclusion that, while none of these methods was THE cure for chronic pain, almost all of them had developed a documented history of being able to successfully eliminate chronic pain in a good number of their attempts. It is at this juncture that he decided that ''It is the interaction of the four main fields of stress; the chemical, physical, electromagnetic, and emotional; that is the cause of all illness..not some, all.''

Now, Shealy embarked on a lifelong quest to find ways to manage successfully chronic pain. He opened his first pain management clinic in La Crosse, Wisconsin and developed a long series of successes in treating patients who had been otherwise untreatable. During this period, he devloped a device called the dorsal column stimulator, which uses small electrical currents to adjust the electromagnetic fields within the spinal column. The stimulator was so successful in treating previously untreatable chronic back pain that it has become a favored treatment for pain by physicians world-wide. The breakthroughs generated by the dorsal column stimulator contributed directly to the development and patenting of the TENS system of elecrical stimulation, a pain treatment regimen now in demand throughout the medical community.

The cost-effectiveness of Shealy's treaments for back pain have led to a series of breakthroughs culminating in the discovery of urgently low levels of a chemical known as DHEA in almost all patients suffering chronic pain. Shealy's further research developed a procedure that could effectively raise these DHEA levels in humans, without the use of medications, and his studies documented the cessation of this chronic pain in almost all subjects studied. His now patented system for curing chronic pain is used by traditional and non-traditional practitioners in nearly every specialty today.

While conducting all of this research, Dr. Shealy noted an abnormally large group of patients he was treating for chronic pain were also clinically depressed. Wondering if there was some connection between this chronic pain and their clinical depression, he sought and gained a Ph.D. in psychology. Further study did show, in fact, that with or without chronic pain, depressed persons also showed a low level of DHEA, and so he began a course of highly successful treatment of chronic clinical depression, again by naturally raising the patients DHEA levels without the use of drugs or medications. Current studies are underway by Shealy and many others to try to determine to what extent other illnesses may or may not be associated with abnormal DHEA levels, and may be treated non-pharmocologically, by adjusting those levels therapeutically.

In 1999, Dr. Shealy retired from actively seeing patients, and spends his time now dedicated to further research and teaching. Having begun his career by alternative forms of treatment for patients, he now desires, through research, teaching, and writing, to blend what he and others have learned via his discoveries with the more traditonal approaches to medicine, allowing his approaches to benefit patients in all medical specialties.

Norm and his wife of 40 years, Mary-Charlotte, live in Missouri, where Chardy is also known world-wide for her Success-Centered Riding and Training. When Norm and Chardy aren't ''horsing around'', they enjoy visits from their three children; Brock, an attorney in Kansas City and Atlanta; Craig, a clinical psychologist teaching in Virginia; and Laurel, an attorney in Springfield, MO. They also dote on their five grandchildren.

C. Norman Shealy entered Duke University at age 16 and Duke Medical School at 19. He was elected to both Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha honor societies and became the permanent class officer of his graduating medical school class. He interned in Internal Medicine at Duke and then had a year of General Surgery at Banes Hospital, followed by a five year residency in Neurosurgery at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital. He is Board Certified in Neurological Surgery. In 1961 he spent 9 months working with Sir John Eccles, Nobel Laureate, at the Australian National University. In 1977 he earned a Ph.D. in Psychology from Saybrook Institute, the leading Humanistic Psychology school. And he received a Doctor of Science degree from Ryodoraku Institute.

He then spent 3½ years at Western Reserve Medical School, where his research led to both Dorsal Column Stimulation and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS™), both now used worldwide to help control pain. In 1966 he became Chief of Neurosciences at Gundersen Clinic, one of the 10 largest clinics in the U.S. In 1971 he founded the first comprehensive pain and stress management clinic in the world. The Shealy Institute was recognized for several years as the most successful and most cost effective pain clinic in the U.S. Over a 30 year period his clinic treated over 30,000 chronically ill patients with a remarkable 85% success rate.

His other contributions include:

Winner of first Harold G. Wolff award for excellence in pain research
Biogenics®, a ''software'' system for biofeedback training and self-regulation
Facet rhizotomy, a safe technique for management of back pain
Medical Intuition as a diagnostic tool
Trained several notable Medical Intuitives, including Caroline M. Myss
Cranial Electrical Stimulation for control of depression
Founder and first President of American Holistic Medical Association
Founded the Ambrose and Olga Worrall Institute for Spiritual Healing
Founded Holos Institutes of Health, Inc., a 502-C-3 organization for research and education
Developed the concept of neurochemical profiling as critical diagnostic systems for depression
Developed the Shealy RelaxMate™, the most successful adjunct for relaxation
Discovered 4 unique natural techniques for rejuvenating the body’s ability to make DHEA, the most critical hormone for determining health
Developed an advanced computerized traction table for treatment of headache and back pain
Demonstrated that transdermal application of magnesium is much more effective than oral supplementation
Developed the SheLi TENS™, accepted by the FDA for treatment of pain
Co-Founded with Caroline Myss the American Board for Scientific Medical Intuition
Founded and is President of Holos University Graduate Seminary, a graduate school, accredited by New Thought Accreditation Commission, offering doctoral degrees in spiritual healing and Energy Medicine
Has 9 United States patents
Holistic Person of the Year, 1985, AHMA
Stress Award, 1997, American Institute of Stress
Elmer and Alyce Green Award, 1998, ISSSEEM
Pearl Award, 2000, Bio-Medical Synergistics Education Institute
Founding Diplomate, American Board of Holistic Medicine, 2000
O. Spurgeon English Humanitarian Award, 2002, Temple University
Senior Fellow Emeritus, 2003, Biofeedback Certification Institute of America
Professor Emeritus of Energy Medicine, Greenwich University

He has over 312 publications, including 23 books. His first major public book, 90 DAYS TO SELF-HEALTH sold 130,000 copies.

He has appeared on numerous national TV programs, including The Tomorrow Show, The Joan Rivers program, Geraldo, Good Morning, America, the Today Show, Oprah, the Wisdom Channel, and scores of regional and local television and radio programs. He has had for 20 years the most popular call-in radio show in the Ozarks on KWTO, 560 AM. He publishes a free weekly e-newsletter.

Since 1971 he has lectured worldwide at hundreds of medical schools, universities, hospitals and churches, with up to 100 appearances each year.

Many of us have not heard of the Brazilian superfruit, Açai, but it’s making a statement rather quickly in America these days. I have been working in natural food stores for the past two years and have seen a massive grown interest in this Amazon fruit. I am going to introduce this fruit in a little different way, by giving it’s extensive benefits and reasons why you should pick up a bottle or frozen puree today! (I’m not getting any commission on this stuff, I just absolutely love it.) If you don’t already know the rundown and history of this soon-to-be berry that overtakes the America and the world, just wait until tomorrow. After tasting this berry and reading all of the endless benefits, just say goodbye to those blueberries–there’s a new, better, and more flavorful antioxidant in town!!!

First, for us not so literate in Portuguese, Açai is pronounced: AH-sci-EE

Great for the body:

    * Stress relief- the acai berry helps regulate stress levels and repairs the body.
    * Detoxifies and cleanses the body- For centuries, Brazilians have used the berry to cleanse the body of contaminants.
    * Increase of stamina & energy- Acai’s vast amounts of nutrients have helped provide athletes and surfers in Brazil with the energy and stamina that’s needed for such strenuous activities.
    * Builds a strong body with lots of protein- Acai helps the build build itself up with the essential protein that keeps us ticking. It also has much more protein than an average egg.
    * Anti-aging berry- The berry holds some of the highest amounts of antioxidants, so it keeps the body’s cells in tip-top condition.

Skin Care:

    * Defends from wrinkles- With its high levels of anthocyanins and phytosterols, acai helps protect connective tissues.
    * Improves skin tone- The high naturally-occurring amount of phytosterols helps protect the skin’s protective coating, leaving its natural beauty!

The digestive system:

    * Improved digestion- Its high fiber levels help improve the digestive tract, along with the colon, leaving it nice and healthy.
    * Helps with acid-reflux disease- All of its antioxidants help reducing the acidity of stomach contents and help repair and protect the esophagus.

Men and women hot points:

    * Helps prevent prostate enlargement (Men)- Once again, the high level of antioxidants help fight the possibility of an enlarged prostate. This is a growing concern in males, so this wouldn’t be a bad prevention method.
    * Menstrual cycles (Women)- Acai’s very calcium-rich, which helps protect the stomach’s and uterus’ lining, which also helps reduce the pain of cramps and bloating.

Healthy heart and diabetes:

    * Controls weight- The low glycemic index level helps controls the body’s appetite and delays hunger. This helps those trying to lose weight, who also get cravings to eat snacks throughout the day.
    * Reduced bad cholesterol- Acai’s high fatty acids help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and supports HDL (good) cholesterol, which also leads to better overall circulation.
    * Resistance to disease- Acai’s a great fruit to have around during flu season! All of the vast amounts of natural nutrients in acai helps strengthen the body’s natural defenses.
    * Glucose and lipid levels- The very low glycemic index improves lipid and glucose levels in people with diabetes.
    * Fends off free-radicals- Antioxidants in the berry help to rid these free-radicals which causes immune weakness.

Disease Fighting:

    * Fights arthritis pain- Natural anti-inflammatory properties offer relief for people with arthritis.
    * Beats up asthma- Acai is packed with vitamin C, which is an antioxidant that serves as an anti-inflammatory to those with asthma.

Other great facts:

    * Helps with sleep- Acai’s vitamin B’s help reduce stress and helps enable brain cells to communicate much easier.
    * Improves clear thinking- Its Omega-3 fats are essential to get the brain’s mental functions and alertness to it’s top peak.
    * Aids with vision- The natural beta carotene and vitamins promotes eye health and other degeneration in diabetics.
    * Maintains good looking teeth and gums- The high calcium level helps strengthen and whiten teeth, along with preventing gingivitis and other gum diseases.
    * It’s just oh so awesome!

How Will Your Health Improve With The Acai Berry?

Unless you've been living in a cave, you know that Acai (ah-sigh-EE) is considered the "new" super food to improve your health. Even Oprah is excited about it.

Of course, it's only "new" to the "civilized" world. Natives of the Amazon Rainforest have been using it for generations and it is reported to make up 42% of their diet.

And, guess what?

They don't get sick!

That's right. Acai is a major contributor to their amazing health.

The Acai fruit berry is now broadly used in energy juices, ice cream, and certain energy bars with granola. And we all know how popular granola bars and cereal are with anyone concerned about improving their health.

But that's not all.

Acai also boasts 10 times the antioxidant benefits of grapes and twice that of blueberries! It is very effective in such health areas as:

    * Antioxidants
    * Antibacterial
    * Anti-inflammatory
    * Cardiovascular System

Remember cholesterol?

The good kind, the bad kind, what a royal pain it is to figure out which foods to eat to control it so you stay healthy?

Well, the Acai berry fruit is also extremely rich in Antocianine, an antioxidation substance which assists in combating free radicals and cholesterol.

Acai is also one of the richest foods in iron and is rich in fiber. That makes it highly recommended for people suffering problems with their digestive organs.

So, how else does the Acai berry and its juice improve health?

    * It supports a healthy immune system
    * It increases your energy, libido, and stamina
    * It improves your mental focus and helps to clear your mind
    * It improves your sleep
    * It improves your digestion
    * It promotes healthy skin, hair, and nails

In fact, Acai can help so many different health problems, it's no wonder that it's called a "super" food.

For example, Acai helps with Arthritis and Fibromyalgia.

How?

Well, for one thing, the action of the antioxidants and micronutrients in the Acai berry help to heal cell membranes. This improves cell communication and metabolism, which leads to better joint health.

In addition, because the cells in connective tissues are better equipped to detoxify with the benefits of the Acai berry, the pain of fibromyalgia is reduced.

Considering how prevalent these two health problems are, it's easy to see why the Acai berry is becoming so popular.

Acai also helps with High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, and Strokes by improving the Nitric Oxide Synthas (NOS) pathway of inflammation, making the arteries less inflamed and oxidized.

Given the rapid cellular deterioration associated with Diabetes, anything that helps to counteract the affects of aging or heart disease may be helpful to a diabetic.

Acai can even help with Depression because its micronutrients improve detoxification pathways, eliminating xenobiotics that have been associated with depression and poor brain function. In fact, the high content of omega oils, vitamin B, and amino acids in the Acai berry help produce better neurotransmitters, improving brain cell communication and reducing the chances of mental dysfunction.

Let's consider some of the things that your food should contain to improve your health.

The Acai berry contains more proteins than an average egg. Experts say that 7.59% of the weight of the Acai pulp is from amino acids and that 19 different amino acids have been identified in Acai (amino acids are the building blocks of protein).

Acai provides a significantly broader spectrum of antioxidants than such well-respected foods as blueberries, grapes, and even oranges. Acai contains antioxidants that destroyed cultured human cancer cells in a recent University of Florida study.

The Acai berry is very rich in healthy unsaturated fats such as Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9.

Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, and E are all present in Acai. In fact, Acai berries contain as much Vitamin C as Blueberries and has over 1000 IU of Vitamin A for every 100 grams of Acai.

In addition, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Copper, and Zinc are also found in Acai.

Talk about a health food!

We could go on and on about the benefits to your health of the Acai berry.

The bottom line is this:

If you're not enjoying this delicious fruit, either whole or in juice form, then you're losing out on an easy way to improve your health.

So, what are you waiting for? Go get some Acai!

Article by Terry Nicholls


More facts on Acai

Acai (ah-sigh-ee) is an all-natural energy fruit from Amazon palmberries. Harvested in the rainforests of Brazil, Açai tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate, and has been used for thousands of years by the natives of Brazil who believe this magical fruit to have amazing healing and nutritional properties. Valley’s traditional Acai Bowl is blended into a smooth, yogurt-like texture and topped with home-made granola. It is magically delicious any time of day, as a snack, a meal or desert.

Acai was recently featured on Oprah as being the top super food for age-defying beauty. It is a fruit that grows naturally in the Amazon Rain Forest. Acai has a high concentration of lipids that create a prolonged surge in energy without the glycemic crash one commonly experiences with sugar or caffeine. While there are many different berry and fruit juices on the market, Acai contains the most complete array of vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, and has more protein than an egg. Studies show that Acai has up to thirty-three times the antioxidant content as red wine grapes. No other berry or fruit product comes close to matching the nutritional and antioxidant content of Acai.

CLINICAL RESEARCH on ACAI

Acai Pub Med Search

Anthocyanins

IRB Human Clinical Trial Mistica Brand Functional Fruit Beverage

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.

“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.”

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.

“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.”

39 Reasons to Drink Acai Juice