Have you ever heard of acai berries? These small fruits similar to blueberries (which are often found dehydrated in organic stores) are hyper-rich in antioxidants and in particular in anthocyanins, substances which could slow down cellular aging and preserve cardiovascular health.
Endowed with anti-inflammatory properties, acai berries are currently of interest to researchers in the context of the fight against Covid-19, the disease caused by the Sars-Cov-2 coronavirus. Thus, researchers from theUniversity of Toronto (in Canada) decided to study the interest of this fruit in reducing the body’s inflammatory response to the coronavirus, which is potentially responsible for severe symptoms.
Acai berries to reduce the inflammatory reaction
Canadian researchers recruited 580 volunteers affected by Covid-19 in Canada and Brazil, countries where the palm tree that gives acai berries is grown. Half of the participants are treated with acai berry extract (580 mg per day for 30 days) while the other half are only given a placebo.
The objective of the scientists: to observe whether the acai berry extract is able to reduce the action of a protein (called NLRP3) at the origin of the inflammatory reaction. “It’s just a test, temper the researchers, but acai berries are cheap, readily available to everyone, and safe, so it was worth a try.“Their results will be published at the end of the year.
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