Maqui Berry V Acai Berry
These are two 'headline'superfoods that haveemerged out ofSouth America inrecent times. Acai berrieshave been quite a sensation, inall senses of the word, with alarge number ofhealth supplements nowproclaiming to tap into thehealth benefits of the berry. But the Maqui berry has made a strong impact itselfin recent times – and recenttesting points to health benefits thatlook like more than holding their ownagainst theAcai.
So the question to ask is – which is better?
The Maqui Berry vs the Acai Berry
It is very important that youmake sure yourbrain is working whencomparingthetwo berries.Both makestrongdietary claims,most of which have beenchecked byscientific research. But there has beenscantscientific testing of side by side results so weonly canextrapolate comparisons.
As there is such little direct scientific studies to compare it isvital that we only deal inabsolutes –claims that have beenresearched andauthenticated by thewider scientific community. It is these results(notthe unsubstantiated claims) that we shall be comparing.
The ORAC Antioxidant Scoring 
The Acai berry and the Maqui berry can both boastlarge amounts of antioxidants. The standard way tocalculate the antioxidant level of foods is by using the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) count. In this case the greater the ORAC count the more antioxidant the food has.
The ORAC table
- Maqui Berry 820
- Acai 160-300
- Blueberry 61
- Raspberry 21
- Grapes 14
This shows us that thelevels of antioxidant inthe Maqui berryoutstrip thosein the Acai berry. This isof importancewhen it comes to health benefits.
This isashaving alargelevel of antioxidants is one of themost basic factors making up a 'superfood'. Several of thehealth claims thatthe two berriesmake as toboosting health levelsarise from thelevels of antioxidants that they are able toboast. Antioxidants are prequisite to ourwell being ina variety of ways.
- They help fight cancer.
- They have anti-ageing capabilities.
- Theybuild-up the immune system.
- Magnifys our energy levels.
andmuch morebesides. As the Maqui hassomewhere in the region of 3 to 4 times thelevels of antioxidants of the Acai it means that itcanclaimmore stronger benefits with regards it's role as ahealth supplement.
Acai and Maqui Berry Nutritional Benefits
There arevery highamounts of vitamins and nutrients inboth the Acai and the Maqui berries. However thereis nosimpleoverall scoringsystem tomeasure such factors (unfortunately) as there is with the antioxidants.
What has becomenoted is that the fargreateramount of nutrients and vitamins in the Acai than in the Maquipoints to it is more 'powerful' inthese aspects of being a health product.
This indicates that
- The Acai gives more direct energy (though indirect energy from antioxidants also happens)
- Poor diets, or restricted diets, are boosted significantly by the Acai
- Growing your body (such as building muscle) is easier with the enhanced nutritional properties of the Acai.
One unique aspect of the Acai is that is contains Omega 3. Omega 3 is vital for our health but is only found in fish and nuts – and the Acai berry.
Which Berry is Best?
With that indepth look which of the two berries is the best when it comes to our health?
The answer is very subjective as it is entirely based around what you want your health supplement to be doing. The Maqui berry could be said to be more powerful if you are able to get all your vitamins and nutrients from other sources as the health boost from the far higher antioxidant levels is significant.
However if you want a health supplement that is able to deliver everything, antioxidant benefits and nutritional/vitamin boosts then you are best of looking at the Acai berry.
So what it eventually comes down to is your own preferences and lifestyle. Both berries work as a health supplement, but can give you different results.
Tags: acai berry, energy levels, Health benefits, antioxidant level, Health, Berry Nutritional Benefits There, direct energy, indirect energy