Killer Berries

In a University of Florida study published in January,
extracts from acai 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." Now this doesn't necessarily translate into the berry
destroying cancer cells in the human body or preventing cancer,
but it is pretty uplifting research and follows on the heels of
similar studies that demonstrated antioxidant-containing fruits' (mangos,
grapes and guavas) ability to kill cancer cells in the lab environment.

The berries grow on a species of Amazonian palm tree and have been
used traditionally to treat digestive disorders and skin conditions.
The fruit is dark-purple and often compared to a blueberry. The fruit
is full of B vitamins, iron, fiber, Omega-3 fatty acids and anthocyanin,
a member of the flavonoid class of antioxidants. In Brazil, surfers
would often puree the berries into a fruit smoothee, mixed with
guarana syrup.
Link to the article: http://news.ufl.edu/2006/01/12/berries/