Invasion of the super fruits! Who's side will you take?
acai vs goji
In the red corner, we have the "Sky High" Acai Berry, pitted against the blue corner's "O.G." Goji Berry.
Let's go through their stat-lines one-by-one to determine a World Berryweight Champion!
Health Benefits of the Acai Berry
The acai berry hails from the Brazilian rain forest and looks about like a purple-green grape.
Lose Weight
Acai berries are packed with fiber which keeps you fuller, longer.
Energy Boost
Feeling a little down? Acai can pick you up by igniting the body's metabolic processes, leading to more burned calories and less stored fat.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Acai berries are also packed with potassium, which has been shown to improve the body's blood flow, thus lowering your "Sky High" blood pressure.
Smooth Digestion
If your (ahem) "plumbing" isn't running as smoothly as you'd like, the protein and fiber in acai berries helps relieve digestion and constipation problems too.
Antioxidants
One of the acai berries first and biggest accolades was its relatively high concentration of antioxidants, which help prevent oxidative damage and eliminate free radicals.
Health Benefits of the Goji Berry
The goji berry has another, more intimidating name… Wolfberry! Sounds like a scary movie spoof waiting to happen. This nutritionally dense berry hails from the Himalayan mountains.
Antioxidants
ORAC value is a measure of a food's antioxidant level. As a comparison, blueberries have an ORAC of about 2,000, while goji berries come in at a whopping 25,000+!
Immune System
The goji berry is also an excellent source of polysaccharides which help support the immune system, and carotenoids which have been linked to the prevention of several chronic diseases.
Cancer Cells, Be Gone!
In a controlled lab experiment, goji berries were proven effective in killing individual cancer cells. Research is underway in Japan right now to see if this amazing benefit will hold up in human trials.
Lower Bad Cholesterol
HDL is the good cholesterol and LDL is the bad guy. Goji berries have been shown to lower LDL, thus improving overall heart health.
Fountain of Youth
Other studies are underway examining the anti-aging effects of the goji berry, which can only be a good thing!
As you can see, these two great fighters are quite evenly matched. So much so, in fact, that this fight is declared a draw, and you are hereby recommended to indulge in BOTH of these wonder foods.
You may end up enjoying the taste of one more than the other, but you certainly can't go wrong with either one, especially in comparison to the loads of other "mere mortal" foods you could be eating.
So, who wins in YOUR house: Acai vs Goji Berry?
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I definitely eat more of the goji berry, simply because I have trouble finding the acai fruit. Do you know a good way to expensively buy it? With the goji’s I simply buy a bag and put them in my oatmeal. Very easy!
Thanks for this interesting comparison! It’s difficult to find one’s way about all the health hype and this kind of article really helps.
cheers
Mary
Hello Mary and Mary, you two should start a law firm :)
As for where to buy it inexpensively, I tend to pick up a few bags whenever they are on sale at my local health food store and make due with good ‘ol fashioned mixed berries in the meantime: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.