Acai smoothies reduced participants' fasting glucose rates by 5.3% and cholesterol levels by 10.6%, a study in Nutrition Journal found.

In an open label pilot study, 10 overweight adults were provided with a daily dose of 200 grams (two 100-gram doses daily) of acai pulp in the form of a smoothie. Before and after the study period, risk factors of metabolic syndrome were measured in the participants. Metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The researchers found that daily consumption of the acai smoothies resulted in a significant reductions in glucose, insulin, and total cholesterol levels, while C-reaction protein levels and blood pressure did not change. In this study, fasting glucose was reduced by 5.3 percent and cholesterol by 10.6 percent, both of which are greater than those deemed necessary to reduce the risk of diabetes. The findings suggest that the high amounts of fiber, antioxidants and fatty acids in acai may help reduce the risks of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases among patients. This study was published in the Nutrition Journal.

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