The acai berry has long been touted as a superfood and a weight loss aid, but only recently has one of its most powerful ingredients been brought to light. Ever since investigation into the famous French Paradox of poor diets and long life-expectancies revealed the existence in red wine grapes of an antioxidant called resveratrol, acai berries are being given a second look by many health advocates and dieticians.

The way resveratrol keeps people living long and looking and feeling young is by helping the cells of the body fight off toxins and free radicals. The cells need energy to do this, and so the body provides them the energy they need by burning fat. So this same function of resveratrol that helps peole live long and look and feel young also helps people shed weight fast, without the need for further dieting or exercise.

You’d have to drink an awful lot of red wine to get the resveratrol you need to lose weight. But acai berries naturally contain large concentrations of resveratrol. And, since acai berries are already a multifaceted weight loss aid, the presence of resveratrol is a good and appropriate match.

Acai berries and purple grapes have a lot in common. Both are said to have anti-aging properties, powerful cancer fighting potential, and are good for the cardiovascular system, the nervous system, and the digestive system (among others). What’s more, they both contain a high concentration of powerful antioxidants, the antioxidant in purple grapes being called resveratrol. Resveratrol is particularly good for the heart specifically, and the very reason why proponents of red wine say that it is so good for the heart).

Resveratrol is also contained (albeit in smaller quantities) in the skin and peel of other foods, like mulberries, peanuts, certain seeds, and honeybee propolis.

In addition to being beneficial for the skin and the heart, and for its purported anti-aging properties in general, resveratrol is also said to have weight loss benefits in that it helps boost energy levels and metabolism, decreasing the craving to eat and increasing the motivation to exercise (or at least remain more active).  These are great acai berry weight loss tools.