I know, it sounds like a marketing ploy. But this time around, it's true. Goji berries and acai berries - both fairly new to the US market - can help you live a longer, healthier life.

"How is that possible?" you might ask. Well, it's all about the antioxidants. If you want to live a long, healthy life, you need to consume plenty of antioxidants every day. These powerhouse nutrients slow down the myriad damage to our bodies that we think of as aging - everything from heart disease, diabetes, and cancers to wrinkles and declining eyesight. The more we get of these amazing nutrients, the better protected we are. And these two new, exotic, tasty new berries - goji berries and acai berries - contain more antioxidants than just about anything else you can consume.

Introducing Acai

During his recent appearance on Oprah, Dr. Perricone put acai at the very top of his list of ten superfoods, remarking that "studies have shown that this little berry is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world!" And one of the most tasty, I might add. If it didn't already have a name, I'd call this a chocolate berry. It's so addictively good, in fact, that I won't whip up a homemade smoothie without it.

With more antioxidants than even the most antioxidant-rich foods on our grocery shelves - blueberries, dried beans, cranberries, and pomegranates - acai berries (also referred to as palm berries) clearly deserves the title of superfood. One study reported in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry determined that for one measure of antioxidant activity "was the highest of any fruit or vegetable tested to date."

There is yet another reason to become a fan. The growing popularity of the fruit has helped preserve the rainforests. While it may sound impossible for this little berry to accomplish all that, it's quite real. In the last few years, harvesting acai from existing rainforest trees has become more profitable than clear-cutting the forest. And it provides a sustainable option that has resulted in taking 50,000 people out of the poverty line. In fact, the largest importer of acai, Sambazon, Inc., received a 2006 Award for Corporate Excellence from the Unites States Department of State for this significant work.

Fresh acai berries are so highly perishable that they are not imported whole. Instead, harvesters turn the berries into a pulp or juice, and then freeze or freeze-dry. The most antioxidant-rich form of acai available here in the U.S. seems to be a frozen pulp available in many health food stoes. You'll find it under the Sambazon brand. While the line includes bottled juices and a powdered version, these frozen pure acai packets are perfect for making some incredible smoothies. They're great to stir into yogurt or cereal as well. And don't' stop there!

Acai is making it into more products by the month. Jamba Juice has added a new smoothie called Acai Supercharger. M-mm-good. Ben & Jerry's has introduced a Brazilian Acai Berry Sorbet, with one of the deepest and richest acai flavors around. They describe it as a "tantalizing sorbet notes of sweet blueberries, wild blackberries and a hint of grape, all delivered through a velvety, pear-like texture." Fair enough. (All stores that stock Ben & Jerry's do not stock this sorbet. If you don't see it, you may have to ask your store manager to order it for you.)

Goji Berries

For nutritional value, goji berries are amazing. More on that later. First, I want to tell you about the lore. Chinese legend has it that these berries promote long life, and that one man, Li Qin Yuen, lived to be healthy 252 years old. His secret to long life was a daily serving of soup made from the goji berry. Whether fact or fiction, the story points to an age-old connection between this fruit and long life.

In fact, it's hard to separate the facts from the fictions surrounding goji berries. From Chinese medicine to web sites hawking pills and potions, there's just about no claim that hasn't been made for this fruit. Chinese medical studies point to benefits in the areas of liver health, eyesight, sperm production, circulation, and immune system enhancement.

This much is true. Goji berries (also referred to as wolfberries) are one of the richest sources of antioxidants on the planet. And they are particularly rich in an antioxidant called zeaxanthin. A study reported in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests that goji berries might be useful in fighting age-related macular degeneration - the leading cause of blindness related to aging.

Goji berries taste better dried than juiced, I think. The dried berries resemble raisins. The texture is something like a raisin, too, and the taste is like a cross between a carrot, a raisin, and a lemon. Unusual, and good.

A word of caution: some products sold as goji berry juice contain none or very little of the real thing. Others are falsely labeled "organic." Both of these problems have been widely recognized, and yet there has been little regulation of either. One way to make sure you're getting the real thing is to shop for your goji berries in dried form at a Chinese market or health food store. You can also find a goji berry trail mix at Trader Joe's. But don't buy goji juice online - especially if the seller isn't a company you know and trust!

Gaining Some Perspective

Okay, before you fill your refrigerator with acai berries and gojo berries, let's put this information in perspective. Antioxidants are not limited to certain rare foods. They are found in all fruits and vegetables to varying degrees - and there are many different compounds that fit under the "antioxidant" label. A smart approach is one that balances two objectives: 1. getting some of highest antioxidant foods like acai and goji berries into your diet, and 2. consuming a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Forget five a day - aim for seven, eight, or nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day to ensure that you get plenty of antioxidants.

The evidence on the power of antioxidants is really quite compelling - and new studies are surfacing all the time. For example, a recent London study reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition reviewed eight previous studies conducted in the U.S, Europe, and Japan, and found that eating five servings of antioxidant-filled fruit and veggies each day reduced the risk of stroke 25% more than getting just three servings a day. Yet some fruits and vegetables offer more protective benefit than others. And you want to get your antioxidants from food; some research is beginning to suggest that antioxidants in pill form sometimes not only don't help, but can actually cause or contribute to health problems.

To get your antioxidants, you can't go wrong starting with acai and goji berries. Beyond that, you can continue to fortify your diet with other top antioxidant foods, as identified in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry:

* Small red beans (dried)
* Wild blueberries
* Red Kidney beans
* Pinto beans
* Blueberries (cultivated)
* Cranberries
* Artichokes (cooked)
* Blackberries
* Prunes
* Raspberries
* Strawberries
* Red Delicious apples
* Granny Smith apples
* Pecans
* Sweet cherries
* Black plums
* Russet potatoes (cooked)
* Black beans (dried)
* Plums
* Gala apples