The acai berry, a Brazilian berry popular in health food, contains antioxidants that destroyed cultured human cancer cells.
The berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested.
Other fruits, including grapes, guavas and mangoes, contain antioxidants that have been shown to kill cancer cells in similar studies. However, experts are uncertain how much effect antioxidants have on cancer cells in the human body.
Another study will investigate the effects of acai’s antioxidants on healthy human subjects.