What is Mona Vie?Mona Vie is a delicious and energizing blend of the Brazilian açai berry—one of nature’s top super-foods—and other nutrient dense fruits. Developed with the philosophy Balance-Variety-Moderation, Mona Vie delivers the phytonutrients and antioxidants you need to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
What is Acai?Acai is a small, round, dark-purple berry with amazing nutritional properties. Its appearance is similar to that of a grape, but it has a smaller amount of pulp and a single large seed. Scientific experts have referred to the acai berry as the most nutritious and powerful food in the world.
The acai berry grows in clusters on the acai palm, a genus of 25–30 species of palms native to tropical Central and South America. These tall, slender, and attractive palms can grow 15–30 meters tall, with leaves up to 3 meters long. The prime commercial source of acai comes from the area where several rivers converge within the Amazon estuary, emptying along the northeastern corner of Brazil into the Atlantic Ocean between the states of Para and Amapa. The people of Brazil refer to acai as the “Milk of the Amazon.”
What fruits are contained in the Mona Vie product?
In addition to the açai berry, Mona Vie products contain white grape, nashi pear, acerola, pear, aronia, purple grape, cranberry, passion fruit, banana, apricot, prune, kiwi, blueberry, bilberry, camu camu, wolfberry, pomegranate, and lychee fruit.
Does Acai have a high ORAC Score?
Yes, with an ORAC score of 1,027, the acai used in Mona Vie boasts the highest ORAC score of any fruit or vegetable tested to date. The acai fruit is the star among other well-known antioxidants, such as blueberries, grapes, red wine, green tea, cranberries, blackberries, and pomegranates. By comparison, acai has more than 10 times the antioxidant power of cranberries.
ORAC is an acronym for oxygen radical absorption capacity, ORAC is a way to measure the antioxidant capacity of a food. Foods with high ORAC values are desirable for their ability to inhibit free radical activity. The ORAC measurement was developed by a scientist at the National Institute of Aging in 1992 and has proven to be a valuable tool in quantifying health benefits associated with consuming fruits, vegetables, and other antioxidant-containing foods and supplements.
What are antioxidants?Antioxidants are “agents” that inhibit harmful compounds known as free radicals. Free radicals cause damage to your cells through the process of oxidation. By donating an electron to unstable free radicals, antioxidants neutralize their harmful effects. Obtaining a variety of antioxidants through diet or supplementation is essential to maintaining your good health
What are free radicals?
Free radicals are atoms with at least one unpaired electron. In excess, free radicals produce harmful oxidation that can damage cell membranes. Free radicals are analogous to cattle let loose on a field of planted crops. Uncontrolled, the cattle would destroy the crops. Ranch hands are hired to make sure the cattle stay in place and graze. Antioxidants act much the same way. As the ranch hands for our bodies, antioxidants prevent free radicals from potentially damaging millions of healthy, functioning cells.
What is Oxidative stress?
Oxidative stress occurs in your body when there are not enough antioxidants to counter the effects of damaging free radicals.
What causes excess free radicals?
Tobacco smoke, alcohol, pollution, insecticides, radiation, chemicals in the home or at work, and excessive amounts of sunlight are all prolific contributors to the formation of free radicals. Other causes include a high-fat diet, stress, insufficient sleep, and strenuous exercise.
How well do Mona Vie products scavenge other free radicals such as peroxynitrite (NORAC), hydroxyl (HORAC), and superoxide anion (SORAC)?The Mona Vie Juice blend is a very powerful antioxidant against these additional free radicals; in fact, the SORAC assay score of 1,614 unit/g represents the highest value ever reported for superoxide scavenging activity in vitro of any food.
What are Phytonutrients?
Phytonutrients are naturally occurring compounds that contribute to the flavor, color, and disease-resistance of plants (i.e., fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes). Phytonutrients are powerful antioxidants, but their value extends much beyond free radical protection. Maximum health benefits are derived from consuming a variety of phytonutrients with a full spectrum of colors and pigments, such as those found in Mona Vie products.
What are Polyphenols?
Polyphenols are a class of powerful antioxidants that play an important role in preventing cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart disease, heart failure, and stroke) and that have been shown to reduce harmful LDL cholesterol. Polyphenols are also thought to be responsible for the French Paradox: the French have a diet relatively high in fat, yet have a decreased incidence of heart disease. This is attributed to the amount of polyphenols present in the grapes used to make French wines. Mona Vie products contain a powerful variety of polyphenols, including anthocyanins. It is estimated that Mona Vie products have 20–30 times the amount of anthocyanins found in red wine.
Is
Mona Vie’s acai certified organic?
Yes. The acai used by Mona Vie is certified organic through The Institute for Marketecology (IMO). IMO is one of the first and most renowned international agencies for inspection, certification, and quality assurance of eco-friendly products. IMO’s worldwide activities are accredited by the Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS), according to EN 45011 (ISO 65), which is the international
standard for organic certification.
What is Glucosamine hydrochloride?Glucosamine hydrochloride is a natural compound found in the body that is used to help make and form cartilage. Glucosamine has also been shown to help lubricate, cushion, protect, and rebuild joints.
There are three types of glucosamine: glucosamine hydrochloride (HCl), N-acetyl glucosamine, and glucosamine sulfate. Both glucosamine HCl and glucosamine sulfate are rapidly converted into “free” glucosamine in the stomach. So, from a medicinal standpoint, they are equally effective. However, glucosamine HCl is 79 percent glucosamine, while glucosamine sulfate is only between 47 and 52 percent glucosamine. MonaVie Active Gel and the Mona Vie Active Juice contain glucosamine HCl because it contains the highest level of free glucosamine.
Are Mona Vie products safe?Yes, Mona Vie products are safe and contain only well-tolerated foods. Mona Vie contains fruit juices and purees naturally found in the food supply that have been consumed by various cultures for hundreds of years. However, if you have any health concerns, you should consult a physician before starting any new product or program.
Are Mona Vie products FDA approved?
There is no special approval or certificate needed from the FDA to approve the sale of a juice product. As long as the ingredients contained in Mona Vie products are generally recognized as safe, which they are, FDA approval is not necessary.
Do Mona Vie products treat, cure or prevent disease?
It is not the purpose of a natural product like Mona Vie to treat, cure, or prevent disease; the FDA approves drugs to treat, cure, and prevent disease. Moravia’s products are made with a specific selection of fruits and other natural compounds such as glucosamine hydrochloride and esterified fatty acids. These fruits and compounds have been shown in some studies to protect from various ailments.
What are Esterified fatty acids?Esterified fatty acids are thought to reduce pain-like symptoms and rapidly promote joint health, improving flexibility and mobility. Esterification is the general name for a chemical reaction in which two chemicals (typically an alcohol and an acid) form an ester as the reaction product.
