How quickly do flavonoids and carotenoids degrade?
When a consumer orders and receives a bottle of a typical superfruit juice, at least 8 months have passed since the fruit was harvested, processed, and pasteurized. The half-life of flavonoids in açaí fruit can be as short as nine days. Within two weeks of processing, as much as half of the flavonoids may no longer be active. Independent research has verified that within 6-8 months of harvest, the flavonoids in açai are completely degraded—meaning the consumer gets little or no antioxidant benefit from consuming the product. Rapid flavonoid degradation in açaí and other superfruit juices explains why there is no significant research to substantiate superfruit juice product claims.
