Unfamiliar Berry - Unprecedented Benefits

The rest of the world is falling in love with a small purplish palm fruit that has been an essential staple in the South American diet for centuries. It is called the acai berry (pronounced ah-SHA"-ee).

Acai is extremely delicate and spoils quickly after it is picked. For this reason, until modern preservation methods invented as little as five years ago existed, it was impossible to enjoy this fruit outside of Colombia or Brazil. Now products with this wonderful fruit are beginning to pop up in health food and grocery stores.

Why the Rage in Popularity?

Acai berries have been scientifically proven by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to measure five times the antioxidant potency as blueberry and almost twice as that of pomegranates. Data compiled using scales for measuring the levels of antioxidants in foods, called the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), has proved acai is the leading source for antioxidants in fruit.

Antioxidants help combat free radicals found in pollution, cigarette smoke, chemicals, and radiation. Free radicals can damage cells, lowering our immune system and making us vulnerable to viruses, bacteria and possibly some cancers.

In fact, in a recent study at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida at Gainesville, acai actually killed human leukemia cells. Of course this is a very preliminary finding, but as Stephen Talcot, one of the associate professors involved in the study stated, "We are just beginning to understand the complexity of the acai berry and its health-promoting effects."

The Benefits for You

Acai is not only rich in potent antioxidants such as flavonoids and anthocyanins, but also B vitamins, Vitamin E, fiber, protein and minerals your body needs on a daily basis. Acai has a low glycemic index, meaning it is an excellent supplement for diabetics. It contains omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids to help lower and maintain good cholesterol levels and lower triglycerides.

The punch this small fruit can have to your body can increase your energy level, improve your skin and vision, regulate your digestion, promote a healthy, natural weight loss, and help your system fight off viruses and bacteria. Many have reported more stamina, less insomnia or depression, and an increase in libido and mental awareness.  The list goes on...

Speaking of Punch...

Acai in a pure, natural form can be marketed through freeze-drying into a powder. This powder is manufactured in a juice, combined with blueberry, pomegranate, mango and/or apple juice. One product claims it combines acai with black cherry, purple plum, cranberry and three other juices. This fruit can be added to green tea, white tea, lemongrass and even some vitamin enriched waters. Often it is mixed with guarana, which is a natural form of caffeine and appetite suppressant, as an energy- boost drink.

The powder can be added to smoothies mixed with bananas, strawberries or maybe mango. The Amazonians have mixed acai juice with coca for centuries. Acai has even been added to red wine.

Good for You, Good for the Earth

Since acai grows in one of the most delicately balanced places on earth, it is good to know it can be harvested and leave the tree unscathed, similar to apples, citruses, and other tree fruit. This makes it a sustainable commodity that can add income to the area and leave a much smaller carbon footprint on the rainforest.

Unlike most other fruits, pure acai palms actually produce fruit twice a year, making for a more abundant crop.  And because the eighty foot tall slender tree is not cut down, it is protected and can continue to thrive in the flood plains and river banks in Brazil and Colombia and be a vital part of the food chain natured intended. All this means, the more popular the berry becomes and the more people purchase acai world-wide, we can be assured there will be plentiful resources.