by Rana Williamson

Created on: May 18, 2009   Last Updated: May 22, 2009

It's impossible not to have seen the word. "Acai." It comes in pills. It comes in drinks. Oprah says it's "the" thing. Heck, you don't even know how to pronounce it - ah-sigh-ee - but should you be getting some like everyone else? This once rare Amazonian berry has taken the United States by storm, hailed as a "super fruit," chocked full of healthy properties and touted as a weight loss aid. What is it, and exactly what can you expect to gain from incorporating acai into your daily routine?

What is acai?

Acai, a relative of the blueberry and the cranberry, grows on top of the Acai Palm (Euterpe oleracea), a tall, slender tree common on rainforest river banks throughout South and Central America, with especially dense concentrations in Brazil. The deep purple berries hang like grapes from the tree's multiple stems and are about 1 to 2 centimeters in diameter and an inch in length.

The berry's oily outer coating surrounds a fibrous pulp. About 90% of the fruit's density is taken up by a single, edible seed or nut. Although the trees bear fruit year round, the heaviest harvests are returned during the dry season from July through March. Until the necessary refrigeration technology reached the region in the 1990s, acai was not widely known to the outside world.

Local farmers, however, have harvested the plant for centuries using the berry as a folk remedy for diarrhea, and infusions of the rind and seeds to treat skin ulcers and fevers. The dense, purple acai juice, which is served cold and often mixed with sugar and tapioca flour, is believed to be an energy (and libido) booster. The berries are so popular that indigenous populations consume as much as 2 liters daily.

What are the health benefits of acai?

As the outside world has become familiar with and studied acai, it has emerged as one of the most powerful antioxidants available, making it of interest as an anti-aging fruit with strong anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. While this makes acai useful as an anti-cancer agent, it also has significant value in strengthening the cardiovascular system.

In fact, the range of nutrients found in the berries from simple fiber to cholesterol-lowering omega 3, 6 and 9 oils makes it difficult to single out any one population that stands to gain the most from adding acai to its diet. The USDA estimates that 74% of Americans do not get the daily nutrients their bodies need, so a berry that offers calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, B vitamins (B1, B2, and B3), vitamins

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>