The acai berry (pronounced “ah-sigh-ee”) is a small berry, about the size of a grape. Grown solely in the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil, the berry consists of about 80% seed, or pit. The remaining 20% is the precious fruit, which is traditionally processed into a paste and forms a vital part of the native diet.
Although it makes up a small proportion of the berry, the fruit has one of the highest nutritional values of any fruit in the world. Not only is it packed full of restorative amino acids and free radical fighting antioxidants, acai berries also contain anthocyanins, fibre, omega 3 and 6, iron, essential minerals and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 C and E.
It’s no surprise then that the acai berry was recently ranked as the top superfood by Dr Nicholas Perricone. With a delicious taste reminiscent of berries and chocolate, it has overtaken wheatgrass as one of the many solutions for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But the acai berry is not just another health fad- the benefits have been scientifically proven.
Bringing the berry to you
Until recently, the acai berry was one of Brazil’s best kept secrets. This was because of its high omega content, which means the fruit perishes quickly- within a day of being picked. It wasn’t until recently that scientists began to conduct studies into the true power of acai, and discovered the incredible advantages of the berry.
Although it is easy for a company to use over-processed acai berries as ingredients or flavourings to increase the cost of premium sorbets or juices, the nutritional content is often diminshed as a result. The recent surge in popularity of the acai berry means supplements are now available which process the berry so that it retains the nutritional value of the fresh fruit itself.
There are also a lot of companies that market supplements that contain inferior levels of acai berry. Often these are coupled with exaggerated claims of miracle weight loss that yield little in the way of results, our study exposes the truth from the hype to view the results click here
