Acai berry (pronounced a-sigh-ee) is the high-energy berry of a special Amazon palm tree. It is a purple -colored fruit considered as a miracle of nature , as it gives so much health benefits.
It is a purple-colored circular fruit, measuring about an inch, it looks like a grape but contains a much larger seed and is commonly bunched into 500 to 900 fruits.
Euterpe oleracea is the scientific name of the acai palm tree and it belongs to the genus Euterpe. It is from the European adaptation of the Tupian that the tree has been named after. Many people from Brazil have incorporated the acai berry in their daily food intake, as a matter of fact it covers up to 40% of their daily meals, making it a highly in demand product. Traditionally acai berries are served in gourds called cuias, which can either be sweet or salty. What made the berries more popular is when people from Southern Brazil started mixing the chilled fruit with their cereals or granola. The largest consumption of acai is in the form of an ice cream flavoing, or juice. Since the 90′s its extracts are also used world wide in assorted beverages such as soda and juices.
You can do a lot with the acai palm tree aside from eating the raw fruit, you can make hats,mats, baskets and roof thatch from the leaves or you can use the extracts of the fruit as a flavoring for tequila and wines. You can also make use of the tree trunk to build houses or other structures, not only is the trunk sturdy, but it also has pest-resistant properties; and not only that, it can also be processed to yield essential minerals.. The antioxidant levels in the acai berry is incomparable to any other fruit or food source. Antioxidants cannot stop you from getting old, but a good mix of certain types of antioxidants will help your body fight untimely aging. The acai berry contains the same antioxidant phytonutrients as blueberries, anthocyanins, except in far greater amounts up to 30 times the amount found in red grapes and 5 times more powerful.
The Nutritional Value of the Acai Berry
The minerals present in the acai berry are potassium, phosphorus, iron and calcium. It also contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, C and E. It also has the essential fatty acids needed to maintain a normal cholesterol level in the body– omega-6, Omega 9, linoleic acid and oleic acid respectively.
Acai berry is being taken by many people because they have proven that it helps in:
– preventing illness by giving the immune system a boost
– giving the skin a radiant glow
– maintaining the levels of cholesterol at a healthy level
– improving energy level
- improving the cardiovascular system
Acai berry fruit doesn’t have any side effects like other fruits and can be taken without worry. The combination of several nutrients, amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins and other properties make this fruit one of the wonders of the natural food kingdom. Considering all the benefits the fruit offers, it can be considered as a wonder of nature and should be incorporated into the everyone’s health list.