(Pronounced ah-SAH’-ee)
Açai is a little blue (sometimes purple) berry that originated in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil. Considered to be one of the most powerful and nutritious superfoods on the planet, açai has been used for centuries by the natives of Brazil for its legendary health properties.
Açai palm trees (Euterpe badiocarpa and Euterpe oleracea) can grow to heights of fifty to eighty feet tall. Four to eight individual trees often grow from one seed.
The açai palm tree can be found in the tropical flood plains and riverbank regions of the Amazon basin in Brazil, South America. A very climate-specific plant, açai is only found growing in tropical regions near the equator. Because the equatorial tropics are one of the harshest and most UV ray–intense zones of our planet, in order to protect itself from the sun, the açai berry must produce high amounts of its own UV protective “sunscreen”—the substances we know as “antioxidants.”
The açai palm tree has small, brownish-purple flowers and produces large bunches of edible berries. When ripe, the berries are dark blue-purple and about the size of a large blueberry. They contain a thin layer of delicious, edible pulp surrounding a large seed. Once the açai fruits become ripe and are harvested, the thin fruit pulp is processed into more concentrated forms (such as powder) by a variety of methods, depending on the supplier.
This antioxidant-rich Amazonian berry has recently gotten a lot of mainstream attention (it made Oprah Winfrey’s Top 10 Superfoods List) due to its astounding health benefits as a potent, longevity-promoting superfood.
Super rich in blue-pigmented antioxidants. The antioxidant content of açai berries is truly remarkable. Açai has one of the highest known ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) values in the world, earning it the well-deserved “superfruit” title. (The ORAC assay is a standard measure of antioxidant concentration.) Phenols and anthocyanins (an extraordinary 320 mg per 100 grams), the potent antioxidants responsible for the berry’s appealing dark blue to purple color, play a critical role in neutralizing free radicals (aggressive oxygen) within the body, thus promoting longevity. In recent tests, açai scored an ORAC value of 185. In comparison, red grapes came in at 11, blueberries at 32, and pomegranate at 105.
According to recent research, açai appears to help regenerate and produce stem cells. Stem cells are the embryos of all cells. They help us rejuvenate and heal faster by becoming any cell that is needed within our bodies. For example, a stem cell can become a connective tissue cell, a white blood cell, a muscle cell, or a nerve cell—anything we need. The more we produce stem cells, the more we regenerate, and the longer we can live.
Contains large amounts of plant sterols, especially beta sitosterol. Plant sterols are naturally occurring compounds within certain plants that have been found to inhibit the absorption of excessive animal-food-based cholesterol within the GI tract.
Contains nineteen different amino acids necessary for building healthy proteins throughout the body.
Excellent source of dietary fiber (aids in digestion).
Low-glycemic level. Açai is low in sugar.
Rich in minerals and vitamins, especially calcium, phosphorus, beta-carotene, and vitamin E.
Fights cancer: A recent University of Florida (UF) Study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, showed extracts from açai berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested, said Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “Açai berries are already considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants,” Talcott said. “This study was an important step toward learning what people may gain from using beverages, dietary supplements, or other products made with the berries.”
All of these benefits add up to a superfood that is a great natural energy booster, helps enhance nerve and brain function, promotes a healthy cardiovascular system, supports the creation of healthy, smooth skin, improves endurance and muscular development, assists with digestive health, increases the power of our immune system, and allows our body to more swiftly rejuvenate.
Fair Trade: Fair trade guarantees fair wages for workers, improving their opportunities for better health-care, housing, and education. By choosing fair-trade açai, you are directly contributing to the livelihood of rainforest communities.
The highest nutrition content is in the açai fruit skin, so if you are considering any açai product you would want as much of the skin as possible in the product.
Proper freeze drying (if you cannot obtain açai fresh): If you can confirm that the açai powder is made from açai berries that were freeze-dried within hours of being picked, you can expect antioxidant levels ranging from 30 to 50 percent of levels found in the pulp of fresh açai berries.
Two of my favorite açai brands are Sambazon and Amazon Thunder.