ACAI BERRY INFORMATION
This little berry got popular in the states. And fast. Here is a nutrition profile on acai (courtesy of the book Superfruits by Dr. Paul Gross, Ph. D):
Nutrient content - High in protein; loaded with fiber; has vitamin E & other antioxidants; healthy fats similar to those in olive oilPhytochemical Content - High in polyphenols (anthocyanins & proanthocyanidins); this is what gives acai its color and its antioxidant propertiesColor - Dark purpleSize - Similar to a blueberry
Translation: It's a very healthy fruit.
SOME HISTORY
Acai was first discovered by the native tribes living in the Amazon hundreds of years ago and it was used as a form of medicine.
A little side note: as you read the stories & history of some of the other antioxidant rich foods you'll notice that almost all indigenous fruits were once used as an early form of medicine.
Grown on palm trees in Northern Brazil, the humid environment near the equator is the perfect condition which aids acai's growth (think of the palm trees in humid Florida).
Around the 15th century good ol' Christopher Columbus stumbled upon the Amazonian people in his pursuit to find the road to El Darado (the mythical "gold" city). Unfortunately this caused some problems for the Amazonian tribes as most of them got wiped out.
But it wasn't the invasions or wars which wiped them out. It was the foreign European germs that did them in.
What about the tribes that did survive? Well is it any coincidence that those who survived were around the acai berry trees and were consuming acai berries?
STILL TALKING ABOUT ACAI'S ROLE IN FIGHTING DISEASE...
Other than fighting off the European germs, the tribes also were infected by a disease which came from snails (technical term is "schistosomosis"). Some of the tribal healers would use acai to help heal their fellow tribesman from this disease.
Speaking of disease, I have also read that acai berry produces a natural antibiotic which helps fight off the Staph infection, which is an infection you can get from hospitals & even the gym!
MORE INFORMATION ON ITS HISTORY
The acai berry gained popularity in Brazil when it started to be eaten by professional athletes (most notably are the Gracie brothers).
The most common way it's eaten in Brazil is as a frozen puree and with granola and honey.
Little by little it became so popular that it is now just part of the Brazilian diet.
Having Girard Perregaux Richeville Replica Watch done capoeira (a Brazilian martial art) for a number of years I would find myself going out to eat at one of the Brazilian restaurants nearby after training. The first thing my Brazilian friends would order is frozen acai.
Even before they ordered their main course they would first eat frozen acai and they'd top it off with honey and granola. Man was it delicious!
SO WHEN DID ACAI BECOME POPULAR IN AMERICA?
It started with two brothers, Ryan and Jeremy Black, going on a surfing trip to Brazil back in 2000. They stumbled upon Cartier Panthere cool watches acai and decided to market and sell it back in America. In short, the company Sambazon was created.
The other two forces which gave acai a lot of buzz was Dr. Nicholas Perricone and Oprah. Dr. Perricone was on Oprah's show and he declared acai to be the top superfood in the world and soon everybody started to jump on the bandwagon.
Unfortunately most of the acai berry information you see or read is influenced by companies marketing or selling acai.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Nowadays you can find acai in most supermarkets or stores that sell specialty products (ie. Whole Foods). The biggest thing is making sure you're getting your money's worth and not getting a filler product.
While acai is a great antioxidants food, it is NOT a miracle weight loss cure.