Acai, What is it?

The fruit, a small, round, black-purple drupe about 1 inch (25 mm) in diameter, similar in appearance and size to a grape but with less pulp, is produced in branched panicles of 700 to 900 fruits. Two crops of fruit are produced each year. The fruit has a single large seed about 0.25–0.40 inches (7–10 mm) in diameter. The exocarp of the ripe fruits is a deep purple color, or green, depending on the kind of açaí and its maturity. The mesocarp is pulpy and thin, with a consistent thickness of 1 mm or less. It surrounds the voluminous and hard endocarp which contains a seed with a diminutive embryo and abundant endosperm.[citation needed] The seed makes up about 80% of the fruit (Schauss, 2006c).

The berries are harvested as food. In a study of three traditional Caboclo populations in the Amazon region of Brazil, açaí palm was described as the most important plant species because the fruit makes up such a major component of diet (up to 42% of the total food intake by weight) and is economically valuable in the region (Murrieta et al., 1999).

The juice and pulp of açaí fruits (Euterpe oleracea) are frequently used in various juice blends, smoothies, sodas, and other beverages. In northern Brazil, açaí (or jussara, which is one of the fruit’s common folk names) is traditionally served in gourds called “cuias” with tapioca and, depending on the local preference, can be consumed either salty or sweet (sugar, rapadura and honey are known to be used in the mix). Açaí has become popular in southern Brazil where it is consumed cold as açaí na tigela (“açaí in the bowl”), mostly mixed with granola — a fad in which açai is considered an energizer. Açaí is also widely consumed in Brazil as an ice cream flavor or juice. The juice has also been used in a flavored liqueur.

As the high fat content of açaí (Nutritional content, below) indicates it would deteriorate rapidly after harvest, its raw material is generally available outside the immediate growing region only as juice or fruit pulp that has been frozen or processed as a pulp powder or freeze-dried powder. Several companies now manufacture juices, health drinks, yogurts, and sorbets made from açaí berries, often in combination with other fruits.

Source: Acai on Wikipedia

The Acai berry is the leading fruit, by weight, in MonaVie. The Acai has been harvested and consumed for centuries and consumed by theYanomami Indians who, as NBC Today reported (5/13/2003), “have believed for centuries that the Acai holds unique power.”

It is only in the last 3-5 years that the beneﬁts of the Acai were discovered by the Brazilian elite and North Americans who ate the imported and highly perishable berry primarily as a frozen slush.

Scientiﬁcally, the Acai berry stands up to the praise and the scrutiny. This little, dark purple berry that dangles in clusters from the 25 foot Acai palm, nutritionally, has the ingredients of an ideal food:

* the protein proﬁle of an egg
* essential fatty acids (omega 3,6, and 9)
* a low glycemic index
* a leading source of anthocyanins
* high in ﬁber
* more than 16 phytonutrients and anti-oxidants
* copious amounts of trace (i.e. Co, Cr, Cu, Mo) and macro minerals (i.e. Ca, Fe)
* packed with vitamins, including natural vitamin E (mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols)
* an excellent source of plant sterols, particularly Beta-Sitosterol

Source: Black Diamond University Training

Acai, What is it?

Acai, what is it?

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