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What is the Acai Berry?
Acai Extracts
Buying Acai
The Brazilian Acai Berry Story
Acai Berry Drink
Açaí Juice
Acai Products
Açaí Berry Research
Acai Superfood
Benefits of Organic Açaí

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Acai Berry Diet
Acai Berry
Acai Berry

What is the Acai Berry?

The Acai berry is grown primarily in tropical Central and South America, in the areas of Belize and on southwards into Peru. The berry is the fruit of the acai palm that prefers to grow in floodplain or swamp areas. The acai palm is also used in dishes for the heart of palm or the inner growing tip of a palm, using the palms for making mats, brooms, hats, baskets, roof thatching or for its wood. The acai palm's fruit known as the acai berry has many uses in itself. The fruit, although slightlysmaller, resembles that of grapes. They have either a dark purple color or a green color but have one large seed or pit inside instead of a small group of seeds as with a seeded grape. The large pit contained within the fruit makes for little fruit for consumption. The seed takes up approximately eighty percent of the total size of the fruit.

The berries of the acai palm have been used as an important source of food in the regions whereit grows.The berries does not last for long in the exporting process,due to its high fat content in the fruit that allows forquick deterioration. The most used form of the acai berry is its juice and pulp or its powder of freeze-dried berries. In it's native area of Brazil, the acai juice and pulp is served in a gourd with tapioca and depending on preference, will be made on the salty side or on the sweet side, it could be served cold with granola or used to flavor ice cream or juice. The juice and pulp are most widely used by the remainder of the world throughjuice blends, sodas, health drinks, smoothies and other beverages or can be used in yogurts and sorbets. The acai berry's seed may be used for planting more trees or ground as food for animals or even as an ingredient in organic soil packaged for use with plants.

The acai berry has shown through testing to contain a powerful antioxidant concentration and the most ripe in color, variations of the acai berry in color as a result of ripeness are white to green to dark purple, had the most antioxidants. White acai showed no antioxidant abilities in studies. Acai berry seed extracts indicate antioxidant ability as well. When acai juice was compared to other juices and drinks for their antioxidant levels, it showed to be higher than orangeor apple juice or teas, the same level as black cherry or cranberry juice, but was lower than red wine or blueberry or Concord grape or pomegranate juices. The acai berry and its seed extract containing strong levels of antioxidant capabilities and gives reason for the surge in appearances it has been making especially in the beverage aisle of the food market. Antioxidants have been associated with many great things including cleaning our body of toxins, boosting energy levels and keeping colds at bay.