Acai- Is it really a super food? And why?

What is acai?

The acai berry is a small nearly black fruit with a large seed that grows on a palm tree in the Amazon basin. Recently, the acai berry has received a great deal of attention for the extraordinary nutritional properties of the fruit. Some authorities have called it a super food . Many claims have been attributed to consuming it. Is acai a super food? What are the facts to support these claims? There is a great deal to discuss. But first, a few facts about acai.

Basic Facts about Acai

Acai is the fruit of the palm tree, euterpe oleracea,which grows in the flood plains of the Amazon basin. The tree is about 75 to 100 feet tall when mature and the fruit grows in clusters at the top of the tree. The fruit is harvested over a six month period and must be processed quickly because it spoils rapidly without refrigeration. This is the reason that there was little knowledge about the acai berry outside Brazil until recently.

Historic Use of Acai

The native population of Amazonia has consumed acai in large quantities for generations and regards it as essential for life. Native rituals celebrate the palm harvest and botanist Joseph Banks remarked on the berry when the Cook expedition visited Brazil. Recently urban populations in Brazilian cities have embraced Acai as refrigeration has made transporting the fruit possible. Recently, acai has become popular in Europe and North America as talk shows have spread the work about the new super food.

Nutritional Value

First of all, research has determined that acai contains vitamins A, C, E, D, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-6 and B-12, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, inositol,, calcium, magnesium, copper, chromium, zinc, iron, sodium, manganese, selenium, boron, potassium, molybdenum, and iodine and has none of the heavy metals. It contains all the essential and non-essential amino acids necessary for protein synthesis. It also has large quantities of healthy fats, both monosaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition it contains phytosterols to help maintain healthy cholesterol balance. Acai has the highest recorded ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capacity) score of any known fruit making it an incredible source of antioxidants . Finally, it has remarkable anti-inflammatory properties.

What it does.

So we see that acai is an amazing food, but why should you consume acai instead of vitamins and other supplements? The human body has evolved over the years to consume a variety of plants. In pre-history, studies have identified that humans used over 800 types of plants for food, compared to the small number of plants we eat today. That diversity of plant sources for nutrition ensured that the body received all the substances necessary for life. Although we have discovered many substances that we believe are essential, the vitamins and minerals that we take as supplements, we are constantly discovering new substances with important healing properties . This points out the importance of consuming whole fruits rather than extracts or isolated substances.

Whole fruit is best.

Studies have confirmed that straining the acai pulp removes much of the antioxidant value. There may be many other unidentified substances in the fruit which make consuming the whole fruit important for health. But these studies of the health properties of acai have been conducted in laboratories. Have there been demonstrated health benefits for consumption of acai? Yes. Human tests for consumption of acai have shown raised antioxidant levels from its use.

Research behind the facts.

Finally, what is the source of this information? The information reported here is from ACAI: An extraordinary Antioxidant-Rich Palm Fruit by Alexander G. Schauss, Phd, FACN. Dr. Schauss is the Director of Natural and Medicinal Products Research, AIBMR Life Sciences. He has studied nutrition and botanical medicine for over 30 years and has pioneered research on acai for over 13 years.