Acai Berry

It is a fruit from the acai palm, which is native to Northern Brazil. The berries have formed an important part of the diet of Brazilians and Native South Americans for centuries, and began to be processed and exported for general global consumption in the 1990s.

The berry is a small, round, black-purple drupe, 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 in a year. Acai palm grows only in the Amazon and while new to the Western world it has been used by the local rainforest aborigines for ages.

The berry itself is 90% nut and 10% pulp and must be carefully harvested and processed before it can be made into pulp for juice or smoothies. It is so perishable that it must be processed within 24 hours of harvesting.

Frozen Acai pulp is created by submitting fresh berries through a process of "flash-freezing" that takes place within one day of being picked. The procedure is the brainchild of the world leader in Acai – Sambazon.

Acai has been introduced in the US thanks in large part to a couple of surfers from California. They made a personal discovery of acai as an energy booster while enjoying a surfing vacation in Brazil.

The result is the Sambazon company, dedicated to making organic acai available in the US while supporting the local population harvesting acai in Brazil. Doing so in a sustainable way – making use of natural resources without doing damage to the fragile rainforest. The harvesting of the acai berry is an alternative to cutting down the rainforest to make room for farming. Acai is a renewable resource.

The Sambazon smoothies are now available in health food stores all over the United States. And they have achieved certification for “Organic Acai”.

Many other energy drinks have been introduced under the classification superfruits. Acai is known to possess a wealth of desirable components that aids an individual's quest for health.

Becoming healthier, stronger, and motivated during sporting activity. While the high levels of antioxidants found in the fruit are one of the most talked-about characteristics, there are many other components that create beneficial results in the body.

Acai is a dense source of a particular class of flavonoids called anthocyanins. The Orac Value of acai is higher than any other known edible berry on the planet!

The berry is rich in calcium as well. If added to a healthy diet, rich with other foods that contain calcium and vitamin D, acai berry juice or smoothies can be used as a preventive measure in avoiding osteoporosis.

Acai Berry is an excellent source of dietary fiber. It is rich in organic vegetable protein which does not generate cholesterol during its digestion and is easier processed and transported to your muscles than animal protein.

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