Acai (Euterpe oleracea) is a slender palm known to grow up to 50 to 100 feet high. Most of the world’s Acai grows wild in the Amazon Rainforest and It`s considered to be one of nature’s most complete and healthy foods.
It can be found growing mainly in swamps and floodplains. The Acai fruit is a small, deep purple colored berry comparable to the size of a blueberry. Acai berries usually hang in clusters of about 700 to 900 fruits.
The berry has a large seed and small amount of pulp. An Acai palm typically produces two crops of fruit per year.
Since Acai berries oxidize 24 hours after collection, freshly harvested berries must be processed quickly to avoid spoilage.
Acai tastes so good - if we lived in the Amazon we would probably eat it fresh just to enjoy the taste. However, from a nutrition stand point the freeze dried Acai powder does maintain the same nutrition profile as fresh Acai. In fact, because freeze dried Acai removes the water from the Acai - ounce for ounce freeze dried Acai has a much higher concentration of nutrients than fresh Acai.

Health Benefits

Acai is jam packed with antioxidants, which helps boost the immune system, increase resistance to disease and aid the body’s natural defences.
Acai has been used for centuries as a natural energy booster and to increase stamina. More recently it has been discovered that Acai may be helpful in discouraging growth of tumors and cancer cells as well as being helpful for the cardivasculor system, improving blood circulation
Acai berries have essential minerals like potassium, iron, phosphorus and calcium. Also, Acai has Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E.
Acai is also known to protect the nervous system and has been used extensively for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.The Acai berry is rich in fibers, thus making it an aid for digestive problems.
Acai berries have fatty acids called Omega 6 and Omega 9. Research studies prove that these two fatty acids help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Acai helps to protect connective tissues like collagen and may reduce the stresses of aging on the skin. Improved mental focus, better sleep and being of help in cleansing and detoxing your body are other reported benefits, as well as contributing to healthy heart function.
Because of the berry’s amino acid complex and valuable trace minerals, it contributes to proper muscle regeneration and contractions.

Nutritional Information

Acai has 10 times more antioxidant activity than grapes and double that of blueberries. Acai has up to 33 times the Anticyanin ( a powerful antioxidant helpful for combatting free radicals and cholesterol) than red wine grapes, more protein than a regular egg and has one of the highest ORAC ( Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) values in the world.
The small berry is a powerhouse of nutrients and has an almost perfect composition of essential amino acids with an abundance of valuable trace minerals and micronutrients. Acai is packed with vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin C and vitamin E (tocopherol) and is known to be one of the world’s most iron rich foods. Acai also provides minerals such as calcium, potassium, phosphorus and essential fatty acids and omegas. High in phytosterols, Acai also contains glucosamine and celadrin. These are helpful for building cartilage, cushion joints and maintaining many of the body’s tissues.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has initiated studies to look at the link between antioxidant rich food and aging. Here are some direct quotes from the USDA website
“Studies at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston suggest that consuming fruits and vegetables with a high-ORAC value may help slow the aging process in both body and brain.”
Ronald L. Prior, the researcher for the USDA study went on to suggest that “the ORAC measure may help define the dietary conditions needed to prevent tissue damage.”
“Science has long held that damage by oxygen free radicals is behind many of the maladies that come with aging, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. There’s firm evidence that a high intake of fruits and vegetables reduces risk of cancer and that a low intake raises risk. And recent evidence suggests that diminished brain function associated with aging and disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases may be due to increased vulnerability to free radicals, says Joseph, a neuroscientist. ”
Source powersupplements juicelab acai

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