About Acai

With the growing popularity and use of acai for nutritious purposes, many want to learn more about this fruit that has been hailed as nature's "superfood." In an effort to spread both knowledge about acai and the very beneficial use of its fruit, the acai fruit or berry, here is some of the basic information you might want to know about acai:

The acai (pronounced asa'i) palm is part of the genus Euturpe, which contains seven varieties of palms found in tropical Central and South America. They grow mainly in floodplains and swamps and are tall, majestic-looking palm trees that grow between 15 and 30 meters, with leaves reaching up to three meters long. The acai fruit itself is small, round, and of a black-purple color, growing to a mere 1 inch in diameter. The fruit is similar to a grape in many respects, growing in bunches of up to 900 of the small berries. Its seed, about seven to ten millimeters in diameter, makes up about 80% of the fruit.

Recent studies and research has revealed that the acai fruit, or berry, has become a major source of food for traditional Cabolco populations in the Amazon region of Brazil. Furthermore, with the proliferation of its use in various products in the last few years, it is economically valuable to that region as well, being used in a wide variety of nutritious foods and products including juice blends, smoothies, with granola, yogurt, or otherwise. Additionally, research has found that the acai has quite a nutritional resumé, boasting a comparative advantage in almost every way over even other fruits. It contains a high amount of protein, strong antioxidant levels, and the important and hard-to-find fatty acid omega-6. Among the many benefits it is said to possess, it boosts energy levels and has been found to possibly have cancer-fighting potential. Research has shown that antioxidants are an important factor in our body's ability to fight off disease and the antioxidants found in acai contribute heavily. Antioxidants play help in strengthening cellular walls and decreasing cholesterol-related disease.

In its various forms, acai is a great compliment a healthy diet, there are many acai recipes that will give you ideas on how to include it in your menu, and more detailed information on the nutritional benefits acai provides is easy to find as it is being constantly studied and written about. Check out AcaiRoots.com for more information as well as a great selection of acai products.