The Brazilian Acai berry is a nutritious food. It can be helpful as part of a balanced diet, but research is mixed as to if by itself it is a super food with vast curative powers.
The Brazilian Acai berry is part of the palm family. The palm grows throughout South America and is used as a source of food by some peoples who inhabit the Amazon. The Brazilian acai berry, referred to scientifically as Euterpe oleracea, grows in marshy areas like swamps and flood plains.
The acai berry is about the size of a grape and has a blue-black color when ripe. It grows in bunches of up to 800 or 900 on each tree. In Brazil, the fruit is used in many ways. It is eaten alone or is used in ice cream, juices, and as a flavoring in liqueur.
The seed of the acai berry is very large relative to the size of the fruit. In fact, over 80% of the mass of the berry is the seed. The seed is sometimes crushed and used as an ingredient in animal feed or organic soil for plants.
High in carbohydrates, the acai berry fruit also contains many other nutrients. Research has shown the berry to contain vitamins A and C, calcium, and amino acid. Tests show Acai berry’s antioxidant properties are about average, similar to grapes and strawberries.
Nowadays, the Brazilian acai berry is used in instant drink powders, smoothies, sodas, and even tablets. Some had touted the berry as a miracle cure for every thing from cancer, to insomnia, weight loss and increased sex drive. Scientific research has not substantiated these claims. Further research is on-going. Scientists studying the populations in Amazon who have eaten the acai for centuries see some promise for medicinal applications of the acai berry fruit.