The Publishers League

January 19, 2010

Little Known Health and Nutrition Benefits of the Acai Fruit

Bowl of Acai Berries
Creative Commons License photo credit: gurucrusher

Many people wonder, just what IS the acai berry? You first need to know where the berry comes from, to answer this question. For centuries, acai fruits were a highly sought-after trading item that, for centuries, South American merchants frequently exchanged in their deals. Also known as the Acai fruit, the berry features a very large seed and is characterized by it’s round, purple appearance (although some acai varieties are green in color). Approximately one inch in diameter, the seed is about seven to ten millimetres of the total diameter, so occupies 80% of the volume of the entire fruit.

Consisting of just seed and about 1 mm of pulp, the acai berry fruit is available mostly in its juice or pulp form as it does not hold up well after it has been harvested. The Acai palm delivers crops of 1000 berries twice annually, meaning there is no shortage of the fruit.

Often used in cooking, the acai berry and pulp does not require any particular preparation when eaten raw. In some regional diets, the fruit represents as high as 42% of total consumption. The berry can be mixed into virtually anything from entrees and side dishes to sorbets, ice creams, desserts and yogurts. Acai fruit juice is also used in a delicious acai fruit drink.

It was not until recently that the nutritional viability of the acai fruit was fully understood, despite that the berry had been extensively studied in the 1930s and 40s and the fruit’s benefits wildly known. Offering a wide array of 19 amino acids, fatty acids and a huge array of nutrients, the content of this fruit is quite astonishing!

What this translates to in practice is a perfect balance of energy and nutrients that help your body’s natural mechanisms fight of the damaging free radicals in your system helping you to feel (and look) younger, in particular the condition of your skin. Also part of the acai berry is the presence of Vitamins A, D and E, zinc, magnesium and a host of other essential nutrients.

While a delicious fruit in itself, few would have guessed this inconspicuous berry would offer such a wide range of nutritional goodness. To buy acai fruit products or more information in general, visit the following link. Acai Fruit

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