Wonder Fruit Acai Berry

Aptly nicknamed “The Wonder Fruit”, the Acai Berry deserves the fame it has garnered over the past few years. This fruit is an important part of the staple diet of the people around the Amazon, and has been used in various forms of traditional medicines like the Ayurveda since centuries as well. This wonder fruit has recently surged in popularity largely amongst the health conscious people the world over.

There has been a recent escalation in the interest in acai berries primarily because it contains high levels of two plant molecules that act as very strong antioxidants, viz. anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins. While the benefits of acai berry have been large and varied, it is currently most popular in the weight loss segment promoting healthy living amongst dieters all over the world. Scientific studies show that there are significant quantities of antioxidant in the extract of acai berry. The antioxidants help reduce damage to blood vessels caused by free radicals and inflammation.

The Acai Berry is simple fruit, which is small, round and black-purplish, and resembles a grape in size, although with lesser pulp. The acai berry is a fruit of Euterpe Oleracea, a palm tree species that grows predominantly in the Amazon rainforest of northern Brazil. Most of the other species are also native to Central and Southern America regions. Expectedly, it forms almost half of the diet of Brazilians around the Amazon, who consume the Acai Berry in one form or the other, such as juices, smoothies or other beverages.

What is unique about this fruit is that while Acai berry has omega fats unlike saturated fats that are common with junk food, it also contains amino acid, protein, Vitamin A, B1 and E. It contains electrolytes in addition to the above as well. Of late, the acai berry has widely been commercialized as a dietary supplement, and many companies sell acai berry products. A large range of products like tablets, juices, smoothies, instant drink powders and whole fruits have flooded the markets today.

There are several other health benefits of acai berry, such as cleansing toxins from the body, enhanced sexual desire and performance, increased blood circulation, improved vision, normalized and regulated cholesterol levels, and help in maintaining healthy heart function.

Although these products have not been evaluated (in the United States) by the FDA, and their efficacy is questionable there are no two ways about the fact that it remains a highly sought after dietary supplement in the health conscious world of today. While the Acai berry has just lately come in the lime light in the United States, it has been around for quite some time and has been a source of healthy living to many people especially the natives around the Amazon.

Acai berry is not the only such wonder fruit possessing amazing beneficiary properties. Others in the list are cranberry, orange, and apple juices, concord grape, blueberry, and black cherry juices. Famous doctors and dieticians the world over are prescribing this wonder fruit to patients who are achieving highly coveted results. Another strong reason for the outbreak in the popularity of the Acai Berry is because they have been found to have no side effects.

You can consider taking acai berry in your diet for its various health benefits as well as usefulness in weight loss programs. However, it is always advisable to consult a doctor or a dietitian before changing your diet.