There is a new breakfast juice drink that is better for you than even apple and orange juice. It’s the acai (pronounced a-sigh-ee) berry juice from the acai palm tree in the Amazon river basin in Brazil. How exotic is that? Throughout history this fruit and it’s juice has given health and life to the natives of Brazil. There is little evidence of it’s curative properties but overwhelming evidence of the acai berry juice’s health-promoting properties.
The Açaí fruit is a small, round and mostly purple grapelike berry. Like most tropical fruits it has a very large stone and consquently less pulp. The outer layer of the fruit is deeply colored purple, blue or green dependant on the variety. It has always been a staple of the Brazilian diet and with the technology to juice and freeze the pulp it is now available worldwide, but at a price of course.
The pulp and juice of the Açaí berries is used mostly in juice blends, but can also complement salads and smoothies. The industry of course extracts every drop of value from the fruit. It is high in oil content and has a very short shelf life. Just a day or two after picking. Therefore they have to be rapidly mixed into yoghurts, pulp powder and even fruit juices with preserving agents or frozen before deterioration sets in.
The Açaí fruit is rich in all the usual suspects such as proteins, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. But what makes it into a true ‘superfood’ is the large amount of antioxidants and anthocyanins. These are substances including vitamins A, C and E that help break down ageing free radicals in the body. It is claimed that the açaí fruit aids digestion and has a strong cleansing and detoxifying influence throughout the body. It is also said to be a boost to the body’s immune system and heart by preventing inflammation.
Some scientists however are sceptical of claims that the far-flung acai megaberry is so much better for us than homegrown varieties. Their exoticism gives them a status beyond their true value. Like all berries they have nutritional benefits as part of a balanced diet. So don’t go overboard on this latest of superfoods. Rather take it for what it is, a healthy supplemtal and tasty alternative to the old favorites, OJ and the humble apple juice.