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Açaí — Is The Juice Really Healthy?
By Sid | November 16, 2008
Some claim it as “purple gold,” health food stores stock it on their shelves, and it started in the Brazilian Amazon. It has been endorsed by health specialists across the globe and was even featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show The acai fruit finds its way into a number of juices, smoothies, and nutrition bars which means it is catching on in the U.S. The real question is, Is acai worth all the hype
The acai berry cures a number of ailments, provides energy, and increases the libido, Amazon tribes have said. Recent scientific studies agree, indicating that the acai berry is one of the most nutritional foods in the world The acai fruit starts as the fruit of Amazonian palm trees. The berry, which features a subtle chocolate taste, is filled with antioxidants, amino and fatty acids, and is a natural energy source Researchers find that this combination creates a “superfood” that helps prevent high cholesterol, heart disease, and cancer Because the acai fruit destroys some cancer cells in the body, it is a leading ingredient in many alternative medicine diets.
The acai fruit is new to supermarket shelves in the U.S., although it’s a daily staple in the Amazonian diet. The U.S. phenomenon is credited to Southern California brothers who discovered the fruit on a surfing trip and returned to the U.S. to co-found the company Sambazon, which features the acai berry in a number of its products
Because the acai fruit spoils too quickly to be distributed widely in its natural form, it’s mostly found as a main ingredient in other food products, like protein bars and juices A higher concentration of antioxidants is found in pulp form rather than acai juice products and is now showing up in some health food stores as an unsweetened pulp form.
To a society focusing more on sustainable development, the acai fruit is even more of a draw. Thousands of harvesters can harvest the acai fruit without destroying the Amazon rainforests. As the popularity of acai products increases and requires more of the fruit to be harvested, new concerns arise.
As Açaí juice products are distributed in food chains like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, the acai fruit’s popularity will only increase. Americans can now embrace the acai fruit now that researchers have provided evidence that it is worth the hype.
Topics: Good Diets |
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