Weight Loss Articles

The Acai Berry

The acai berry is the fruit of the Acai palm, which is a native tree in South and Central America. The fruit, acai berry, has had lots of publicity recently as a dietary suppliment. The actual fruit itself is a small berry, about the size of a grape, and it a dark purple or green, depending on the exact tree it is from, as well as its ripeness. The Acai Palm produces two crops of berries per year. It has a large seed that takes up most of the berry, as well as a pulp that surrounds it.

The berries are harvested for food in the Amazon, and make up a large portion of their diet there. In Belize, the fruit is served many ways, including in a bowl with tapioca, salty or sweet, cold, as in a fruit juice or ice cream flavor. It has become very popular to eat with granola, and is known for its energizing proponents.

Most of the current research on the berries have found them to contain many nutritionally valuable things. The berry has not only protein and fiber, but also contains vitamins C and A, calcium and iron. It is also a form of natural antioxidants in both the raw form as well as in the juice. There are many valuable things to be found in this small berry that has hit the market place, and is changing diets worldwide.


Acai Berry Information

There has been so much hype about the Acai berry that many believe it must be some form of super-food that is found in the Amazon. And while the Acai might not be a cure-all, it really is one of the healthiest foods that you can find on the market today. There are a few things to keep in mind about the Acai berry to keep in mind when you are out searching for it.

First, the Acai is found only in the Amazon, so unless you live really close to it, you wont find the berry fresh in any health food store near you. It is, however, often ground into a freeze dried powder, that contains all the goodness of the fresh fruit. So you might be wondering what this little fruit, about the size of a small grape, might taste like. Well the berry itself is 90% seed, which is always discarded. The pulp tastes berry-like, with a chocolate after taste. Could it get any better?

Many Americans envy Europeans for their great health and vitality. It was discovered that Europeans, the French in particular, consume a great deal more of red wine than Americans do. Research has shown that red wine can lessen your chances of getting heart disease because of the red wine grape. It contains special antioxidants that keep you and your heart healthy. Acai berries contain 30% more of that antioxidant than the red wine grapes. It is just so good for you!


The Perfect Berry!

When you see the size of the Acai berry (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) it is hard to believe that such a small fruit can contain so much goodness. But it is true, and this little fruit has garnered acclaim recently from it rash of publicity. Many think it is a cure-all for anything, but in truth, it is one of the healthiest foods you can consume. Because of its location, however, unless you relocate to the Amazon, you will have to be satisfied with the freeze dried powder form of it, which keeps all the nutritional value of the fresh berry.

The Acai berry is rich in many things our bodies need. It has a very high level of antioxidants, more than grapes or blueberries. It also has tons of Omega fats (which are so good for you) including Omega 3, Omega 6, and Omega 9 fats. It also contains many vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, B1, B2, B2, C, E, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc are all found in this tiny berry. There is also the ratio of 14 grams of fiber for every 100 grams of the freeze dried powder.

It is important to note that only the pulp and skin of the Acai is eaten. The seed is used for decoration is some Amazon tribes, as well as a fuel source, but it is never eaten. This is important to keep in mind when you are searching for an Acai product to buy. Ones that claim to have the seed are not giving you the same nutritional value as ones that use only the skin and pulp. There is little or no research on the seed, but it is not known currently to posses any of the healthy values that the pulp and skin do.