Acai is actually a type of Palm tree that is native to South America, in a climate that is very warm and humid. It produces a berry-like fruit that is dark purple, with a mixed taste of berries and chocolate. This fruit is known as the acai berry. The heart of the palm, the soft inner part of the upper palm tree, is also harvested and used in salads and dishes.
The acai palm tree and its; fruit have been a staple food for the Amazonian (mostly Caboclo) civilization in the Amazon for countless years. The use every part of the tree, with no part of it going to waste. The fruit is picked and made into juice or pulp products three different times each year. The palm hearts are harvested and eaten, locally or as an export. The leaves have been used for mats, baskets brooms and other items. The leaves have also been used for centuries to thatch the roofs of their homes and huts. The trunks of the trees have been harvested for their wood, used in local home building.
You’ve seen it on many infomercials and talk shows. The berry is claimed to have many properties that the health food buff or dieter needs. They claim it can energize you by boosting your metabolism. However, to the natives where this tree grows, their concern was using it as a staple food and other uses, since they found they could use the whole tree. They have taught its use to their children, passed down from one generation to the next.
Since the media has started promoting the berry and its juice from this tree, the farming of acai has enabled natives to create a financially richer life. What used to be a staple food for them is now a means of living. They use what they need of the tree, plant more, farm them, harvest them, and then sell them to exporters and diet food companies. The juice is very popular in Brazil. You can drink it sweet or salty, whichever you prefer. They are also now selling it in freeze dried and powder form for exporting abroad. This is one of those plants that is functional in many areas. None of it goes to waste. Now that they are farming it, the seeds are more important than ever. After they plant the seeds, it only takes a couple months for seedlings to sprout. This is considered a short time under good conditions. Any left over seeds can be ground and used in the feeding of farm animals and in enriching the soil around plants.
Recently there has been a study or two that question the nutritional value of the acai berry. First the publications indicated that it was the best known source of antioxidants, but now some comparisons are showing that the level of antioxidants are not as high as first thought. It actually falls below eleven frozen fruit juices, including the pomegranate, mango and aronia berries in comparative studies. It also fell below red wine, blueberry juice and concord grapes but was higher in comparison to orange and apple juice. It may only be on the same level of antioxidant potency with black cherry and cranberry juice if these studies can be taken at face value.
Some other studies have indicated that this berry may be a future treatment for leukemia, diabetes, heart diseases, other forms of cancer, and even high blood pressure. In fact, they are already using acai as a contrast agent during MRI’s for gastrointestinal scans. The acai berry still packs quite a beneficial punch, no matter what the latest reports claim.
