Acai is a fruit from the Euterpe oleracea palm, traditionally used for hearts of palm. The acai berry is now grown for nutritional supplements and has been attributed with various health benefits, but most claims are considered misleading. Acai has high antioxidant levels and a sweet taste with a hint of chocolate.
Acai is a fruit that comes from a species of palm found throughout Central and South America. The acai palm is in the genus Euterpe, and is of the species Euterpe oleracea. This palm was traditionally cultivated as a primary source of hearts of palm, because it grows quickly. However, in recent years, the acai berry has become a hugely profitable nutritional supplement, and massive quantities are now grown exclusively for this purpose.
The acai fruit, generally known as an acai berry, is about the size of a standard grape and looks quite similar. It grows in large clusters, with up to nearly a thousand berries per cluster. The berry has a single seed, which occupies most of the fruit, and the rest is pulp.
Traditionally, the caboclo indigenous people of the Amazon region eat the acai as food. Nearly half of your total food intake by weight is made up of acai, as it is prevalent, delicious, and very healthy. In Brazil, it is widely used in food preparation, and can be added to smoothies, made into soft drinks or juices, or served as a dessert with tapioca. It is also used in acai liqueur, acai ice cream, and acai juice.
The acai berry has been widely promoted for its health food properties. Virtually every conceivable beneficial property has been attributed to the berry, and advertisements can be seen all over the internet, with claims ranging from the modest to the downright outlandish. Acai has been claimed to aid in sexual performance, weight loss, better sleep, lower cholesterol, clearer skin, clearer digestion and additional energy. Even more extremely, acai has been claimed by some to enlarge penis size and completely cure diabetes.
Despite the prevalence of claims about acai, there have been no widespread formal studies of its health benefits. Most of the claims are considered by most health professionals to be misleading, if not outright false. While acai is likely to have some benefits, both in terms of fiber content and antioxidant levels, it’s unlikely to be the miracle drug some people claim it to be.
Most of the research that has been done on acai has focused on the antioxidant levels and activities of the berry. There are several different varieties of acai, and most of them have been tested against other foods that contain known antioxidants. The purple variety, which is the variety most often claimed to help fight things in the body, showed great antioxidant behavior against peroxyl radicals. Other varieties have been found to work well against other radicals, including superoxide and hydroxyl radicals.
As for the taste, acai is generally appreciated by the people who eat it. It is sweet like many other edible berries, with a pleasant texture. It has an aftertaste that is vaguely reminiscent of chocolate, with a slight bitterness. This is probably one of the reasons why it has become such a popular supplement, as many people find it more enjoyable than many other dietary aids.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
