Açaí: Health Benefits, Tips and Product Picks!

Açaí, I say what? Pronounced a-sigh-EE, this Brazilian beauty is a purple-ish red colored fruit which grows from the açaí palm tree, native to Central and South America.  The grape-sized berries grow in bunches that sit near the base of the leaves, and are harvested when they become ripe and dark.

Açaí berries hit the North American market in the mid-2000’s amid claims that its juice was a helpful aid in weight loss, detoxification and overall health.  Research on the açaí berry has focused on its apparent high antioxidant activity, as it is rich in these compounds according to its oxygen radical absorbance capacity, or ORAC, score.   Thanks to this, these little balls of berry goodness have shown some potential when it comes to preventing oxidative damage to the body, and may help prevent diseases caused by oxidative stress such as heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants have long been known to lessen the destructive power of free radicals, little terrorists the wreck havoc in our systems, but are unavoidable as they are produced via normal bodily functions, as well as through exposure from external sources of toxins like drugs, air pollutants, cigarette smoke, and chemicals.

Okay, so it’s good for me, but how does it taste??  Well, think a cross between as raspberry and a chunk of very dark chocolate, with a smooth and creamy texture to match. Choco-berry bliss!  And you can buy these power-packed pockets of yum in a liquid, powder or softgel form,  making it super simple to incorporate them into smoothies, sauces and dessert recipes like this one for Berry Granola!

1. Navitas Naturals Acai Powder

This powder is sourced from the Amazon, made from organic acai berries.  Navitas freeze-dried powder retains the vital nutrients and flavor of the fresh fruit.