Acai berries: the real deal
Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
Acai berries grow in heavy, drooping bunches of several hundred
Acai berries, pronounced Ah-Sigh-EE, have created a lot of buzz over the last few years. Whether they’re being touted as a miraculous weight loss supplement, a powerful immune system booster or an anti-aging superfood, they’ve made the scene with trendy dieters, supplement manufacturers and all sorts of healthy living advocates. So what’s the deal with acai berries? What makes them so special? Where do they come from and what are they good for?
Acai berries grow on the acai palm tree, a tall, slender palm that’s cultivated in Central and South America for both its unique fruit and its high quality heart of palm. The berries grow in heavy, drooping bunches of several hundred and look like elongated grapes with a rich, deep blue or purplish color. Oddly enough, their color accounts for a big part of their acclaim in the health food industry.
Fruits and vegetables that boast intense blue, red and purple colorations often have a high anthocyanin content. Anthocyanins are a special class of vegetable pigments that belong to the flavanoid family of molecules — a family of molecules that’s widely heralded as a potent source of antioxidants. And why are antioxidants important? They help to neutralize harmful byproducts of your body’s normal everyday functioning called free radicals. Cell damage caused by free radicals is responsible for all kinds of deteriorative illnesses including cancer, liver disease, heart disease and certain neurological diseases. Acai berries are among the top five most antioxidant-rich common fruits in the world.
Delicious, refreshing and organic Help Yourself! smoothies are a great summer treat!
Much like any new sensation in the world of nutrition, a lot of the acai berry buzz is due to hasty, profiteering marketers going off the deep end to attract hapless trend-chasers. That doesn’t diminish the great tasting, energizing and healthful reality of the acai berry, though.
Need a delicious, invigorating and refreshing drink that you can count on for all organic, top quality ingredients? Check out our delicious, nutritious smoothies next time you come by Help Yourself!. Our ice cold Purple Jungle smoothie combines mouth watering fresh bananas with a tantalizing trio of antioxidant rich superfruits — acai berries, blueberries, and goji berries — that’s sure to help you beat the heat!
