The Health Benefits of Acai Berries

Unless you've been under a rock for the past few years, you've seen acai berry juice in markets, acai berries served in restaurants, and many other food products containing this new superfood. So what are acai (pronounced ah SIGH e) berries and what are their health benefits?

The acai berry is an inch-long reddish, purple fruit. It comes from the local acai palm tree, which is native to Central and South America. It is a relative of the blueberry, cranberry and other dark purple fruits. Research on the acai berry has focused on its possible antioxidant activity. Theoretically, that activity may help prevernt diseases caused by oxidative stress such as heart disease and cancer.

Some studies show that acai fruit pulp has a very high antioxidant capacity with even more antioxidant content than cranberry, raspberry, blackberry or blueberry. Studies are ongoing, though, and the jury is still out. People eat the berries to address various health conditions. So far, acai berries have no known health benefit that's any different than that of other similar fruits.

You might see acai touted in some weight loss products. Few studies have tested the benefit of acai in promotion weight loss. For now, plenty of research supports eating a diet rich in antioxidants, and there's no doubt that the acai, along with most other berries are something to include as part of a healthy diet. Whether they do anything more than other berries is still debatable.

The farming of the acai berry has been a boon to Brazilian farmers. Many of the farms also process the fruit into pulp or liquid form and then export it to the US. This has created great opportunities for Brazilian businessmen and farmers. The planting of these palm trees along the river protects against harmful slash and burn farming. Now a large part of the rainforest is certified as meeting Forest Stewardship Council standars, a complex set of social and enviornmental and social conditions.

The acai berry is a great antioxident, may be helpful in weightloss, and is helping improve business for Brazilian farmers. That's three good reasons to at least give acai berries a try.