Discover the Health Benefits of the Secret Super Fruit

Well, since Dr Nicholas Perricone appeared on Oprah to tell everyone about it, perhaps the Acai Berry isn't quite such a secret any more. For those not already in the know, Dr Perricone puts the Acai Berry right at the top of his list of 10 'Super Foods' and there are now statistics galore that prove to us just how incredibly healthy this grape sized berry is.

The Acai berry is the fruit of the Acai palm (the c in Acai is pronounced as an s, by the way) which is a tree native to the Amazon region and is a staple of Brazilian food. The Acai boasts a delicious berry flavour with an aftertaste redolent of chocolate. Brazilians use both the juice of the Acai as well as the pulp in a variety of foods, including blends, smoothies, drinks and ice cream. It is also served both as a sweet or savory dish with tapioca or granola. The Acai is very perishable, spoiling within a day of being picked - which has kept this berry from being widely exported in the past, despite its nutritional value.

But things have changed a bit since then.

So what are the health benefits of this fruit that have caused such interest amongst American experts? Well, for starters, Acai has an amazing 10 times the antioxidant power of red grapes and twice that of blueberries. Even more promising is that the antioxidant components are 'slow-acting', which indicates that the antioxidant effect is more sustained. The Acai is rich in fatty acids, containing high levels of the monounsaturated fatty acid known as oleic acid, enabling it to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Studies at the University of Florida also suggest that the Acai contains polyphenolics which can reduce the spread of leukemia cells. To summarise, Acai Berries are at the top of the Super Food list because they can prevent and reduce inflammations; regulate your metabolism and burn your body fat; lower your cholesterol and blood pressure; protect against cancer and heart disease; promote good digestive health - and, just for good measure, give you energy!

Eating the Acai berry or using it in a variety of dishes as do Brazilians has been impossible for most of the world until now. The berry is now being exported however, both as frozen pulp and Acai powder. The pulp is used in smoothies, among other things (you may have seen Acai smoothies on the menu at juice bars) but can be pricy. The powder, made by dehydrating and freeze-drying Acai pulp is cheaper and gives all of the same nutritional health benefits of the whole berry.

Read the fine print though, always. When you're seeking out an Acai supplement, make sure that it is actually the skin and pulp of the Acai berry being used. Some Acai products contain only the seeds of the Acai berry, which are very low in nutritional value.

The Acai berry is truly a nutritional wonder - and now it's one everyone can enjoy the benefits of, whether you ever have the chance to go to Brazil or not!