Before the city of Belem was built, an Indian tribe used to live there. Because the food was very scarce, the chief of the tribe named Itaki, demanded that all the children would be sacrificed, including his granddaughter, daughter of Iaca. In a full moon night, Iaca heard a child's cry. She approached the door of her tipi, and he saw her little smiling daughter close to a beautiful palm tree. At the beginning she got static, but later on, she ran to her and held her tightly. Mysteriously her daughter disappeared. Her body was found holding the acai tree with a smile on her face. Her dark eyes were staring at the top of the acai palm tree, which gave birth to the black palm berry fruits. Itaki then demanded all the Indians to get the fruits, obtaining a reddish wine that was baptized acai, in tribute to his daughter (Iaca inverted name). He fed his people and after this day, he suspended the order to sacrifice the children.

With 10 times the antioxidants of grapes and twice the antioxidants of blueberries, the Brazilian Acai berry(AH-sci-EE) is considered to have the best nutritional value of any fruit on earth. The health benefits are simply amazing. With the symmetry of a grape and the size of a giant blueberry, the Acai fruit tastes a bit like wild raspberry with a hint of grape. Most people have trouble putting their finger on the taste because it's so different.

Acai Berries grow on an Amazon Palm Tree and have been prized for hundreds of years by Brazilian natives for their ability to provide a sense of strength, energy, and a high nutritional content. Acai Berries are high in essential fatty acids & omegas -- 60% Oleic (omega 9) - a monounsaturated essential fatty acid which helps to lower LDL (harmful cholesterol), while maintaining HDL ( beneficial cholesterol). 12% Linoleic (omega 6) - a polyunsaturated essential fatty acid which has also been found to lower LDL, while maintaining HDL. Acai also contains many valuable Phytosterols. Sterols are compounds of plant cell membranes providing numerous benefits to the Human body, namely the reduction of blood plasma cholesterol.

The Acai Berry is a dense source of a particular class of flavonoids called anthocyanins. Acai Berry's ORAC value (a measure of its antioxidant properties), is higher than any other edible berry on the planet. The remarkable concentration of antioxidants also helps combat premature aging and the Acai Berry is also an excellent source of dietary fiber!

The acai palm is a tall slender South American (concentrated in Brazil, Guyana, Suriname) palm grown for its fruit as well as for the "cabbage" (the cluster of new leaves more commonly called the "heart of palm"). It prefers swampy areas, and grows quickly.

The fronds were (and still are) used for thatching and weaving. Each acai palm tree produces small deep purple, almost black, fruit (berries) in groups of 3-8 per bunch. The fruit is edible, and its pulp is used in wines, liqueurs, as flavoring, as colorant, and on its own as a juice.

Current (Western) Use - Acai is currently being tested not only for its health properties, but as a dyeing or contrasting agent in the human body in preparation for MRI scans of the gastrointestinal tract.

Reference: Br Lau

About the Acai Berry