Common names:  Açaí berry, Assai Palm, Cabbage Palm, Iwasaí.

Scientific name:  Euterpe oleracea

Where it is found:  Açaí berry is a fruit from a palm tree found in South America, mainly in the Brazilian Amazon. Because the tree does not grow outside its natural habitat, and the fresh Açaí berries are very perishable, they are usually available outside Brazil only as a juice.

Parts of plant used:  berries.

How to use Açaí:  The berries are pressed to make juice, or the fruit pulp is made into various desserts.

Uses:  The berry possesses a pleasant flavor and has important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Because of this, some nutritional supplement companies have designated the açaí berry as a “super fruit”. In Brazil, this fruit is very popular, and a daily consumption of the berry juice of approximately 300 ml to 2 liters per person is common in various regions of the Amazon (da Silva- Santos et al., 2014; Small, 2012).

In recent years, Acaí (especially as a juice) has become very popular in the United States and other countries due to the high antioxidant content of the fruit.

Acai berry has been touted as a healthy fruit of high nutritional value since it is a source of:

• Natural antioxidants, such as flavonoids and anthocyanidins
• Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid
• Amino acids (the constituents of various proteins)
• Fiber
• Calcium
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid (an omega 6)
• Beta sitosterol, a natural compound that may lower blood cholesterol levels.
• Minerals (copper, magnesium, manganese, zinc, calcium, and iron).
• Fruits and vegetables have the capacity to quench free radicals (unstable oxygen molecules that damage our cells) that is directly associated with their content of natural antioxidants. Foods that contain a great number of antioxidants are considered to have a high “ORAC value”.

ORAC stands for “Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity”, and is a method used in the laboratory to measure the antioxidant properties of different plant foods. For this reason, the higher the ORAC value obtained for a certain fruit or vegetable, the higher its capacity to inactivate the noxious free radicals.

Açaí could be effective as natural colon cancer chemo preventive.  Açaí fruit could be beneficial for individuals with atherosclerosis.   

Safety/Precautions:

• There are no reports of toxicity regaring this fruit
• Its safety during pregnancy and lactation has not been established
• Buy acai juice only from reputable sellers, as substitutions and adulterations may occur

Before you decide to take any medicinal herb or herbal supplement, be sure to consult with your health care professional first. Avoid self-diagnosis and self-medication: Always be on the safe side!