One or two decades back, the acai berry was little more than obscure fruit consumed in the rain forests of Brazil. But today, it is one of the most requested and pricey fruits on the market. How did acai achieve celebrity status seemingly overnight?

As you would expect, the introduction of acai berry to most north Americans was on television. In a 2007 episode of the Oprah Winfrey show, the legendary host extolled the benefits of the berry together with expert guests who claimed the fruit couldn’t only help people shed the pounds, but also slow getting older.

The Acai Berry Today

A simple Google search on acai berries will yield hundreds and thousands of results and introduce you to numerous products, all of which claim that acai is a brilliant, miracle food. Some people even posit that the tiny berry can cure cancer.

The berry itself is dark purple in color and looks a lot like a red grape, only a bit smaller. It is indigenous to the Amazon forest where it’s been consumed for hundreds of years by native Brazilian clans. In fact, it is claimed that the acai berry is eaten with such frequency that it comprises over 40 percent of their total food consumption. These clans also crop the berry to sell them to local fruit firms.

Coming to America

shortly after the fruit appeared on the Oprah show, demand for the acai berry went through the proverbial roof. Supermarkets across the nation announced that they were inundated by requests for the small miracle berry.

With this fame, the market demand spawned many acai related products. Now, the hottest product is acai berry juice, which can be discovered in most shops and organic food outlets. Many products can also be purchased over the web.

In the following couple of paragraphs, we will attempt to separate the grain from the chaff, fact from fiction. We will start by taking a look at some of the most typical claims of acai berry purchasers.

The Claims

One of the commonest claims of sellers and purchasers alike is that acai can really rev up your metabolism and cause your body to burn more calories. This has pushed the diet-crazed Yankee public to snap up the juice and suchlike products whenever and where ever they might find them.

Itis also said the fruit helps cure sleeping aberrations like sleeplessness and will even work as an aphrodisiac and increase sexual need and performance. Many folk also claim that it can improve mental clearness, much like Ginkgo Biloba.

What we do know

There is no question that acai is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods on the face of the earth. This is important because antioxidants help the body fight off free radicals that will cause damage to the DNA and can also block arteries. However , in spite of reports by many eager users the wonder berry can really reduce the aging process, it hasn’t ever been proven that serious amounts of antioxidants can reverse, stop or perhaps slow aging.

But we do know that antioxidants increase LDL, the good cholesterol, while reducing HDL, the bad cholesterol. And in lab tests, researchers have proved that the berry has 10 times the antioxidants of grapes and double the antioxidants of blueberries.

The fruit is also said to be the ideal blend of antioxidants, essential greasy acids and amino acids. This has helped make it a rapid success with athletes and other health-fixated individuals. It’s no ask why professional South Yankee soccer players frequently snack on acai berries before any big game.

But how can they taste? Many consumers respond that the berry reminds them of an exotic blend of berries and chocolate. Maybe that it is why the fruit is used to flavor cocktails, make smoothies and as a topping for ice cream in its local Brazil.

The Hype Machine

like most things in abuyer society, people tend to get carried away, particularly when working with auseful product. It is clear the acai berry is indeed one of the healthiest fruits in the world today, and it can offer users a myriad of wonderful health benefits. But nothing we have seen has demonstrated that it is indeed a miracle fruit, and claims that this small berry can reverse or halt growing older or maybe cure cancer is a bit more than wishful thinking.