Acai fruit, also known as the acai berry is typically found in the Amazon rainforest region of Brazil.  It has a deep purple color when ripe and is about the size of a large grape.  Although the size of the acai berry is approximately that of a large grape, the amount of flesh, or pulp on the acai fruit is quite a lot less than that of a grape.  In essence the acai fruit consists of a large seed taking up in excess of 80% by volume of the acai fruit surrounded by the flesh representing up to 20% of the volume of the fruit.

The fruit has historically been picked by the people of the Amazon region and eaten as part of their regular diet, most normally as a breakfast food.  The acai fruit is in good supply in the Amazon and as a result represents a significant part of the indiginous population’s diet.  However, the acai fruit has other important characteristics, having some significant apparent medicinal properties that have largely been responsible for it becoming very popular in Western countries.  For centuries the Amazon native people have found that by consuming the acai berry they experience an alleviation or even cure from the symptoms of a number of common illnesses.  Some have even revered the fruit has having religious signficance.

The spread in consumption of the acai fruit is interesting.  Initially it began to become popular in Rio de Janeiro.  Although still Brazil, Rio is indeed many hundreds of miles from the Amazon rainforest.  The people of Rio found that the acai fruit and acai fruit juice was noticable in the effect it had on raising energy levels in those who consumed it.  Nowadays this is a reasonably well understood characteristic of the fruit, but in those days the effect was quite unexpected.  These energising effects are essentially what has brought it to the attention of many other countries, especially the Western economies.

In the USA interest in acai fruit has been substantial.  The media coverage has been coupled with the beginnings of real scientific study by medicinal establishments, scientists and nutritional experts.  Indeed, such has the media interest been, that many proponents have reached almost hysterical levels about the apparent ability of the acai fruit to deliver significant nutritional benefits, coupled with something else that has real resonance, especially in the US and that is weight loss.  Many have even described the acai fruit as a superfood, or certainly a superfruit.

The most significant claim, surrounding the fruit, and one which has been readily established is that the acai fruit has probably the highest antioxidant properties of any naturally occuring fruit currently known to man.  Antioxidants attack harmful free radicals in the body and therefore the acai fruit can indeed be said to have significant nutritional value.  But, not only does it have the highest levels of antioxidants, it is also asserted that the acai fruit provides the widest mix of antioxidants which mean that it’s chances of having a beneficial impact on your body are increased.  In addition to the acai berry antioxidant properties the acai fruit also has high levels of monounsaturated fat, protein, amino acids and vitamins, as well as being a good source of iron and fiber.

The only really significant glitch in respect of the acai berry is that it only grows in a relatively small region of the world, and perhaps more importantly the fruit spoils shortly after picking, as little as two days in fact.  Unfortunately the nutritional benefits of the fruit are also lost quite quickly after the fruit begins to spoil.  It is for this reason that you do not often find the acai fruit gracing the fruit shelves of your local supermarkets, whether you are in the United States or elsewhere.

The good news is that the fruit growers have begun to invent new ways to process, package and sell the fruit in a variety of acai berry products, many of which are specifically designed to deliver certain health impacts such as antioxidant doses, or weight loss benefits.  One particular process that is proving successful in keeping the benefits of the fruit is a freeze-drying process immediately after the harvest.  The fruit is maintained in a frozen state until delivered to a plant for further processing, or even directly to consumers.  Freeze-drying has proved to be a success, but it is not a complete one, and any advances in the ability to deliver the fruit to local markets would still be a welcome improvement almost everywhere in the world.  It has resulted in acai capsules and acai powder appearing all across the Western world.

The acai fruit has some quite astonishing properties, so much so that it is quite likely to continue to be the focus of much interest and scientific study for years to come.