Huge Health Benefits From Acai Berries
The acai berry is a tiny berry that has quickly became popular over the last couple of years. One of the reasons for this surge in popularity is the fact that the acai berry is such a nutritional food. You see, this purple berry is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and omega fattys. In addition, it’s now being consumed for its weight loss properties.
The trees acai berry grows on is from genus Euterpe, which was named after the Muse Euterpe of Greek mythology. These are slender palms ranging in height from 15-30 meters with pinnate leaves that grow up to 3 meters long.
Acai palms were first found in South and Central America, from Brazil to Peru. These palm trees chiefly nurture in floodplains and swamps. These places provide a perfect environment for the acai palm trees to grow.
The forests of the Amazon are known to have hidden, secret cures of various modern ailments. Because of the density of the forests, many secrets may remain hidden, but luckily acai berry was introduced by the natives of Brazil who believed that Acai berry has great medicinal value. This fruit had helped their women to recover after giving birth to a child and it also provided energy to the person who ate it.
There are several species of acai found in Amazon forests which are:
1) Euterpe oleracea
2) Euterpe precatoria
3) Euterpe catinga
4) Euterpe edulis
5) Euterpe longibracteata
6) Euterpe broadwayi
7) Euterpe luminosa
The external appearance of acai berries are similar to grapes. They are small in size and blackish or royal purple in color. It is 90% seed and only 10% of pulp. Upwards of 42% of the food intake of the Amazonian people is constituted by the acai fruit. They mostly consume it in the form of salad or pulp. They also use acai berry in the form sodas, juice blends, smoothies and freeze dried.
In other countries, the fruit is used to make red wine, ice-creams, energy bars with granola, and other beverages. Besides these uses, the seeds of acai berry are used as a food for the livestock. The palms are also used in making mats, baskets, hats and roof hatches for homes.
This fruit has an anti-oxidizing agent and is very rich in anticianine, which helps in reducing cholesterol levels and fighting against free radicals. It also has anthocyanins, which is a strong and natural colorant.
Acai berry is a rich source of iron. In addition, it has a high fiber content, which helps in dealing with the problems of digestive system. It has monosaturated fats and phytosterols that promote cardiovascular health. It keeps the heart in working order by regulating the blood circulation.
