Acai Berry - Acai Berry known as Euterpe Oleracea

The Acai berry is from the top of towering palm trees found in the Amazon rainforest. The Oprah show aired the Acai berry which was named by the world famous health and beauty Dr Nicholas Perricone, MD, as only one of the worlds Top 10 Superfoods. This was listed in his bestseller book “The Perricone Promise” which he says the Acai berry is the most perfect food on the planet.  

Another station aired the Acai berry as “The Viagra of the Amazon” while various other journals, media groups and Institutes included the Acai berry in their articles. Amongst these reports were recorded benefits which the deep purple berry contained in it. Some of these included:

The History

The indigenous tribes use 2,000 to 3,000 of the fruits found in the rainforest for nutraceutical purposes. The Acai berry is just one of the amazing fruits used. The Acai berries were only harvested by Amazonian tribes you used the Acai berry for medicinal uses, particularly for its high antioxidant properties.

This berry can be found at the top of the Acai palm which can tower up to 25 metres high. Each tree can produce up to and around 20kg of berries per annum. Traditionally this berry grew wild in the Amazon basin which was harvested by men and women who climbed the thin trunks of the palm.

Due to the demand growth from the western world the Acai berry has become an important financial crop. The Happy Planet has chosen a supplier that financially supports local tribes and rainforest conservation. This berry has even provided an economically viable alternative to clearing the Amazon.

What made this berry so important to the Brazilians was its ability to fight schistosomosis which is only transmitted by snails. This disease affects more than 10 million Brazilians. The Acai berry is also used to produce an antibiotic which fights against ‘'Staphylococcus aureus’ which is a common infection known as “Staph” contracted mainly in hospitals. This berry is so useful was only known by traditional tribes men and women of the Amazon until the early 90’s.

The Acai berry itself is only good for use if it is turned in to a product for consumption within 24 hours of being picked.  Belem in Brazil now employs over 30,000 people to keep up with the demand derived by the enormous market of which it is sold to.

Since the berry was discovered and declared a “miracle fruit” which also helps to prevent cancer it has been put in to various products including smoothies, energy drinks and many different juice blends.