| You may have noticed a new kid on the chilled fruit | | | | most interest because of large amounts present in |
| juice block at your local supermarket or at your | | | | the fruit. These are the chemicals that are found in |
| favourite smoothie bar, it's called Acai, pronounced | | | | the dark purple colour in plants and came to |
| ah-sigh-ee and it comes from the Amazon region of | | | | prominence as the healthy ingredient in red wine that |
| Brazil where it is known as 'The Tree of Life'. | | | | helps to protect the heart and there are so many |
| This fantastic tree, a member of the palm family and | | | | anthocyanins in acai berries, they haven't all been |
| related to the saw palmetto, grows in the flood plains | | | | researched yet. |
| of the mighty Amazon river where it reaches over | | | | Early research has shown it has been able to destroy |
| 20 meters high. The berries grow prolifically along | | | | large numbers of leukaemia cells in the laboratory but |
| branches that spring out of the top and look a bit like | | | | a lot more investigation is needed before any |
| 'Sideshow Bobs'' hair and are gathered by the | | | | conclusions can be drawn over its full medicinal |
| indigenous people who scramble up the trunk to cut | | | | properties. |
| the berry laden boughs and then take them to the | | | | As with most of the purple berries they are useful in |
| market. | | | | the fight against a wide range of ailments such as |
| Speed is of the essence because the berries start to | | | | cancer, heart disease, cholesterol, macular |
| loose their potency as soon as they get picked so | | | | degeneration, Alzheimers' disease, infections of the |
| they need to be frozen as soon as possible. | | | | urinary tract and have anti bacterial and anti fungal |
| It had been a popular drink in the Amazon district for | | | | properties. Unlike other berries, these are just packed |
| hundreds of years but came to light when a cafe in | | | | with an abundance of health giving ingredients which |
| Rio de Janeiro started selling it. Across the street | | | | really does allow them to use the name super food. |
| was a Jujitsu school, run by Carlos Gracie, who tried | | | | Something this good usually turns out to taste like old |
| some and insisted on his pupils drinking it to boost | | | | socks, but acai juice is really nice, a berry flavour with |
| their performance. The pupils were very fit looking | | | | an after taste tinged with chocolate although when |
| people and they said that it was because they drank | | | | sold it is mixed with other fruit juice. To ensure you |
| acai. The surfers picked up on this and its reputation | | | | are getting a good quantity of this wonder berry, |
| grew and grew until it went international. | | | | check the list of ingredients and buy the one with |
| The berries are not the only good thing on this tree, | | | | acai listed as the highest constituent. It will probably |
| the Brazilians also use the stems of the leaves which | | | | be more expensive but well worth the extra cost. |
| are harvested as palm hearts and the bark and roots | | | | Another way of buying acai berries is to get it as a |
| are used in medicine for a wide variety of ailments | | | | frozen paste which you can use in making your own |
| from anemia to muscle pains and worms. | | | | smoothies or as a topping for your breakfast cereal |
| This little purple berry is packed with anti oxidants | | | | or even ice cream. |
| such as phytochemicals, polyphenols and | | | | Many foods have been hyped as the greatest but |
| anthocyanins, fatty acids omega 6 and 9, calcium, | | | | the acai really does appear to have earned the name |
| proteins and fibre which are all great for a healthy life. | | | | super food. |
| It is the anthocyanins that are, perhaps, creating the | | | | |