What is Açai?

Açai is a small, round and purple fruit similar to blueberries. It’s a superfood from Brazil where it has become a regular food since it constitutes the 42% of everything a brazilian consumes in a day. Described as a complete food that satisfies many nutritional needs, açai is probably one of the healthiest fruits on the planet.

Benefits

• It’s one of the fruits with the highest antioxidant content. It contains 15 to 30 times more antioxidants than red wine. The antioxidants in our diet help neutralize free radicals in our body and prevent its harmful effects.

• High in vitamins A and C that strengthen the immune system (defenses), the skin and red blood cell formation. Its high vitamin B content gives us increased energy levels.

• It is rich in calcium, iron, and aspartic and glutamic acids.

• Contains essential fatty acids Omega 3, 6 and 9. These are polyunsaturated fats that, unlike others, are considered “essential” because our body cannot produce them. They are very important to our health because they help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol.

• Açai is a source of fiber. It’s often used to treat digestive disorders, skin disorders and reduce the risk of some cancers. A portion of 100 grams of açai fruit contains up to 4 grams of fiber, which can help reduce blood cholesterol.

• Rich in vegetable protein. It contains more protein than eggs and is easily assimilated by the body than animal protein (such as milk or meat).

Consumption

Açai has a flavor that reminds us of a mixture of chocolate, red fruits like raspberry and grape.

The açai fruit cannot be consumed directly but needs a manufacturing process to obtain its maximum nutritional value. That’s the reason why we must be careful with the different qualities of the product because depending on how it is commercialized it can or cannot contain the same properties.

In Brazil it’s usually consumed as soft drinks, as an ice-cream ingredient and even as liquors. However, its use has spread in Europe and North America in the form of drinks like shakes or powder to mix with water.

More and more often we can find it in health foods stores and natural stores as a component of juices, bowls along with other fruits and seeds or as an ingredient for bakeries or pastries.

If you haven’t tried the Açai yet, don’t wait to enjoy this delicious superfood and benefit from its many properties!