The acai fruit is found in the Amazon forest and is promoted as having very powerful antioxidant properties. The acai fruit is purple colored and small and comes from a palm tree. With pigmentation of deep violet color so dense, the acai fruit juice stains skin, cowhide, containers, even teeth when frequently taken undiluted. Used for food, beverages, medicines and dyes by Amazon peasants over centuries, acai fruit has reached the US market over recent years as a superfruit with a delicious taste and versatility of beverage and food applications. You may also consider other interesting fruit extracts including Noni fruit and Goji berry.

Acai Berry Extract 500 mg, 90 capsules
This acai berry supplement is for those who do not wish to consume the extra calories from acai juice or drink.

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Acai chemicals
The predominant beneficial substances in the acai berry are polyphenols, flavonoids, mostly of the anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins categories. More information at acai fruit berry.

Historical uses of the Acai berry fruit
Acai has been a traditional food for several centuries of the native people living in the Amazon forest. However it was only a few years ago, about the year 2000, that the acai berry was introduced to the Western market.

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Acai drink benefit
Apparently the dark purple skin of the acai berry has many times the anthocyanin content as red wine. The antioxidants in acai could be helpful for several health conditions. Acai also has plant sterols, essential fatty acids, and fiber. For information on acai benefits.

Acai drink as Vasodilator
Polyphenols in acai berry have the ability to act as vasodilators, which means they can dilate blood vessels. This means acai berry extract could potentially be beneficial in conditions where blood vessel dilation is benecial.

Endothelium-dependent vasodilator effect of Euterpe oleracea Mart. (Acai) extracts in mesenteric vascular bed of the rat.
Vascul Pharmacol. 2006 Sep 1; Department of Pharmacology and Psychobiology, IBRAG, UERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) a fruit from the Amazon region, largely consumed in Brazil is rich in polyphenols. Experiments were undertaken to determine whether hydro-alcoholic extract obtained from acai induces a vasodilator effect in the rat mesenteric vascular bed precontracted with norepinephrine and, if so, to elucidate the underlying mechanism. The present study demonstrates that the vasodilator effect of acai extract is dependent on activation of nitric oxide -cGMP pathway and may also involve endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor release. The vasodilator effect suggest a possibility to use acai berry extract as a medicinal plant, in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Acai berry availability
Acai is sold as capsules, and can be placed in smoothies or made into acai drink. Acai pulp is also useful. Acai fruit juice and acai berry juice.

Acai Fruit drink Summary
Human studies with acai fruit or acai drink are lacking, therefore no firm statements can be made regarding the clinical uses of this plant. However, eating acai berry or taking an acai berry supplement as part of a healthy diet seems to be a reasonable approach. An acai berry extract supplement can be taken once or twice a week with breakfast.

Acai fruit nutrient composition
Phytochemical and Nutrient Composition of the Freeze-Dried Amazonian Palm Berry, Euterpe oleraceae Mart. ( Acai ).
J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Nov 1;54(22):8598-8603. Schauss AG, Wu X, Prior RL, Ou B, Patel D, Huang D, Kababick JP.
Natural and Medicinal Products Research, AIMBR Life Sciences, 4117 South Meridian, Puyallup, Washington 98373, Agriculture Research Service, Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1120 Marshall Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, Brunswick Laboratories, 6 Thatcher Lane, Wareham, Massachusetts 02571, Integrated Biomolecule Corporation, 2005 E. Innovation Park Drive, Tucson, Arizona 85755, Food Science and Technology Program, Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore, and Flora Research, 32158 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, California 92675.
A standardized freeze-dried acai fruit pulp / skin powder was used for all analyses and tests. Among many findings, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and other flavonoids were found to be the major phytochemicals. Two anthocyanins, cyandin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-rutinoside were found to be predominant; three others were also found as minor anthocyanins. The total content of anthocyanins was measured as 3.1 mg/g dry weight. Polymers were found to be the major proanthocyanidins. The concentration of total proanthocyanidins was calculated as 13 mg/g dry weight Other flavonoids, namely, homoorientin, orientin, isovitexin, scoparin, and taxifolin deoxyhexose, along with several unknown flavonoids, were also detected. Resveratrol was found but at a very low concentration. In addition, components including fatty acids, amino acids, sterols, minerals, and other nutrients were analyzed and quantified. Total polyunsaturated fatty acid, total monounsaturated fatty acid, and total saturated fatty acids contributed to 11%, 60%, and 28% of total fatty acid. Oleic acid (53%) and palmitic acid (26%) were found to be the two dominant fatty acids. Nineteen amino acids were found; the total amino acid content was determined to be 7% of total weight. The total sterols accounted for 0.048% by weight of powder. The three sterols B-sitosterol, campesterol, and sigmasterol were identified.

Acai studies
Total oxidant scavenging capacities of Euterpe oleracea Mart. ( Acai ) fruits.
Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2005 Feb;56(1):53-64.
The antioxidant capacities of 11 commercial and non-commercial samples of Euterpe oleracea Mart. ( acai ) fruit pulp were studied with the total oxidant scavenging capacity assay in a modified and automated version against three reactive oxygen species. The antioxidant capacities of all purple acai samples were found to be excellent against peroxyl radicals, good against peroxynitrite and poor against hydroxyl radicals compared with common European fruit and vegetable juices recently analysed. In all cases the correlation between sample concentration and antioxidant capacities was non-linear. The antioxidant capacities against all three reactive oxygen species of the fruit pulp from one white acai variety were very low. The phenolic compounds in purple acai fruit pulp were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the two major anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside, were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography-visible spectrometry. The contributions of the anthocyanins to the overall antioxidant capacities of the fruit were estimated to be only approximately 10%. Obviously, compounds not yet identified are responsible for the major part of the antioxidant capacities of the acai fruit pulp.

Phytochemical composition and pigment stability of Acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.).
J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Mar 24;52(6):1539-45. Del Pozo-Insfran D, Brenes CH, Talcott ST.
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110370, Gainesville, Florida
Anthocyanin and polyphenolic compounds present in acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) were determined and their respective contribution to the overall antioxidant capacity established. Color stability of acai anthocyanins against hydrogen peroxide (0 and 30 mmol/L) over a range of temperatures (10-30 degrees C) was also determined and compared to common anthocyanin sources. Additionally, stability in a model beverage system was evaluated in the presence of ascorbic acid and naturally occurring polyphenolic cofactors. Cyanidin 3-glucoside (1040 mg/L) was the predominant anthocyanin in acai and correlated to antioxidant content, while 16 other polyphenolics were detected from 4 to 212 mg/L. Red grape anthocyanins were most stable in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, while acai and pigments rich in acylated anthocyanins displayed lower color stability in a temperature-dependent manner. In the presence of ascorbic acid, acylated anthocyanin sources generally had increased color stability. Acai was recognized for its functional properties for use in food and nutraceutical products.

Acai Fruit Questions
Q. Is acai fruit in canada legal?
   A. Yes, acai fruit and supplement can be imported into Canada without customs restrictions.

Q. How much acai drink can one have daily?
   A. There is no clear limit, but since that are dozens of healthy fruit juices available to the consumer, an ounce or two of acai drink a day should be fine, and leave some room in your stomach for other types of fruit and vegetable juices.

Q. I am currently breastfeeding. I am interested in the acai berry juices that are currently on the market (more specifically from Monavie) and was wondering if there were any concerns or cautions against drinking acai juice while breastfeeding? Are there any resources that you can direct me to that would offer more insight on the use of supplements to mothers breastfeeding?
   A. There are hardly any studies regarding the role of supplements and their safety or benefit during breastfeeding. We have no reason to suspect that reasonable amount of acai juice drinking or taking an occasional acai supplement would influence a breastfed baby. However, we have not seen any studies regarding the influence of acai use by the mother on the breastfed baby. We are not familiar with Monavie acai and do not know whether there are other herbs or substances in this product.

Q. I have had an auto-immune disease CFIDS for nearly twenty years. I have treated alternatively entirely but within the last seven years my allergic response to things has dramatically increased...and on several occasions caused anaphylaxis. I am a massage therapist and have noticed my joint health greatly diminished. I came across your website while researching the health benefits of the acai fruit berry. I was encouraged from what I had read but could not find any information about tendency towards allergic reaction to this fruit from people who have taken it. Can you please tell me whether or not there is a noted history of allergic reaction to acai fruit. This illness is multi-systemic in that way it presents itself, from inflammatory processes to digestive issues, to allergic responses, to name a few and if you can suggest a supplement safe enough with regard to possible allergic reaction.
   A.  Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome CFIDS, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis and by other names, is a complex chronic illness that affects the brain and multiple body systems. We have not come across any specific medical reports regarding an allergic reaction to acai fruit, but, as with any plant, there could be some possibility of an allergic reaction. It is impossible for us to predict.

Q. I have been really confused lately about Acai fruit. I have been taking Amazon Thunder but I am not sure that I am getting all the nutrients and antioxidant value of acai fruit through this product. Does bottling pulp lose nutrients? Also, I have read claims that freeze dried powder is the most effective way to get the highest antioxidant effects of the Acai. A website claims that only their 4:1 extract has the highest ORAC score. Can you please help me decide which is the best way to include Acai fruit in my diet? Sometimes I think I should just switch to goji berries.
   A. There are countless beneficial vegetables, fruits, berries, and herbs. Sometimes we focus on one or two that are in the news or promoted heavily. It is best to have a wide range of such beneficial plant products in the diet rather than focusing on one or two. As to acai fruit, frozen or freeze dried or juice or supplements are all good ways to ingest it. But consider other beneficial fruits also such as noni, pomegranate, mangosteen, cranberry, bilberry, goji, and others.

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