Acai Health Watch

Though our main topic of conversation here is the acaiberry, there are many more superfoods that can and should be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet.   If you’re looking for delicious, inexpensive foods that contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy fats, this list is a great place to start.  In addition to acai, you’ll find foods like barley, yogurt, kale and blueberries that can help prevent health problems.

“Acai: This exotic berry from the Amazon has been the subject of intense hype, but there’s a good reason why it’s so trendy. Named by famed nutritionist Dr. Nicholas Perricone as his No. 1 superfood and one of the most powerful foods in the world, acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) contains a remarkable concentration of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. It’s considered one of nature’s best offerings to combat premature aging thanks to its high monounsaturated oleic acid content.”

10 Superfoods That Can Rescue You From Health Problems

It’s important to educate children early on how to recognize accurate and inaccurate information about the foods they eat.   Articles like this one help lay out one particularly thorny issues having to do with the health claims made by superfruit product manufacturers such as an acai berry drink.  It’s geared toward older children and discusses the acaiberry along with pomegranate, noni and goji berry products. It talks about how these products are marketed to the public and how scientific research is conducted on things like acai berry juice.  All in all, great information for both kids and adults.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Studies like these add to a long history of medicinal uses for natural products in traditional cultures. The açaí fruit, for one, which grows only on palm trees in the Brazilian Amazon, has been used to treat fevers. Goji berries, which grow in China and Tibet, have been used to reduce inflammation and improve eyesight. And pomegranates, which are native to Iran and India (but now also grow in California), are sometimes eaten to relieve digestive distress.

Still, there are no large, long-term studies that clearly link any exotic fruits with better health. And nutritionists worry that people are too easily drawn in by whatever’s new and different. All the studies that do show health benefits of certain fruits were sponsored by companies that sell them, and most of the studies lasted only a few days or months.”

Science News for Kids: Feature: How Super Are Superfruits?.

Acai works well in both sweet and savory recipes.  We liked this zesty acaiberry salad dressing featuring organic acai berry and pomegranate juices.

Acai Pomegranate Vinaigrette

• 2 oz organic Acai juice
• 2 oz organic pomegranate juice
• dash garlic powder
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• dash onion powder
• 1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp tahini

Blend all ingredients.

Sambazon Acai – Acai – Acai Berry – Acai Fruit – Acai Supplements – Acai Juice – Acai Smoothies- Acai Sorbet – Acai Antioxidant – Sambazon Acai:: Recipes.

As you know, there are many ways to consume acai, including acai juice, and frozen acaiberry pulp.  One less popular, but highly convenient and cost-effective type of acai is in its powder form.

Acai berry powder has several advantages:

1.  It weighs very little, so if you are ordering it from a distributor by mail, you’ll pay next to nothing in shipping.  Large mona vie juice bottles come in extremely heavy cases and are difficult to carry and store.  You can tuck a package of acai berry powder into your pocket or bag.

2.  Acai berry powder is flexible.  It can be added to foods like yogurt or ice cream, as well as drinks like smoothies.  It’s also more portable than carrying a bottle of juice around.

3.  You have control over what you consume.  While some acai products such as acai berry juice blends may combine lots of unwanted ingredients, powders contain all of the ORAC capacity, fiber, vitamins and minerals without a high glycemic load, lactose or gluten.

Be sure to look for acai berry powder that is naturally extracted from the acai fruit before being processed into powder.  It should also be certified organic, and free of additives, fillers and preservatives.

The acai berry, along with foods like the goji berry, are often referred to as “superfoods.” On PhysOrg, Alexa Stevenson had an interesting article on superfoods, and what it means (or doesn’t) from a nutritional perspective. (more…)