Acai Berry FAQs

Acai is a superfood popular worldwide, but despite acai’s popularity, you may still have some good questions about the powerful berry native to South America. Discover all the answers to your acai berry questions:

What Is An Acai Berry?
Acai berries grow on tall, thin palm trees on the basin of the Amazon Region in South America. Acai berries are dark purple, slightly larger than blueberries, and are filled with beneficial fatty acids, protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that have long nourished Amazon dwellers. Today, acai is a hugely popular superfood known for its energy and vitality boosting effects.

How Is Acai Pronounced?
Acai can be tricky to pronounce, especially when you’re simply reading the word without hearing it aloud. Acai is a Portuguese word pronounced ah-sah-EE with a strong emphasis placed on the “EE” sound at the end of the word.

Where Does Acai Originate?
The acai berry is native to the Amazon, which borders eight countries and houses the largest river basin on Earth. The Amazon is also the largest rainforest and is home to thousands of plant and animal species. The diverse and nutrient-rich land of the Amazon may be the reason behind acai’s vast benefits and nutritious makeup.

Amazon dwellers have long relied on acai as a nutrient source, and today South Americans still regularly consume acai berries for their pleasant taste and health-boosting properties.

What Are The Acai Benefits?
Acai’s dense nutrient makeup supports overall health and vitality, but acai has also become continuously more popular for its specific health benefits including:

• Healthy Ageing—The antioxidant makeup in acai berries may help protect the body from free radicals that can cause premature ageing.
• Digestion—Acai contains fiber that supports the digestive system.
• Energy—Historically, Amazon men and women would eat acai or drink acai juice to enjoy the energy boost that comes from acai. Acai is fully of fatty acids that make an ideal energy source for our bodies.
• Skin Health—Acai’s vitamin C content, along with fatty acids, amino acids, antioxidants, and protein, ensure skin gains all the nutrients needed to look and feel healthy.
• Weight Management—Containing large amounts of protein, acai supports muscle maintenance and growth that contributes to normal weight management.
• Heart Health—Containing healthy fats like, omega-3 and 6, along with oleic acid, acai berries are very heart healthy.

What Is An ORAC Scale?
When researching acai berries, you’re likely to hear something about an ORAC scale. An oxygen radical absorbance capacity scale (ORAC scale) measures food’s antioxidant capacity. Scientists use this scale to determine different food’s antioxidant makeup and potency. According to the ORAC scale, acai have one of the most potent amounts of antioxidants.

Why Is Acai Considered A Superfood?
Acai tops many superfood lists for a variety of reasons. The first being that acai has an astounding concentration of antioxidants, in fact, acai contains more antioxidants than most other berries. Also, acai contains 10 to 30 times more anthocyanins, which support healthy ageing and immunity, than red grapes.

The second reason acai is considered a superfood is because the small, dark berry is made up of a unique blend of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that support the body from head to toe.

How Should I Eat Acai?
Acai berries have become so popular in recent years that there are countless ways to consume this exotic berry. You can buy acai supplements that provide you with all the acai nutrients, or you can buy acai dried powder, frozen acai, acai bowls and in some areas, fresh acai.

Amazon natives used to create a juice out of acai, and today acai juice is widely popular. Whichever way you decide to consume acai, you’ll be glad you did.

What Does Acai Taste Like?
Acai doesn’t taste like an average berry. Acai tastes like a mixture of ripe blueberries, dark chocolate with notes of bitter citrus. Its flavour makes it a great addition to smoothies or drinks because of its rich, unique flavour. Fresh, whole acai berries can be challenging to find since acai is difficult to transport, but powdered acai and frozen acai is available at most health food stores.

Are Acai Berries Natural Sources Of Caffeine?
No, acai berries are naturally free of caffeine. However, acai berries still promote healthy energy levels with their useable source of complex carbohydrates and fatty acids.

You can find acai supplements that do in fact contain caffeine or other natural sources of caffeine, like green tea. Typically, these additions are made to further support energy levels or weight loss efforts. When taking an acai supplement, simply check the nutrition label to ensure you’re receiving exactly what you want out of an acai supplement.

Can Children Take Acai?
Acai is a food that has been eaten by South American children for centuries. That being said, yes children can eat acai. Many children enjoy the taste of acai added to smoothies or created into an acai bowl. Acai supplements, on the other hand, should only be given to children after consulting with a healthcare professional.

Is Acai Safe?
One thing to keep in mind is that pure acai is a food, and therefore should be approached as a food. Not only is acai safe, but also acai is a superfood that promotes good health. Always consult with a healthcare professional prior to beginning a new health regimen to ensure your specific needs are met.