For me, when most people hear the term “berry,” they think of nice little edible things that grow on bushes and sometimes trees. In addition, they are often qualified by such adjectives as “tasty” and “delicious” by people who are not experts on berries – as are nutritionist experts, farmers or whatever. However, “Acai berries” have appeared a lot in the news recently.
Acai berries come mostly from Brazil, from acai trees. In addition, the fruit of these trees can be described as a small, round, black-purple drupe that is about 1 inch (or two and a half centimeters) in diameter; although similar in appearance and size to a grape, they contain less pulp. They come in branched panicles of 700 to 900 fruits, and two crops are produced per year. They are used by people in all kinds of products: juices and juice smoothies and soda and other beverages but also tapioca, granola, ice cream and flavoured liqueurs. Marketed as a kind of dietary supplement, they are available in many forms: not just tablets and juice, but also smoothies and instant drink powders, as well as whole fruit.
Acai berries receive such a lot of attention from the media because they are purported to have all kinds of health and beauty benefits. The list includes better energy levels, better sexual performance, detoxification, improved digestion, high fibre content, and an improvement in skin appearance, amelioration in one’s heart health, better sleep, and reduced cholesterol levels. Indeed, these particular berries are famous for having high antioxidant content, and these are claimed to promote health – more so than cranberries, oranges and apples, but less than Concord grapes, blueberries, and black cherries. They are also rumoured to promote weight loss…