As mentioned in our last post, there is a huge difference between an Acai Puree and an Acai Juice. The short and long of the matter is that acai puree is a far superior product, supplying much more of exactly the nutrients and goodness that brought you to acai in the first place. Acai juices might have their place as a nice-tasting. thirst-quenching drink, but they are leagues behind the puree products when it comes to ’superfood’ status.

In this short article we are going to examine some of the fillers used by the companies making acai juices to bulk up the product. These fillers are added because they are cheaper and easier to look after than acai puree.

Fruit Juices

Many products contain a mixture of fruit juices along with the acai that we expect. These fruit juices can certainly give the product a delicious taste, but as noted earlier they clearly reduce the amount of acai that’s in there. This is not something that we want, and it’s certainly not something that makes the drink better value for money for us. Fruit juices are cheaper to prepare than acai, and they keep better, so this is a clear and easy winner for the manufacturers; clearly a loss for the rest of us.

Green Tea

I’ve seen some products on the market that actually boast about their containing lots of green tea. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love drinking green tea, and I think it probably does me some good. But do I want that mixed in with my acai? No, not really. If I pay for acai then I want acai, not green tea!

Hypromellose

Hypromellose is an additive that is contained in many foodstuffs; it appears in a ingredients lists for acai products, too, since it allows a time delayed release of certain nutrients into the body. Naturally its presence reduces the amount of acai that is being provided in the product, thus decreasing the value to the consumer and increasing the profit margins for the companies that produce them. One thing to bear in mind: hypromellose is used in tile adhesives as well as in foods!

The chemical name for Hypromellose is Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose. Which, I’m sure you’ll agree, just sounds nasty.

Conclusion

Watch what you are buying. Some products may appear on the face of it to be better value for money, but it really depends on how much acai you are getting; bigger does not always mean better, and cheap hardly ever means better. Armed with some of the common fillers noted above you should be able to spot an impostor from a true puree quickly and efficiently.

Acai is worth the money companies are currently charging for it, but spend wisely!

Spending some time in any industry will give you an insight into what some companies will do to achieve the following goals:

1. Make their products cheaper to make
2. Make their products appear to be better value

With the less honest companies — and I include in this most of the larger ones — those two goals can be achieved simply with a little deception. As the intuitive reader will probably guess, the very same is true in the Acai industry.

One of the more frequently encountered deceptions involves playing on the misunderstanding of the concepts of an acai Juice and an acai Puree. The two get confused easily, and companies work hard to make you think that they’re selling a puree rather than a juice. The thing is, though, that there is a huge difference between the two, both in terms of benefits for you the customer, and in price of production for those making and selling it.

The long and the short of the matter is this: many people are unknowingly paying over the odds for substandard products. A little bit of education and knowing some of the basic facts will go a long way to making sure you buy and receive exactly what you want.

The Main Difference

A puree is something that is made directly from the source material. In the case of acai, the puree is made directly from pureed acai berries. It’s as simple as that.

A juice, on the other hand, can take many guises. Acai juices could range from watered-down purees to acai berries that have been reduced to powdered form through the process of drum drying, then re-hydrated later with water. Doesn’t sound so wholesome? It isn’t. And that’s before we get into the discussion of why drum drying acai berries do the antioxidants and other nutrients in them no good whatsoever.

The ‘hot bottling’ method used with real purees preserves much more of the fiber, Omega 3,6 and 9 fats, as well as those vital antioxidants. As it’s most likely these ingredients that brought you to acai in the first place, it makes sense to buy a product that still contains them!

A Rule Of Thumb

Generally, the thicker the puree, the more ‘real’ acai it has in it. Of course this isn’t always the case, but when you try a bottle of puree directly after a bottle of watered-down and powdered juice, you will have a difficult time putting your hand on your heart and telling me that the juice tastes more wholesome. Some of the supermarket acai brand acai juices contain as little as 10 or 20% acai in the finished bottled product. Compare this with something like Acai Zone or Amazon Thunder purees which are 100% pure acai, and there’s no competition.

Why Do They Do It?

As I briefly mentioned earlier the supermarkets like to sell the cheapest items for as much as they can. Drum dried acai is cheaper to produce; powdered acai is much easier to store and transport (purees just wouldn’t last the 12-18 months required of its stock for many of the larger chains; and they can also add cheaper mixers that continue to bring the price down. Actually some of these mixers can make the acai juice taste more like a pleasant soft drink than a health product, so it appeals to a wider audience too. Does this mean that it is better for you than a puree? Absolutely not.

The Conclusion

You’ve probably guessed the advised position on this: buy 100% acai puree rather than a juice alternative. Look at the ingredients list before you buy, and don’t settle for anything less. Online acai distributors can get purees to you in just a 2 or 3 days in many cases; is that too long to wait for an authentic product?

One hundred and thirty-four acai berries, 14 Concord grapes, one purple plum, one apple and one banana are the fruits that make up the “pound of fruit” inside a bottle of Naked Juice’s Purple Machine. The super-premium juice company, Naked Juice, Azusa, Calif., hasn’t deviated from its path since its acquisition at the beginning of the year by PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y.

“Naked Juice has grown really by sticking to who we are,” says Adam Carr, Naked Juice’s general manager. “Naked Juice is brand that strongly resonates with consumers. We are all about 100 percent juice and using the best bare naked fruit in all of our products.”

Naked Juice traces its origins back to 1983 to the beaches of Santa Monica, Calif., but really started coming to its own in 2000 when North Castle Partners, a private-equity firm in Greenwich, Conn., purchased the brand. North Castle Partners organized Naked Juice with a group of other smaller beverage companies that went by the name Ultimate Juice Co. Naked Juice soon grew large enough to function as its own entity at North Castle Partners.

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PepsiCo acquired Naked Juice at the beginning of 2007, close on the heels of its purchase of Izze Beverages. Both acquisitions add to the company’s portfolio of wellness options. Carr, who worked at PepsiCo prior to the acquisition, joined Naked Juice at the time of the purchase and has been leading the subsidiary ever since.

Naked Juice is organized under the Quaker Oats, Tropicana and Gatorade division of PepsiCo. “Brands such as Tropicana, Quaker Oats and Gatorade have a real commitment to health and wellness, so there is a natural fit for Naked Juice to join the QTG division of PepsiCo,” Carr says.

With sales of more than $150 million, Naked Juice offers more than 25 juices and juice smoothies with no added sugars or preservatives, and has been a leader in innovation.

“PepsiCo was very impressed with Naked Juice–its fantastic growth, its products and its brand positioning,” Carr says. “And so my philosophy coming into the business is to continue to foster what makes this company great and continue to foster the entrepreneurial environment that is very much embedded in the Naked Juice culture. The phenomenal innovation history and the ability to listen to our consumers and understand what they are looking for and to be able to quickly respond.”

Naked innovation

In the past two years, Naked Juice has introduced 12 new varieties, with the help of its consumers.

“We very much pride ourselves in having a set of processes that enable us to regularly talk to our consumers,” Carr says.

Naked Juice pairs consumer feedback with its Science Advisory Board’s expertise. A group of seven doctors, professors, nutritionists and food scientists in fields including safety, pediatrics, food handling, attributes of berries and probiotics work with Naked Juice on development and regulations. “We believe in the functional benefits that our products deliver, and our Science Advisory Board is a way for us to help ensure that we are always leading in innovation,” Carr says.

Naked Juice’s latest innovation demonstrates its ability to listen to consumers, understand what they are looking for, and the ability to quickly deliver. In September, Naked Juice released Naked Juice Probiotic nationwide. Consistent with its other juices and smoothies, the all-natural, no-preservative and no-sugar-added drink also has the benefits of probiotics and prebiotics. Tropical Mango Naked Juice Probiotic is a five-juice blend that contains bifidobacterium, which aids in digestive and immune health. The product also contains prebiotics to stimulate the good bacteria that already are in the digestive tract.

“What we’ve done at Naked Juice is developed and brought to market the first 100 percent juice product with a probiotic and a prebiotic in it,” Carr says. “When consumed regularly, our Naked Juice Probiotic may help the digestive and immune system, and we’re all about having a healthier digestive track and all about having a healthier immune system.”

“Probiotics are friendly microorganisms that really change the balance of the microorganisms that are in one’s digestive track,” Carr continues. “One’s digestive track is actually the largest and most important immune organ.”

Probiotics have appeared in Europe in several different forms for several decades. In North America, the few probiotic products on the market have shown up in the dairy category. North American consumers are just beginning to understand the benefits that probiotics offer, Carr says. Packaged in a 10-ounce container instead of the typical 15.2-ounce Naked Juice bottle size, Naked Juice Probiotic is bottled in the appropriate single-serving size for probiotic benefits, and provides more than two servings of fruit in each bottle.

“What you’re able to get in Naked Juice Probiotic is all the benefits associated with our juice and all of the great taste associated with our juice, but also the benefits that you get from the probiotic and the prebiotic,” Carr says. “… I believe that a lot of consumers who have come to see the great beneficial attributes of a probiotic will look for an alternative from dairy products, and will very much enjoy having the great attributes of Naked Juice Probiotic.”

The introduction of Naked Juice Probiotic follows the creation of the Naked Juice Energy family in May 2006. Naked Juice introduced Strawberry-Kiwi Kick and Orange Mango Motion Energy Smoothies in May and added Black & Blueberry Rush and Cherry Pomegranate Power last fall. Every Naked Juice Energy Smoothie provides 43 mg. of caffeine per serving through green tea extract and guarana; 100 percent of the recommended daily intake of niacin, riboflavin and vitamins B5, B6, B12 and C per serving.

“We listened to consumers and knew there was a real need for a natural energy product,” Carr says. “Hence, we created our energy line, and our energy line provides a natural source of caffeine.”

Naked Juices’ other lines of juices and smoothies all have been developed in much the same way of listening to consumers. Naked Juice’s Well Being line, including Tropical-C and Power-C, contain immune boosters such as vitamin C. The Superfood line includes Purple Machine and Gold Machine, both of which were released last year. Each Superfood beverage has a unique combination of fruits and vegetables, such as Gold Machine, a blend of kiwi, pineapple, yellow passion fruit and banana, boosted with 11 vitamins and minerals, including green tea, vitamin E and grape seed extract for skin health, the company says.

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Naked Juice also has a large Antioxidant family with flavors, such as Berry Blast, Pomegranate, Mighty Mango, Pomegranate Acai, Pomegranate Blueberry and Rainforest Acai. The company also offers Protein Zone, a pineapple, coconut, apple, orange and banana blend, with added whey and soy protein. And of course, Naked Juice offers a line of Just Juice drinks, including Apple, Carrot, O-J and Tangerine Scream.

“We’re excited to have brought to market 12 products in the past two years,” Carr says. “We’re excited to be at the forefront of innovation, and we know that being a leader at something always continues to make it a challenge to stay in that leadership position, and that’s an opportunity that we welcome.”

With more than 25 juices and fruit smoothies, Naked Juice extensively researches each of its varieties to find the right fruit combination. “R&D plays a large role in helping us listen to consumers, and finding fruits that deliver the benefits consumers are looking for and thinking about how to put them together in ways that they create exciting and great tasting products that our consumers expect from Naked Juice,” Carr says.

Nothing to hide

Naked Juice’s marketing takes a cue from its products–innovation is of the utmost importance. Naked Juice was founded in 1983 on the beaches of Santa Monica, Calif. The products were initially marketed “towel to towel,” Carr says. Essentially, the smoothies were taken to the beach in a backpack filled with ice, and marketers would go from towel to towel explaining the benefits of Naked Juice. The company’s grassroots marketing approach is consistent with its attitude today.

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Naked Juice’s marketing approach sets the company apart in the world of consumer products. Naked Juice’s grassroots program is about being in the market and educating consumers. “We believe that consumers want to not only taste our product and understand and see how great tasting the product is, but also our consumer being ‘believers’ in that they want to understand the attributes of the product,” Carr says.

Naked Juice consumers are “believers” in living a healthy lifestyle through a nutritious diet, Carr explains. “Naked Juice consumers believe in real food and they believe in the powerful impact real food can have on their lives,” he says. “A Naked Juice consumer believes in living today and believes in playing today. And what’s impressive about a Naked Juice consumer is they believe in doing the same again tomorrow.”

Building its base of loyal consumers, Naked Juice is beginning to develop a space for its consumers to talk on the Internet. The site named “Naked Juice Nation” is for Naked Juice consumers, called “Bare Believers” who want to talk and learn more about the brand, Carr says. The web site will launch in 2008 and will enable the company to have a dialogue with its consumers on an ongoing basis.

Through Naked Juice Nation and e-mail interaction with consumers Naked Juice plans to learn more about consumer wants and needs. “It’s that starting process for how do we deliver and innovate around what our consumers are looking for,” Carr says.

In addition to its Naked Juice Nation Web site, the company conducted marketing programs to talk to consumers in 10 markets this year. Led by an event manager and his or her team of brand ambassadors, the marketers attend events during the course of a summer in some markets and over the year in others. “We treat each relationship with our consumers on a real one-on-one basis,” Carr says. “We take the time to educate our consumers on the power of Naked Juice as well as letting them taste the product.”

The third element of its marketing program is its guerrilla marketing and sampling campaign, called “Fruit Protests.” “We stage a pretend protest, but it’s a protest to call for the end of free radicals,” Carr says. “We have people dressed up in fruit costumes and they are chanting on the streets of large cities calling for no-added sugar to juice, calling for no preservatives to juice, calling for the end of fake juice.

“It creates that interruption in peoples’ days as they are walking out to lunch and to just see something fun and exciting. It’s an opportunity for people to get educated on who we are.”

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In its second year of “The Fruit Will Set You See Protests,” Naked Juice conducted Fruit Protests in San Francisco, Seattle and New York City.

In addition, Naked Juice extends its marketing all the way to the bottle itself. Carr explains that if one watches a consumer buy a Naked Juice, they take a bottle of Naked Juice off the shelf and start reading the packaging. On front of the bottle, in addition to seeing the name of the product, they see the family name, the “100 percent juice smoothie” and “No added sugar” tags, and Naked Juice’s Pound Promise of “a pound of fruit in every bottle.” Consumers then turn the bottle to its side, and have the opportunity to ready about each product’s personality. In marketing terms, “the romance copy,” allows Naked Juice to give each of its products a witty personality. Then, consumers can rotate the bottle around and see the list of fruits that are inside and see the functional benefits a product boasts. In the case of Mighty Mango, consumers can clearly see that in one bottle they are getting a mango, a couple of apples, an orange and a quarter of a banana.

“Consumers really understand the anatomy of the bottle, and they have the ability to turn it around and really figure out what they want to get today,” Carr says. “As a result of that, we have really strong sales across all of our product families, and we are really excited to be able to offer consumers great choice. Great choice both in terms of fruits that they are looking to consume and great choice as well with respect to functional benefits that they are expecting to get.”

The Naked truth

In addition to being a catchy name, Naked Juice defines what the products are. “Naked stands for the all-natural element of our product,” Carr says. “When consumers think about Naked Juice they think about a fruit stand in a bottle. Naked Juice is sold in the produce section predominately because it is the closest thing to pure fruit that you can get to, and that’s something that we take really seriously at Naked Juice.”

With Naked Juice’s commitment to remaining the nimble grassroots marketing company that it is and its dedication to releasing innovative products, the company plans to continue the growth that the brand is seeing and be the leader of super-premium juice category as well.

“We’ll continue to deliver great tasting, 100 percent juice products that meet what our consumers are looking for,” Carr says.

RELATED ARTICLE: Needing to get Naked.

Naked Juice is dedicated to developing and delivering its juice smoothies and juices to its consumers. In order to do that, the company is flexible with its distribution system and offers three ways for customers to receive product. One, Naked Juice allows customers to come to its plants in Azusa and Glendora, Calif., or one of its nearby warehouses and pick up the order. “Customers often are coming to the California area and picking up other fruit,” says Adam Carr, general manager of Naked Juice. “It’s a very economical way for customers to actually pick up our product.”

Naked Juice also delivers to its customers’ warehouses and through a chilled-distribution network. Since Naked Juice is a fresh, refrigerated product it always needs product and deliver it to the store. The route sales reps stock the shelves and handle the merchandising. “It’s really a way for our customers to offer everything that Naked Juice can offer to their consumers in a real worry-free way,” Carr says.

“We’re really proud of this hybrid approach to distribution, and we really think it’s the best way to serve our customers and ultimately our consumers by ensuring we have the broadest range of distribution possible,” he says.

Yes, most supermarkets do now stock several brands of Acai Juice. You can usually find Sambazon and Bossa Nova in single serving sizes in the chilled section, and often some of the mega brands like V8 on the shelves. We have a mini-review on those brands below, and will be adding more in the coming days, as well as a poll to let visitors vote on their favorites.

In general, supermarkets do not stock the best quality Acai Products, as they are forced to compete on price rather than quality. The bigger the brand name, the less expensive their product will be, and the less actual acai juice you will be getting.

In addition to the price wars the big brands must battle to find shelf space, they also demand a product that can sit in the warehouses and on the shelves for 12-18 months. Unfortunately, a whole Acai Puree that contains the pulpy fiber and omega 6 & 9 fats will not last that long.

So, they either “clarify” it, by straining out the pulp. Or, they freeze-dry the puree to powder, then “reconstitute” it by adding water. This product is very stable and can even be called 100% Acai Juice, no matter how much water they add when reconstituting it. But it has almost none of the good omega fats and fiber, and much less of the antioxidents than Acai Puree. Then, to make more money, these mega brands often mix the juice with less expensive fruit juices. They end up with 10-20% acai in the finished product.

We do not mean to say that the Acai Juice you find in the supermarket is worthless. It is probably better for you than many other juices on the shelves. Just realize what you are getting. Some of the most commonly available brands are review below. I particularily enjoy the Bossa Nova.

Supermarket brand Acai Juices

Naked Juice

For taste, this is my absolute favorite, hands down. Like a lot of their juices, they use purees for the Acai and Banana. So it has a nice thick texture. Like all the other retail brands, it’s not really an acai juice (check out the ingredients – water and apple juice first), and has a lot of calories. But is a nice choice to grab after a workout. $4 for 15 ounces.

Ingredients: Water, Apple Juice, Pomegranate Juice Concentrate, Acai Puree, Banana Puree, Red Grape Juice Concentrate, White Grape Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Soy Lecithin.

Sambazon

The Original Blend contains a mixture of: Organic Acai Puree, organic agave, organic lime juice and contains less than 0.5% of organic natural flavors, organic soy lecithin and citric acid. Although this product uses some puree, and therefore retains some acai omega fatty acids, amino acids and fiber, it is watered down quite a bit and contains less than 20% acai berry in the final product. They have several different flavors that are mixed with different fruit juices. Price is normally around $4.95 for 8 ounces

Ingredients: Organic Acai Juice, Organic Agave Organic Acerola Juice, Organic Blueberry Juice, Organic Pomegranate Juice, Organic Natural Flavors, Organic Soy Lecithin, Citric Acid.

Bossa Nova

The Original Flavor contains a mixture of: Wild-harvested Acai Juice, Organic Agave Nectar, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid. This is a clarified juice, so is lacking important acai nutrients such as omega fatty acids, protein (amino acids) and fiber. But it is not mixed with other juices, other than the Agave Nectar used as a sweetener. It is also less watered down than most supermarket brands, and tastes very nice! Is a bit more expensive than others at nearly $5 for 8 ounces.

V8 Acai Fusion

The 800 pound gorilla of juice brands is now jumping on the Acai Bandwagon! Of course, this is an Acai Juice in name only – just check out the ingredients below. It has a little reconstituted Acai “juice”, but is far less than 10% of the total. It doesn’t taste anything like Acai, but is probably a good choice to get for the kids because of that. And is very inexpensive at $7.99 for 46 ounces.

Ingredients:

Reconstituted Vegetable Juice Blend (Water and Concentrated Juices of Purple Carrots, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes), Reconstituted Fruit Juice Blend (Water and Concentrated Juices of White Grapes, Apples, Acai, Blueberries, Limes), Contains Less than 2% of the Following: Plant Sterols, Natural Flavoring, Lemon Juice Solids, Malic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Natural Flavoring (Contains Malic Acid), Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate).

I used to be very overweight indeed until I started to visit a nutritionist. This nutritionist told me all about the importance of eating properly to help my weight loss. I found, using his advice, that I could still eat what I wanted, but I just had to be careful about the amounts and the timing of my eating.

I love to exercise. I do something energetic at least once a day, and I get a real buzz out of it. I also get a real buzz out of knowing that I’m fit and healthy. I actually play squash with my nutritionist (although he nearly always beats me!).

During one of these squash matches I noticed him gulping down some Acai juice. Is it really as good as the reports are suggesting I asked? ‘Well yes it is’, he replied. The thing is, apparently, that Acai juice can give all the nutrients and goodness that would be gleaned from a decent meal, only it provides it with almost not calories, fat or protein as a side effect. I was convinced, and I buy a supply regularly. Definitely it has added to my diet, my fitness and my general well being.

If you’ve read anything at all about Acai, you’ve seen references to Oprah proclaiming the virtues of the Acai Berry. But it is actually pretty difficult to find any quotes or video of what she says. That’s because the scammers have been making all kinds of outrageous claims about Acai being some kind of miracle diet pill, and using Oprah’s name to try and lend credibility to these claims. So, Oprah’s lawyers have been VERY busing getting videos pulled from youtube. Above is a little bit of Oprah with Dr Perricone introducing the Acai Berry juice to her audience. Pretty skimpy stuff.

But there is a lot of buzz about Oprah shedding some light on the Acai scene on her “best life week” special runs Jan 5. The quote below is from her website talking about her struggles, and a little about the special. For the full hour by hour schedule of events for this week visit www.oprah.com

Oprah Winfrey opens up about her recent 40-pound weight gain and reveals intimate details about her struggle to stay in shape after being diagnosed with a thyroid problem in the January issue of O, The Oprah Magazine and in a special episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show airing Monday, January 5, 2009. Both kick off Oprah’s Best Life Week—a multiplatform, company-wide event designed to help readers, viewers, listeners and online users confront the issues in their own lives and make a commitment to wake up and unlock their own personal happiness in 2009.

Sumner Redstone is the legendary investor who controls CBS, Viacom, and countless other companies, and not a man easily swayed by fads. Now 85 years old, he has been a devotee to Acai Juice for over 2 years now, and gives it credit for many general health benefits that others speak of, but are not easily measured in the laboratory. His great wealth and reputation make him an almost irrefutable ambassador for this exploding trend. The following is from an interview he recently gave on CNN.

Redstone first heard of the juice from Viacom exec Bill Roedy on a trip to Germany in January. After learning that his butler’s sister-in-law was a devotee too, Redstone ordered some up and started drinking four ounces a day. "Since I’ve been on MonaVie I haven’t taken a sleeping pill," he says.
New crack in the house of Redstone

At a recent party, Redstone gave bottles to Bill Clinton and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. "Just about every friend I have is on it," Redstone says – a group he says includes Viacom and CBS board members as well as cancer survivor and former junk-bond king Michael Milken. (It can also be found in the clubhouse of the Boston Red Sox; pitcher Jonathan Papelbon is a fan.)

So is it a fad, or is there something to it? Nothing proves that MonaVie cures any ailment, but in one of the first academic studies of açai’s benefits, University of Florida researcher Stephen Talcott found that the berry’s antioxidants destroyed leukemia cells in a laboratory.

But Talcott has since distanced himself from MonaVie and its junkies. "It’s not a drug," he says. He touts the juice as a way to "increase energy in a natural way" and to alleviate "the everyday aches and pains from inflammation."

Redstone says he’s never felt better. "I know I look a lot younger than I am," he says. "I feel like I’m 40 years old.

The acai berry comes from the acai palm tree which only grows in the Amazon rainforest and has the greatest nutritional value of any fruit which is why the most common form of the berry is acai juice which is extremely popular in the United States and around the world. For centuries Brazilians have enjoyed the health benefits of acai fruit by adding them to their diets and using them in recipes . Without adding any sugar, a vibrant flavor of sweet berries and chocolate is the best way to describe the flavor of acai berries.
Health drinks and health juice are made from acai by extracting pulp from the purple grape looking berries and making acai berry juice. Acai berries can be used to make health drinks and energy drinks which are the most enjoyable way to consume the berries. For an enjoyable treat, concentrated or pureed pure acai juice can be mixed with any variety of juice you like. Traditional Amazon acai fruit pulp is mixed with guarana and provides energy, similar to the energy you get from caffeine, and heightens mental clarity. Many conditions are being treated and helped by using acai berries. The nutritional benefits of the acai fruit help fight free radicals and help prevent premature aging with the fruits high levels of antioxidants.
In addition to lowering cholesterol levels acai berry juice also helps fight heart and vascular diseases because of the antioxidants found in it. Acai fruit helps improve sexual function, digestion and can cleanse and detoxify your body in addition to fighting diseases. Acai juice, which is loaded with vitamins and essential minerals including more protein than the average egg, would make a great replacement for your current vitamin. Acai is considered to be one of the most complete nutritional supplements available today. Acai fruit has obtained the status of super food just like pomegranates and goji berries due to its significant nutritional values and health benefits. To have more energy and to feel rejuvenated and refreshed, drink acai berry juice.
Acai juice helps detoxify your body and helps remove harmful substances so there are not additives in acai juice. Acai benefits also include the high levels of essential fatty acids and omegas such as omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9 which are both proven to help lower LDL and HDL cholesterol. Acai berries cannot be bought fresh in the United States because they tend to spoil too quickly to be imported here. Weight loss and dietary supplementation are two uses acai fruit has become popular fo

First found in the Amazon Rainforests of Brazil, a certain variety of palm tree provided the mega-energy packed acai berry for harvest. This rich purple-hued fruit provides an abundance of antioxidants, as well as essential fatty acids and amino acids. In terms of quality, the best acai berry products are 100% organic with Kosher certification. Açaí juice in puree and free dried states is easily imported by the U.S. for packaging in USDA organic and FDA certified quality facilities. Various acai berry nutraceutical products are currently available, including Acai Puree Pulp, Acai capsules, and Acai powder (in dried concentrated powder form). The Acai capsules often contain Amazon camu camu fruit to ensure proper beneficial antioxidant absorption.
The many health benefits of Amazon acai berries, the modern-day “super food”, include increased energy and stamina from its lipids and carbohydrate content; improved digestion from its concentrated fiber levels; increased mental focus from its antioxidant and mineral components; sound and relaxing sleep from its vitamin levels; and weight loss by means of its digestion-aiding fiber with its internal bodily cleansing and detoxifying properties.
Without doubt, the beneficial and health-promoting components of the acai berry and its related health drinks and super food products are amazing in number and importance. Astoundingly, more protein than is found in one egg is contained in a single normal serving of acai fruit. The fact that the Amazon acai is an all-inclusive vitamin product is another. Not only rich in vitamins B1 (Thiamin), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), E (Tocopheral), and Vitamin C, the acai berry also contains the necessary minerals of iron, potassium, phosphorus and calcium. Açaà juice contains twice the amount of antioxidants found in blueberries due to its contents of more than 30 times the levels of anthocyanins (potent antioxidants) found in red wine grapes. Such antioxidants are necessary for promoting and maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system which supports good blood circulation. Products of the acai berry are a great help in promoting normal muscle health and functioning since they are rich in amino acids and valuable trace minerals.
Noted for improving eyesight and nervous system functioning, battling infections and inflammation, impeding the aging process, slowing the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and destroying cancer cells, the acai berry and its products have provided further instances of immense health-improving capacities and acai juice benefits. Particularly when a health juice fast is maintained for a few days, acai berry juice can cleanse and detoxify the body. Acai actually maintains energy levels and mental alertness while in the process of cleansing and detoxifying.
With benefits faithfully many and varied, it has been used historically in Brazilian herbal medicine. The oil of acai berries was often used to treat diarrhea, while acai root was prescribed to build blood count and to treat jaundice. Crushed acai seeds were employed to treat fever, while the grated rind of the acai berry was applied topically to cure skin ulcers. From a versatile ancient herbal healing agent to today’s modern energizer, detoxifier and mega-multi-vitamin, the acai berry in its many forms leads the way as the “super food” and “power potion” among popular and highly effective nutraceuticals on the current natural health products market

The acai fruit — a berry — comes from the acaipal which is native to Central and South America. Acai is extremely important to the residents of the regions in which it is harvest: not only does the sale of the berries provide the majority of their income, but almost half their diet, too. The berry itself degrades very quickly indeed, meaning that the only time it is seen in places outside the Amazon Basin is when it has been changed in some way. One of the best ways of doing this is to produce acai juice from the fruit as soon as it is harvested.

Monavie is one company that is attempting to get their Monavie acai juice products to the mass market in the US and Europe but — and this is said from a purely independent viewpoint — they seem to be going about it in completely the wrong way. Not only has the Monavie alienated potential customers by pricing its product at almost twice the level of competing products, but it has also captured the attention of the FDA by, amongst other things, promising benefits from acai that are quite simply unproven. Not a good start from the Monavie product range, it seems!

Pure, Fresh and Organic Acai, pronounced (ah-sa-ee), is an all natural super antioxidant energy fruit found in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Its dark purple pigment is loaded with nature’s goodness, as its packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential omega fatty acids. Studies have showed that Acai has up to 30 times the anti-oxidant power as red wine and blueberries.
Unfortunately, Acai fruit is extremely perishable and begins to decay within 12 hours of harvesting. Something must be done to prevent the decomposition, and therefore the most commonly available form when it is found outside the Amazon is: in a mash mixed with water or other fruit juices, pills or powders, or mixed into a frozen sorbet or prepackaged smoothie.
But processing can also destroy many of the magical properties of the Acai Berry, and no pill or powder can contain the same levels of antioxidant properties as the real fruit; explaining why we dont see pills for blueberries or red wine. Mashing the berries into a bottle form can protect the berry. Monavie, Sambazon, bossanova and others are decent products that are nicely packaged and well marketed, but are mostly composed of water and other fruit juices, with very little Acai.

We do highly recommend the Amazon Thunder brand of Acai puree. Note that it is not called a juice – it is a semi-viscous paste that is not thinned out with water or cheaper juices.
The only other alternative that maintains the antioxident properties of the Acai berry is Acai Preserves, a whole berry fruit product that is thick, creamy and uses the mouthwatering berry juices, fruit and skin. Acai-Zone preserves are 98.5% Acai berry, mixed with just a touch of natural cane sugar. Acai preserves have a flavor reminiscent of chocolate syrup, but is still fruity. It is a dark purple color, with no separation or clumps. It’s definitely a solid puree type texture. The whole fruit preserve is not chemically treated or altered, nor frozen and therefore will deliver much higher levels of antioxidant properties and beneficial nutrients.
All of the Acai berries natural goodness can only be found in the fruit itself, and the less processing the better. So far, Amazon Thunder acai puree, and Acai-Zone preserves are the closest thing to picking the fresh fruit right off the tree, and actually much tastier!

Have it on ice-cream, in a peanut-butter sandwich, on pancakes, muffins or toast. We even have chefs cooking with it as a glaze for meats, also added to port wine to make a sauce reduction. Acai preserve is incredible mixed with yogurt, granola and sliced banana for all natural, low carbohydrate energy!
However the universal favorite way to enjoy the whole Acai berry fruit preserve is as a shake. Combine two to three table-spoons of Acai fruit preserve in a blender with 3 cubes of ice, 1 table-spoon of guarana syrup, honey or cane sugar, add 1 ripe banana or frozen strawberries. Using the blender, chop the ice and blend until it forms a smooth rich shake. Many like to add a handful of salted peanuts! Add water to thin-out if necessary. Natural energy!

The acai berry is doing very well for itself indeed. The little berry with the big benefit has shot from obscurity to massive popularity in a big way over the last five years, with acai pulps and acai juice being sold in many health food specialists and over the Internet Acai juice is especially popular as an easy way to get your daily fix of the acai wonder fruit.

And wonder fruit it is. Sources as varied as the New York Times, Oprah and food guru Dr. Nicholas Perricone are loading praise on the acai berry and acai juice in particular.

In his book on healthy foods – The Perricone Promise – Perricone names the acai berry as the number one super food. Although it doesn’t travel well at all and therefore cannot be shipped to consumer countries, all of the goodness can be retained by making a delicious acai juice. Perhaps unsurprisingly acai juice is much more popular than the acai powders and pills that some distributors are providing. Why go for this alternative when you can have the real think in a convenient drink format?