Many people order acai on-line thinking that it is the cheap and inferior (albeit much more convenient) method by which to source acai products. Acai products in the stores, so their reasoning goes, is higher quality and, although it is more expensive, is better value for money. After all who would think for a minute that mega-stores like Whole Foods could provide inferior goods to their customers?

However, if you order acai from an on-line store, then you’ve got much more chance of getting a high quality product than if you had purchased from a local store, and that’s a fact. This article attempts to answer the obvious question of ‘why’ this is case. It will also put straight some of the misconceptions surrounding the ordering of acai on-line vs in a store.

When you order Acai on-line you will be more likely to receive a fresh product that has been processed a lot less than the store varieties. Acai degrades very quickly, an in fact far too quickly for it to be any good once it goes through the store’s lengthy delivery, storage and shelving processes. To get around this rapid degradation, stores use a drum drying method on the acai once it is harvested. Drum dried acai has a lot of the goodness burnt away, but it lasts longer because it is a completely dehydrated powder. Not only can this powder be used in acai supplements and pills, but if you add some water it becomes a kind of acai juice again; the juices you buy in Whole Foods and the like will all have come from this powdered start.

If you order acai and want quality, then on-line stores can do a better job. Because acai supplements and purees ordered on-line are basically sent from the harvesting site to your door, there is no long traveling or standing time. The worry about the product degrading by the time it gets to you is substantially less, and so different processes can be used to package the acai.

Better acai supplements and pills will contain freeze dried rather than drum dried powders. The freeze drying process is not as harsh on the acai as drum drying, and it retains the antioxidants and nutrients that are most likely the main reason for you buying the product for in the first place. This means that acai juices and purees can be made from pure crushed acai berries. Acai purees have a much thicker, stodgy, texture to them which makes the liquid almost chewy. When you first try acai puree you will see a huge different compared to juice, and if you are looking for a healthy diet supplement then there is no competition: puree wins hands-down every time.

The acai that you buy from a store is not bad, per se, it’s just that the quality is always going to be limited by factors outside the control of the store. If all you are seeking is a tasty and refreshing drink that tastes great, then acai from high street stores might be just fine. If you’re looking for something to help add essential nutrients into your diets, then order acai on-line. There are exceptions to this guidance, of course, and some on-line stores simply repackage the inferior product you find in the supermarkets. Choose correctly, though, and you will get more out of your purchase.

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