Acai berry is a small fruit, round in shape and dark purple in color, which closely resembles a grape or a blueberry except for the fact that there is a large seed occupying its core. This berry is the fruit of tall and slender palm trees which grow to a height of 15-30 meters and are native to the Amazon rain forests in South America. An interesting fact pertaining to them is that they are borne on trees in bunches wherein each tree can bear between three and eight bunches of this fruit at any given point in time.
Lateral dissection of the berry reveals that the exocarp, meaning the outer covering of the berry turns deep purple only after ripening but in case of some species it has been known to retain its green color too. The seed of the berry is known as endocarp and accounts for almost eighty percent of the fruit. Sandwiched in between the two is the mesocarp, which is the fleshy portion of uniform thickness and happens to be the edible portion of the fruit.
Indigenous to the Amazonian basin, acai berry forms an integral part of the diet of the ethnic inhabitants of this region, particularly as a natural remedy for curing digestive problems, skin irritations, insomnia and sexual dysfunction. Although classified under the fruit section of food stuffs, these berries cannot be consumed immediately after being plucked. They need to be subjected to a certain degree of processing before being eaten.
Fruit of the acai berry is nutrition personified and research has revealed that the pulpy portion alone is enriched with carbohydrates, proteins, fat and fiber along with oleic acid, palmitic acid and linoleic acid in high concentration. In addition it's being rich in amino acids, electrolytes and a variety of vitamins renders it a powerhouse of energy.
Legend has it that while the juice of this berry was being consumed by some local surfers as an energy drink, there happened to be an American surfer on a Brazilian vacation who was on a quest for a drink too. On being offered the beverage, the American was astonished by the sudden surge of energy that he experienced just minutes after having consumed it. His curiosity piqued, he immediately started making inquiries and reported whatever he had discovered to an American manufacturing firm. It was just a matter of time after that when the firm capitalized on the report by making a sizable investment and marketing it all over the world in various forms.
Another important fact pertaining to these berries is that they deteriorate very rapidly after being harvested and hence possess a very short shelf life. Courtesy of this characteristic they cannot be transported to faraway places in their fresh state. Therein arises the need to process it into various forms for the purpose of transportation. As practiced by many reputed companies, the most effective way of preserving the goodness of this fruit during transportation is to remove the pulp and freeze-dry it.
Some of its most common avatars in which acai berry can be consumed are juice, energy drinks, pulps and extracts. It can also be combined with other fruits but this is generally not recommended since blending with other products greatly reduces the natural nutrition of this berry. Consumption of this berry should preferably be in its pure form, especially in case of patients who suffer from fluctuating blood pressure, diabetes and obesity so as to derive optimum benefit. Not only is it totally safe for use but is also free from potentially harmful side effects.
Therefore, building an acquaintance with this wonder-berry is a must in order to realize why it rejuvenates your body, spirit and mind like it does.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vinita_Basu
0 comments:
Post a Comment