Acai Berries: Health Benefits, Origin & Uses

The fruit of the acai palm is in increasing demand for its purported health benefits. Acai berries can be found in myriad health products, from weight-loss supplements to antiaging creams and detoxification drinks.

Tree

• Acai (pronounced a-sigh-EE) berries grow on 60-foot palm trees native to the Brazilian floodplains of the Amazon River.

Fruit

• The dark purple berries contain a large seed surrounded by a thin layer of edible pulp. The berries, which measure about 1 inch in diameter, grow in loose bunches of between 500 and 900 berries.

Claimed Benefits

• According to http://acaiberry.org, acai is touted as a weight-loss aid and detoxifier. Other acai products are said to improve digestion; increase energy; and improve sleep, skin and circulation.

Research

• The berries contain antioxidants, and a 2008 study at Texas A&M University confirmed that the human body does absorb those antioxidants when the juice and pulp are consumed. A different study at the University of Florida showed that acai antioxidants destroyed cultured human cancer cells.

Further study needed

• A researcher with the Texas A&M study said that while acai berries appear to be healthful and may be part of a balanced diet, more research is needed to determine if the fruit helps fight disease.