Apr 05 2011
The Acai Berries Tale
In the last couple of years it’s been tough to steer clear of hearing about the Acai Berry and its aid in weight-loss and nutritional advantages. Yet we hear a lot less about the history of the Acai Berry and how its benefits have been enjoyed by other nationalities for many, many years.
The Acai Berry (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) cultivates on a tree from the palm family and can reach heights up to 25m. The Acai Berries themselves form in large, grape like clusters amongst the foliage above the trunk.
Sources say that the fruits were first of all eaten by Amazon tribes 1000′s of years ago. It needed a talented tribesman to climb up to the tops of such trees and obtain the fruits.
In spite of a lack of scientific research, the tribe’s regular use of the fruit led to a great understanding of its health giving attributes. The Amazonian tribes believed the fruit served to overcome illness, protect the heart, increase the lifespan and even improve sex; the majority of what has now been shown to be true.
It is only in the last twenty or so years that information about the Acai Berries benefits spread across the world. The Brazilian surfer community used the Acai Berry in order to regain energy after time within the waves, and the berry is frequently added in as an ingredient in smoothies which are found along the shores of Brazil.
At around this same period, scientific experts acquired an interest in the Acai Berry and its particular properties. Many reports confirmed the fruit as a dense source of vital minerals and vitamins, in addition to being high in fibre and containing the essential Omega oils that humans need to attain a healthy heart.
In spite of hefty marketing, it is perhaps Oprah Winfrey who can be thanked for the Acai Berries recognised reputation as a slimming food. As a well-respected talk show host and serial dieter, consumers effortlessly took on board all the things Oprah had to state regarding the benefits of the Acai Berry. It seems that it is from that day that those on a diet have been desperate to hop on the Acai Berry band wagon and reap its advantages for themselves.
In really recent years, the Acai Berries popularity has expanded from use not merely as a diet food and supplement but also as an ingredient in energy products. Energy bars and beverages infused with the Acai Berry can now often be found for sale in gyms and health clubs. The fruits effectiveness as a source of energy can be verified from the knowledge that Amazonian tribes also utilised the berries to boost their energy when hunting.
So what may happen to the Acai Berry in the foreseeable future? We can only speculate, but if research into the fruit persists and peoples concern and consciousness of their health keeps increasing, it’s quite possible that the demand for Acai Berries will grow. One can hope that despite the typical price-increasing impact of supply and demand, that as more people seek the Acai Berry, production of the berry will increase and its cost may decrease.