They look like grapes, come off a palm tree and taste like a blend of chocolate and blueberries, but what are acai berries? If you know what a date is, you are already half way to understanding. Acai berries are drupes, a fancy name for fruits that have large pits inside thin fleshy exteriors.
Full of antioxidants, heart healthy fats, amino acids and fiber, these fruits are a nutritional powerhouse. The catch is that often 90% of the fruit is seed so you need to harvest carefully, and remove the precious pulp before eating. The pulp doesn’t maintain its nutritional value for long once it is off the tree, so the preparation is critical to ensuring the highest quality.
Once the pulp has been removed, you can use it in a number of manners. The pulp is frozen and shipped. The pulp provides the best of the fruit in many ways. In addition to accessing all the nutrients, you get the fiber that is removed in other forms.
Studies show that the antioxidants found in acai berries may help fight cancers and heart disease. You can add pulp to smoothies, use it for flavoring plain yogurts and even eat it plain.
Another form of acai berry that is easy to use and find is powder. Powder can be mixed in to baked goods, sprinkled on your usual foods and enjoyed in capsule form for those who find the taste a bit odd. Capsules are particularly useful for those who travel a lot since they are so portable.
Finally, you can find this versatile little fruit in juice form. As a liquid, you profit from quicker absorption, but you give up some of the beneficial nutrients such as the fiber. Many companies opt to blend acai juice with that of other antioxidant rich fruit for a comprehensive antioxidant cocktail.
The best place to get your acai berries is online. You can find reasonably priced sources of good quality fruit, puree and powder.
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