Nutritionists, doctors, health gurus and lifestyle specialists are all united on one thing: that the acai berry is one of the best foods known to man. Dr Nicholas Perricone named it as his number-one superfood in his acclaimed best seller The Perricone Promise. Oprah Winfrey has sung its praises and even the New York Times has something to say on how good the little berry is.

So it is interesting to see the number of different forms that acai takes before it hits our shelves. Interestingly, the acai berry doesn’t appear outside of Brazil anywhere in its natural berry form. When you consider how quickly the acai deteriorates (within 24 hours of being harvested), this omission is hardly surprising.

The next best alternative to moving to Brazil and farming the acai berry yourself (which even with the best will in the world is just not practical) is acai juice, offered by several distributors. You can also try acai as a pill or a powder. Why anyone would choose a powder or a pill over a delicious drink is a bit of a mystery, but there you go: it is for sale.

Apart from the taste factor you must also consider that the acai juice drink is just so darn convenient. Acai juice allows you to take juice with you in the car or even to work — now there is no excuse not to have your daily intake of acai.

Controlling your weight with the acai diet

Acai berries contain high levels of amino acids, phytosterols, fiber and fatty acids, which can improve how efficiently a body burns fat. An acai diet can considerably aid in a person’s attempts to lose weight and stay looking trim.

Antioxidants

Acai berries are chock full of antioxidants. An acai diet is a surefire way to keep free radicals at bay. Free radicals form naturally in the body and attack cells, leading to degeneration and susceptibility to illness. A boost of antioxidants helps keep cells in the body healthy and slow the effects of aging.

Fatty acids

Acai berries are actually the only fruit to contain appreciable levels of fatty acids. While you may not like the sound of “fatty acids”, it’s important to remember that not all fats are bad. We need fatty acids in our diets in order to stay healthy. Without food our bodies are unable to produce Omega-3 and Omega-6, both of which help increase metabolism, as well as limiting hunger. These factors combined help weight loss and make shedding extra pounds a breeze.

Fiber

Because acai berries contain high levels of fiber you don’t have to worry about food passing through your system. A high level of fiber means that the digestive tract can function more efficiently, with a decreased amount of food being absorbed into the body and turned into fat cells.

Amino acids

Another reason why acai berries aid weight loss is because they contain high levels of the building blocks of protein: amino acids. These amino acids are essential for the body’s muscles to function and also to regenerate after exercise. Amino acids target the muscles and help to build muscle mass, making a person stronger and fitter.

Phytosterols

In order to help get rid of waste materials and absorb nutrients, the body needs phytosterols, which are the building blocks of cell membranes. These phytosterols are found in high levels in acai berries and they are the building blocks of cell membranes.

Disease-fighting qualities

A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed that acai-berry extracts killed off 86% of leukaemia in a test:

“Acai berries are already considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants,” said Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “This study was an important step toward learning what people may gain from using beverages, dietary supplements or other products made with the berries.”

Why choose acai berries?

Acai berries contain high levels of antioxidants, which have never been more essential. We live in an age of phytoestrogens, chemicals, pesticides, and other harmful environmental toxins. Lots of people are acai converts because the berries aid weight loss, while other people are just happy for the increased energy levels. The disease-fighting qualities of acai berries are also an important factor to consider. There are lots of reasons why you might become a fan of the acai diet. Outside of Brazil, the two most common forms of acai-berry products are:

Acai supplements

The easiest and most convenient way to get your hands on acai berries is by taking acai supplements. Some dodgy dealers push bad products, however. It’s best to stay away from anyone offering free trials that ask you to just pay for shipping, only to charge the buyer an extortionate amount of money. They do these by no disclosing the fact that the buyer signed up for a subscription. The sellers then conveniently make themselves impossible to contact.

However, not everything offering acai supplement is out to steal your money. The best supplement on the market at the moment is Acai Pure, a 100% acai-berry product that contains only the good stuff – and nothing else. Acai Pure is made form high-grade acai powder and is America’s best selling antioxidant cleansing formula. Polls consistently put Acai Pure in the top three acai-berry products on the market.

Acai juice and drinks

Acai-juice products are available in many places. You can probably find them in your local health-food store. However, while this may be convenient, it’s important to know that acai-juice products are often not all they’re cracked up to be. They usually contain high levels of sugar or are diluted with the juice of another fuit. The health benefits are therefore greatly reduced. One of the only products that isn’t diluted is Amazon Thunder.

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You can tell Amazon Thunder isn’t diluted because when you pour it out of the bottle, it’s thick like ketchup – more of a paste thank a juice. Amazon Thunder contains nothing but mashed acai berries. This is the best way to get the full benefit of acai berries in the form of a drink. No other product comes close.

Give it a try

Acai berries are the world’s newest superfood and the benefits of an acai diet are many. Don’t believe the hype – try acai berry products for yourself and you’ll be an addict in no time.