Information about acai berries in products from frozen pulp, juice, diet, makeup and more!
Acai News
Alba Botanica Receives Rainforest Alliance Approval
A new line of personal care products by Alba Botanica gain approval, the seal of approval by the Rainforest Alliance Certified. The top ingredient is the Acai Berry. The seal shows/assures consumers the products are responsibly harvested and benefit the local communities, wildlife and environment.
The frozen pulp is the whole acai fruit that is best when flash pasteurized. That makes it extremely versatile and you can use it in pretty much any way you can think of. So, what a better explanation of Acai Berry products than the following article by Kimberly Gough who describes the benefits of pulp over supplements and more.
Acai for Health, Beauty, and the Rainforests
With all the press that Acai is getting these days, I’m surprised that so few know what it is. I’m hoping that I’ll help spread the word, because the little purple berries are antioxidant powerhouses offering amazing benefits to human bodies.
An Amazing Health Food
Acai has far too many health benefits to be ignored. The purple pulp has and continues to be studied for its high levels of phytochemicals, flavonoids, and phytosterols. The phytosterols in Acai are beneficial for lowering cholesterol. High levels of the antioxidant superoxide add to the benefits, not to mention the 19 amino acids it contains. The antioxidant levels of the nut like seed are being studied for use as a preservative to extend the shelf life of foods.
I know, enough of all these crazy words…what does this translate to? Basically, this is a food with higher antioxidant levels than pomegranate or blueberries that has high fiber, a low glycemic index (won’t spike insulin levels), and fights cancer cells with a vengeance in the petri dish. All those plant chemicals mentioned above help to strengthen the immune system, fight inflammation (which makes it excellent for a pain management program),and lower cholesterol levels. Acai is considered a beauty drink, and made it to number one of Dr. Nicholas Perricone’s anti-aging food list. It is also reputed to enhance sexual performance :O
I tried Acai before I even knew of the health benefits. I found it along with all the frozen smoothie packs in my local Whole Foods Market. It has a flavor that I have not experienced before, that I really adore, though I tend to have less of a sweet tooth than most folks.
OK, So How Does it Taste?
The taste is kind of a blend between chocolate and bland blueberries. It has some notes of sweeter blackberries, I guess since they contain many of the same phyto compounds. Acai doesn’t have an over the top fruity taste, and is honestly kind of bland without any sweetener. It often comes with added cane sugar or agave, a natural sweetener with low glycmeic index. Some formulas include guarana for energy, which I think adds a slight bitter edge, but it is still in the pleasant range. Be aware that Acai drinks often do not look remotely similar to anything you’ve seen before. The pure pulp is blackish purple, and the blends with sweeteners and guarana have a lighter, whiter purpleness with a haze of oil on top. Don’t let my honest descriptions keep you from trying it, it is a refreshing change of taste.
If you decide you hate the taste, you can still experience the health benefits of Acai by buying the dried, powdered version as a supplement pill, just make sure to seek out the freeze dried pulp, anything else has been dried with chemicals and heat that destroys the compounds you’re taking the stuff for in the first place!
So there are several camps selling the Acai in the states right now, and my kudos to all of them. You’ll just have to go to a health food store or one of the Whole Foods chains to find it. Trader Joe’s may be another option, and some companies sell directly over the net. A brand called Sambazon hails from California, and they make the cool smoothie packs. You can buy the pure pulp, or the blend. I’m sure the other companies have smoothie packs as well. The company from the Eastern U.S., Flavor Brazil, makes this amazing sorbet that can be used in smoothies or devoured right out of the tub. This product has excellent flavor for those used to more mainstream foods. You’ll find these forms of Acai in the frozen fruit section of the store. Zola Acai sells off the net and in stores, their product is unique in that it is flash pasteurizeed and needs no refrigeration. A friend of mine that does research assured me the flash pasteurization doesn’t allow enough long term heat to affect the integrity of the Acai. There is a brand that is a strained, clearer juice that tastes awful – not worth the money in my opinion, and you lose the benefits of the fiber. I’m sure there are a host of many other Acai products, I mentioned those I have tried.
After trying many forms of the Acai, I buy the pure Acai pulp now; they run about $4.99 for 4 packs that can make up to 8 servings. I sweeten with agave nectar, it gives the pulp a pleasant taste. The pure pulp has just that – a lot of pulp, similar to drinking fresh squeezed orange juice… you can feel the fibers as you drink it. Agave nectar is processed in Mexico from the same yucca-like plant used to make tequila.
Agave has a lower glycemic index than most carbohydrates, and is a natural flavor enhancer. You can find the nectar in the sweetener aisle in the Whole Foods, or health foods stores.
The Berry at Home
Acai is the fruit of a species of palm tree called Euterpe Oleracea, or Acai Palm. These beautiful trees with their graceful, slender trunks are native to Brazil, Peru, and other areas of South America. This is the same type of palm harvested for the hearts of palm dish that is considered a delicacy, but certainly at the expense of the rain forest, since the small, bunch like trees are downed to reap their tender tips.
The Acai berry looks similar to a very round blueberry, only slightly larger. There is very little fruit, as most of the berry (80%) consists of a large, nut like seed. It is the skin and thin layer of pulp that is edible, and it takes many bushels to make a small supply of Acai. The berries spoil rapidly once picked, so they are processed close to their origin.
Adding Acai to your wellness routine is not just good for you, it benefits the rain forest and its native peoples as well. The growing demand for Acai means jobs and capitol for the people, and Acai palms destined for destruction by deforestation and heart of palm harvesting are now being preserved and appreciated. Acai is not one of the cheapest foods you will consume, but the benefits to your health, beauty, your fellow man and the planet far outweigh the costs. Enjoy!
by Kimberly Gough
Healthy Balance Pomegranate Blueberry Acai
Old Orchard Brands introduces a fruit juice blend with pomegranate, blueberry and acai berry. The claim made in the press release is the reduced caloric amount plus a reduction in carbs found in many products on the market. This product features reduced-sugar juices with the addition of an acai berry blend that features just 29 calories per 8-ounces, 64 ounces per bottle. It’s now selling nationwide and adds to the line of super-food products.
Old Orchard has combined three antioxidant-rich super fruits in one delicious reduced-sugar juice cocktail. Sweetened with Splenda® no-calorie sweetener, and fortified with 100% of the Daily Value of Vitamin C.
Press release excerpt:
“Like the blueberry and the black currant berry before it, the acai is a rich, dark-colored super fruit that is packed with nutritional value,” said Mark Saur, president and founder of Old Orchard Brands. “The challenge for the consumer has been how to reap the health benefits of the fruit while keeping calories and sugar intake low. The Healthy Balance line was designed specifically to address that challenge, and the new Pomegranate Blueberry Acai fits perfectly with a healthy lifestyle and diet.
Old Orchard Brands – Acai Product Details
A settlement has been reached where benefits claimed didn’t hold up. As with many products available on the market, the FDA is overwhelmed and therefore is up to the consumer to conduct thorough research. The company noted in this news release has settled with the Texas AG’s office, so my first impression is they want to remain in business. This is good. Make things right and carry on my friends.
Fort Worth maker of acai berry products settles with AG’s office
Clinique is launching a new innovation in lip gloss to help protect and defend delicate lips. Bursting with antioxidant ingredients, Clinique introduces new Vitamin C Lip Smoothie Antioxidant Lip Colour, a healthy dose of luscious colour in six juicy shades, rich in moisture and shine, like an antioxidant fruit smoothie for the lips.
Combining the high shine and super moisturising aspects of a lip gloss with the rich, stay-true colour and buildable coverage of a lipstick, the beauty experts at Clinique have developed this revolutionary new lip product.
The new formulation has taken powerful, ‘good for you’ ingredients and squeezed them into a gorgeous, colourful lip product with treatment benefits. Over time lips become vulnerable to lines and wrinkles and can become thinner and drier while also losing some of their colour. This vitamin packed formula is enriched with a cocktail of ingredients, including the key antioxidants, Açaí Berry and Pomegranate to help protect against environmental aggressors and Vitamin C to improve the look and feel of lips instantly and over time. Whilst a decadent blend of rich butters such as Shea Butter provide comfort, moisture and soothing benefits and help put the smooth in to Lip Smoothie.
(based on this release and the reference to a UK web site, this may be a product offered outside the US for now.)
Today we have two categories of sweets, candy and syrup. I know, syrup is misleading but still sweet!
Jelly Belly started marketing a new superfruit mix of jelly bean flavors including acai and promegranate, advertised as a good source of antioxidant and vitamin C. Okay, jelly beans are not my first thought for nutrition (but if it makes you feel any better…). Organic Nectars introduced goji strawberry gelato while Sonoma Syrup will offer Acai Black Currant Superfruit Syrup (This isn’t listed on their site, so stay tuned).
Our favorite superfruit is making its way into a variety of product offerings, keep in touch for category selections on this web site.