Acai Berries and the Oprah Winfrey Show
The Acai berry was probably first introduced to most of North America to Oprah and her millions of viewers by Dr. Nicolas Perricone. During an episode of The Oprah Show, he asked Dr. Perricone to talk about his top ten superfoods. The number one superfood on his list then was the dark Acai berry.
Dr. Perricone first exposed the amazing properties of the Acai berry in his book The Perricone Promise, a book that Oprah highly recommends. This was the first time many in North America had been exposed to the Acai berry, a fruit that grows in the Amazon. Because fresh berries lose much of their nutritional benefits very quickly after they are picked. For the best nutritional content, be sure to buy freeze-dried Acai as close to the source as possible. Studies have shown that freeze-dried Acai has the highest level of antioxidants, much higher than its juice or its equivalent amount in raw form.
The fruit, which is indigenous to the Amazon, was previously unavailable outside the tropics. But now it is distributed by Sambazon, a California-based company that promotes sustainable harvesting in the Brazilian rainforest. With 10 times the antioxidants of grapes and twice the antioxidants of blueberries, the Brazilian Acai Berry (AH-sci-EE) is considered to have the best nutritional value of any fruit on earth. The health benefits are simply amazing. Hidden within its royal purple pigment is the magic that makes it nature’s perfect energy fruit. With the symmetry of a grape and the size of a giant blueberry, the Acai fruit tastes a bit like wild raspberry and a vibrant mix of berries and chocolate. Açaí is packed with antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fatty acids.
Most people have trouble identifying the flavor because it is so different. This amazing berry has been consumed by Brazilians for years and they boast about its numerous benefits. Acai can increase mental acuity, speed up metabolism, cleanse toxins from the body, help with weight loss, and more. By helping food move through the body more quickly, the Acai berry prevents the accumulation of fat, resulting in a loss of between 8 and 25 pounds per month.
One of the unique things about the Acai berry is that it can replace various foods. The berry has about the same amount of protein as an egg, is similar to olive oil in its fatty acid composition, contains more than 30 times the amount of anthocyanins found in red wine, and is very high in fiber. Since its introduction, various companies, seeing its nutritional benefits, have tried to capitalize on its potential popularity. A well-known company has used this berry as the centerpiece of a multi-level marketing product and business model. Combining the acai berry with 18 other healthy fruits and selling this proprietary blend at an extraordinarily high price. The price is not due to the scarcity of the fruits, since they contain mostly abundant fruits such as apples and bananas, but rather to support the payment of commissions to the different levels of sellers.
The essential ingredient in this juice cocktail is Acai, and you can buy pure organic acai at a health food store or online at a fraction of the cost. The second marketing ploy to watch out for is companies that offer their product with a “Free Trial”. Invariably, this free trial comes along with a monthly shipping agreement. Fortunately, 100% pure and organic freeze-dried acai is readily available at your health food store, and usually even cheaper online. Just make sure you get 100% pure and organic Acai pulp (no seeds).