Acai berries (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) come from the acai palm tree, which grows in Central and South America.
They’re bluish-purple and similar in size and shape to large blueberries.
Unlike other berries and fruits, acai has high caloric values and fats. 100 grams of berries provide about 80-250 calories depending up on the preparation and serving methods.
Acai berry contains many polyphenolic anthocyanin compounds like resveratrol, cyanidin-3-galactoside, ferulic acid, delphinidin, petunidin as well as astringent pro-anthocyanidin tannins like epicatechin, protocatechuic acid and ellagic acid.
Acai berries contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, iron, and magnesium.
They are rich in B-complex vitamins and vitamin-K. Niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine) and riboflavin are found in adequate amounts in them.
Acai berries contain high levels of important fatty acids such as omega-3, omega-6, and monounsaturated oleic acid. Omega-3 and omega-6 are considered essential for good health
Raw acai berries taste a bit like blackberries, but with a slight bitterness similar to dark chocolate. However, the berry is more commonly used as part of a juice or dietary supplement because it has a large seed in the middle.
Their high antioxidant content is one of the reasons the berries have become so popular as a health food.
They can be eaten raw, juiced, or concentrated in pill form. Sometimes they’re also used as a natural color additive in foods such as ice cream and jelly, as well as in drinks.