The History of Acai Berry

The acai (ah-sigh-ee) berry has been around for thousands
of years and not until the 1990's was it introduced to the
western world. The acai berry was found to possess
tremendous health properties. The acai berry was first used
by the tribes of the Amazon jungle as a cure for various
ailments. It is estimated that the indigenous tribes people
routinely use up to 2,000 of the 3,000 known rainforest
fruits for medicinal purposes. The Amazon borders eight
different countries and has the world's largest river
basin. Not only does the Amazon supply one fifth of the
worlds freshwater, it has the highest diversity of birds
and freshwater fish. The Amazon is the largest rainforest
in the world where one third of all animal and plant
species live. The acai berry is just one of these fruits
that has been discovered in this vast region. The Shuar
tribes are one of these Amazonian tribes that have for
centuries, through tradition, kept the use of plants (acai
berry) for medicinal purposes.

Shuar medicine men or women are called uwishin
(oo-wee-sheen') a healer that works with medicinal plants,
somebody who knows all the secrets of the rainforests.
Uwishin, have a great deal of knowledge of medicinal plants
and their cures, they learn from others, and through
experiments from the plants themselves. One plant removes
snakes venom from the body. It is the work of the uwishin
to research and find solutions to illness.

The acai berry was discovered to have natural antioxidant
properties, as well as being a natural cholesterol
controller. When eaten it helps reduce the bad cholesterol
in our blood and increases the good cholesterol. The tribes
of the Amazon knew of these properties and found out that
it helped build the immune system, fight infection, protect
the heart, and control prostate enlargement (nature's
viagra). It was a great energy food for the tribes-people.
The acai berry, which is a palm fruit, was traditionally
pulped to make wine that was rich in minerals. The acai
berry was also discovered to fight schistosomosis, which is
transmitted by snails. Schistosomosis affecting more than
10 million Brazilians. The acaí berry is also used to
produce an antibiotic that helps to fight against
'Staphylococcus aureus,' a common infection contracted
mainly in hospitals. A berry so useful but only known to
the traditional tribes men and woman of the Amazon, a lost
secret.

The acaí berry comes from a palm that has a long thin trunk
up to 25m high with a group of branches at the top from
which hangs ribbon-like leaves. Acaí berries hang from
these branches in clusters that look like groups of
bluebottles. Traditionally the acai berries would be picked
by hand and the tribe's men would shimmy up the tree and
cut the branches from the top of the palm tree rich in acai
berries. Now that the acai berry has been discovered as a
highly sort after crop by the population of Brazil it is
mass produced, as it only has a 24 hour life span in which
the properties of the juice are still active. The acai
berries must be loaded into baskets and onto boats soon
after picking. To get it to the markets in Belem's they
would have to transport the acai berries over night.

Each acai palm tree produces round about 20 kg of fruit per
year and the wine produced by this fruit has become the
most important product in terms of finance after wood
forest products. Belem in Brazil now employs over 30,000
people on a daily basis to keep up with its enormous demand.

So we know where it comes from, what about it's recent
history? After being introduced into the western world it
was realised by the modern beach going Brazilian surfer as
a natural way to regain energy. The acai berry was pulped
and frozen to keep it fresh and became a natural additive
to the smoothies drunk along the beaches of Brazil. It was
known to help your prostate and was seen as a natural
viagra for the boys of the beach. It soon became a drink
for the trendy, for the sand and surf brigade.

The researches soon got hold of this magic acai berry and
realised that it would be of great importance in the
well-being and health of the western world, our diets are
often over filled with fat and fast food, acai is naturally
full with energy, it has a vibrant taste of berries with a
hint of chocolate, is rich in proteins, fibre, vitamin E,
minerals and essential Omega oils to reduce our bad
cholesterol caused by our western diets. The acai berries
fatty acid ratio resembles that of olive oil this is
thought to be a contributing factor to low incidence of
heart disease in Mediterranean populations. The acai berry
contains similar properties as red wine in controlling fats
in the blood and is a fair contributor to go up against the
wine diets of the Mediterranean people.

Known as the miracle fruit, acai berries also helps in
preventing cancer due to it's antioxidant properties that
are five times more potent than gingko biloba, a commonly
used herbal therapy product.

Acai berry juice has been introduced into other products
like bars and health snacks to be sold at gyms and health
spars. It's history is important as by studying the effects
that the berry has had on the tribesmen in the Amazon we
have discovered that it's traditional use as an energy
booster for hunting and good libido has lead to acai berry
juice to being a very commercially viable product.

It's most recent history is that it has been endorsed by
such talk show hosts as Oprah Winfrey and has been seen as
a feature on her show, a berry with star success. So lets
say good buy to guranum and hello to the magic acai berry.

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Read the key health benefits of acai berry at
http://www.acai.vg/acai_benefits.html