The History Of The Acai Berry

Many Scientists, Explorers, and Homeopathic Doctors believe that the Amazon rainforest hides a plethora of medicinal plants and herbs. Bringing a little bit of credibility to this belief, this region has produced one of this decade’s most sought after and studied berries.

That berry is the Acai. Pronounced ‘Ah-Sigh-ee’, the Acai berry has been used by Amazonian tribes and locals for centuries. The tale behind the amazing discovery of this fruit shows that there was an early recognition of the amazing properties and health benefits that this fruit holds. According to legend, there was a tribe that was suffering from extreme starvation due to rapid population growth and a scarcity of food. With the overwhelming and imminent threat of starvation, the tribal leader, Itaki, had ordered that all newborn babies be sacrificed. Even when the leader Itaki’s own daughter Laca became pregnant and gave birth, no exceptions could be made, and her baby was sacrificed. Enduring a great deal of grief, Laca locked herself in her hut and refused to eat or drink. One night, she awoke to hear her baby crying, and she ventured out of her hut to see a vision of her baby laying beneath a palm tree. The following morning, the tribe’s members found Laca dead, laying beneath the same palm tree where she had seen a vision of her lost child. When the tribe’s people looked up, they discovered large clumps of blue-colored berries. These berries became known as Acai berries, and they became the means for the tribe’s survival.

The locals of Belem, the capital of Para in Brazil, which is where the Acai berry is harvested, are rumored to be decedents of this tribe. Even into the 21st century, the Acai berry plays a large role in the economic growth and stability of the region.

The Acai is grown on a palm tree that is known as “The Tree Of Life” to Brazilians, due to the life-giving blessings that it’s fruit provided. The berries themselves grow in clusters, similar to those of grapes, and they hang from the top of the palm tree. In order to harvest the fruit, someone must climb to the top of the tree and cut the berries from it. The Acai berries’ potent contents will only remain for 24 hours after the berries have been harvested. That being the case, most of the harvested fruit is quickly placed in a freezer, or even freeze-dried, in order to maintain the healthful ingredients within, and to allow them to be shipped.

Brazilian surfers are touted as being responsible for introducing the modern world to the Acai berry. Surfers would drink the juice from the Acai berry because they discovered that it would rejuvenate them and allow them to surf for longer periods of time. Two California surfers discovered the amazing benefits of the Acai juice first-hand while surfing in Brazil. Amazed at the effects and potency of the health benefits found within the Acai, these two men formed a company to harvest and distribute the Acai, Sambazon, which is still a market leader in the Acai market as we speak.

Once the modern western world started examining the properties of this amazing fruit, scientists and researchers across the Western World discovered amazing qualities within the fruit, which led to the Acai being labeled as the single healthiest fruit on Earth. With 30x the amount of antioxidants as red wine, this small berry has completely taken over the health industry. Everyone from renowned Olympic athletes, to cancer patients, are taking serious advantage of the benefits of the Acai berry, which is packed to the brim full of antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fatty acids.

The Acai has been featured in mainstream media numerous times, including The New York Times, ABC News, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, NBC’s Today Show, and the CBS Early Show. This amazing berry is now becoming well know in the Western world due to its amazing health benefits. This seemingly sudden jolt of publicity has thrown this rare, and until recently, widely unknown berry, into the mainstream market. As research and studies on the potential health benefits on the Acai continue, there will undoubtedly be more amazing news about this seemingly magical berry.