One of the most nutritious berries on the market, the acai berry, is found in the rain forests of South America. The berry comes the from the acai palm, where it grows in strings. The palm itself is 15-25 meters tall with multiple trunks. The average palm has four to eight trunks, each one four to six inches in diameter, but palms with as many 25 trunks aren’t uncommon. The fruit itself is under an inch in diameter, with a single large seed inside. The palm grows best in low-lit swampy areas, such as are found in the Brazilian rain forest, but it has been spread by animals throughout the Amazon basin. Each trunk produces four to eight bunches of berries throughout the year, with the dry season seeing the largest fruit production. An acai palm generally doesn’t start producing fruit until it is about four to five years old.

Besides being used for juice, it is also used as a flavoring and colorant in wines and liqueurs. The berries are an excellent source of essential fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6) plus oleic acid (Omega-9), which are good for lowering low-density lipoprotein levels. The berry also contains phytosterols (compounds of plant cell membranes), which help reduce blood plasma cholesterol.

The berries contain amino acids and vital trace elements vital to muscle contraction and regeneration, and they also provide dietary fiber (excellent for dietary tract health). Acai berries possess high levels of calcium, vitamins a and e, and phosphorus, as well as high concentrations of polyphenols, making them an excellent source of antioxidants. In fact, it’s a much better source of antioxidants than foods such as blueberries, oranges, and even red wine.