Acai was a berry probably first introduced in 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 was the dark acai berry.

Dr. Perricone first introduced the amazing properties of the Acai berry in his book The Perricone Promise, a book that Oprah highly recommends. This was the first time that 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 being 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 of 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 all the fruits in the world. The health benefits are simply amazing. Hidden within her royal purple pigment is the magic that makes her the perfect energetic fruit of nature. With the symmetry of a grape and the size of a giant blueberry, the Acai fruit tastes a little 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 incredible berry has been consumed by Brazilians for years and has numerous benefits. Acai can increase mental alertness, speed up metabolism, remove toxins from the body, aid in weight loss, and more. By helping to move food 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 rich in fiber. Since its introduction, several 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 several other 18 healthy fruits and selling this proprietary blend at an extraordinarily high price. The price is not due to a shortage of fruits, as they contain mostly abundant fruits such as apples and bananas, but is more likely 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 from a health food store or online at a fraction of the cost. The second marketing tactic to consider is companies that offer their product with a “free trial.” Invariably, this free trial comes with a monthly shipping agreement. Fortunately, 100% pure organic freeze-dried acai is readily available at your health food store, and usually even cheaper online. Just be sure to get 100% pure organic acai pulp (seedless).