Acai: An Extraordinary Antioxidant-Rich Palm Fruit

by PhD Alexander G. Schauss

Dr. Schauss’ discovery of a previously little known palm fruit’s remarkable antioxidant activity, led to publication in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that confirmed it had the highest peroxyl radical scavenging activity of any food in the world. Since his discovery numerous authors have referred to it as a “super food.” In this book, the author details the pathway to discovery and recounts the findings of numerous laboratories that collaborated in studying this fruit, now known worldwide as “Acai.” The impact of the author’s discovery has led to government protection of millions of acres of palm trees in the delicate rain forest of Amazonia. Today over 400,000 liters of acai is consumed a day by nearly 1.2 million inhabitants that live in the floodplains of the Amazon River near Belem, owing to the growing body of information about its nutritional content and antioxidant activity. In addition, it has become a major export food of Brazil and resulted in one of the fastest growing network marketing companies in the world. However, not all “acai” products are the same; many contain a fraction of the antioxidant activity of a proprietary freeze-dried acai that has been the subject of extensive research by numerous scientists and laboratories.

Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

While technical at times, and not an easy read, this book explains the science behind the acai berry. This amazing food has huge health benefits but only if it is processed properly and used the right way. Dr. Schauss traces the scientific research that shows how acai can benefit all of us.