Dr. Nicholas Perricone, M.D. - Superfood No. 1:

Açai Nature's Energy Fruit

It may seem odd to start this list of superfoods with one you've likely never even heard of. But studies have shown that this little berry is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world! Açai
(ah-sigh-ee) is the high-energy berry of a special Amazon palm tree. Harvested in the rainforests of Brazil , Açai tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate.


Hidden within its royal purple pigment is the magic that makes it nature's perfect energy fruit. Açai is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. Although Açai may not be available in your local supermarket, you can find it in several health food and gourmet stores (often in juice form). A new product featuring the unsweetened pulp is now also available, and I highly recommend that you choose this form of Açai.

Açai pulp contains:

A remarkable concentration of antioxidants that help combat premature aging, with 10 times more antioxidants than red grapes and 10 to 30 times the anthocyanins of red wine.

A synergy of monounsaturated (healthy) fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols to help promote cardiovascular and digestive health.

An almost perfect essential amino acid complex in conjunction with valuable trace minerals, vital to proper muscle contraction and regeneration.

The fatty acid content in Açai resembles that of olive oil, and is rich in monounsaturated oleic acid. Oleic acid is important for a number of reasons. It helps omega-3 fish oils penetrate the cell membrane; together they help make cell membranes more supple. By keeping the cell membrane supple, all hormones, neurotransmitter and insulin receptors function more efficiently. This is particularly important because high insulin levels create an inflammatory state, and we know, inflammation causes aging.

The Perricone Promise, Nicholas Perricone, MD pages 62 - 63. Time Warner Books, 2004.

Dr. Alex Schauss :

The Açai fruit is remarkably rich in a very large range of macronutrients, micronutrients and trace elements. It has a broad range of essential amino acids, carbohydrates, fatty acids and a complement of vitamins and minerals.

The Açai fruit has a very broad nutritional value to humans. It has remarkably high antioxidant activity.

Based on new data about the antioxidant levels of American foods that was published in early 2005 by US government, data shows that Açai has significantly greater antioxidant activity on a gram to gram comparative basis than any of the common fruits or vegetables Americans consume.

Thus, any juice blend rich in Açai fruit would help people meet their daily antioxidant requirements from food.

For additional information, refer to the book Açai (Euterpe oleracea): The Nutritional and Antioxidant-Rich Amazonian Palm Tree Fruit by Dr. Alex Schauss .

Dr Julian Whitaker :

Fruit juice has never been high on my list of recommended foods. No matter how natural it is, it contains too much concentrated sugar.

One type of juice, however, merits a big thumbs-up: acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee). Juice from the small, dark acai berries of the Euterpe olerace palm has been used for centuries in the Amazon rainforests to increase strength and stamina.

Açai is loaded with anthocyanins, known for their beneficial effects on the eyes, blood vessels, connective tissues, and nervous system. In fact, acai contains more antioxidant-rich anthocyanins than cranberries, red wine, and grapes. (Açai's ORAC value is more than 6,000).

Unlike most juices, most of acai's calories come not from sugar but from healthful omega-6 and omega-9 fats. It also contains hefty doses of fibre, potassium, iron, vitamins C & E, and other nutrients.

From A Special report from Dr. Julian Whitaker entitled The Insider's Guide to America 's Worst & Best Supplements. May 2005, page5.

Dr. Vazques :

I have been a practicing cardiologist in Puerto Rico for the past 12 years. I am also involved with clinical research and controlled trials for a number of international pharmaceutical companies.

I have become a staunch believer in natural therapies and antioxidants and in recent years have relied heavily upon non-invasive care for my patients.

Açai seemed instantly to be an elegant and delicious alternative to coaxing my patients into taking big antioxidant pills. The strong, scientific data profile of Açai allowed me to proceed with much confidence.

I have noticed that my patients are refilling their Açai prescriptions without prompting. Among all age groups the results have been overwhelmingly positive.

Alexander G. Schauss, Ph.D, FACN has studied nutrition and botanical medicine for over 30 years. He has taught at Oxford and lectured in more than 40 countries. Dr. Schauss has published over 125 papers and 12 books. Currently, he serves as the Director of Natural and Medicinal Products Research at the American Institute for Biosocial and Medical Research.