Brazilpedia - Açaí, the superfruit!

About two and a half weeks ago life happened to me and I had an appendicitis. Now fully physically recovered and caught up with life, I thought it would be nice to launch some Brazilpedia material!

In this Brazilpedia post I will be talking about a fruit that has recently gained much interest from the U.S. public - especially the body-builders - and that is the Açaí (aah-saah-ee). 

The açaí fruit actually comes from the Açaizeiro, which is a type of palm tree. The açaí fruit is mainly found at the northern part of the South American continent, in areas including countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Equador and Trinidad and Tobago. 

Açaí is an essential diet item in the northern part of Brazil, where it can be eaten in many different ways - from just açaí juice with sugar, to an açaí fish soup! In this picture, açaí is shown as eaten in other parts of Brazil; with fruits and blended with guaraná.

Fact of the matter is that açaí is a superfruit with excepctional nutritonal properties and caloric value. It is one of the richest fonts of antioxidants with 10 times more than grapes, 2 times more than blueberry and between 10 to 30 more times than wine. Açaí also contains 13% of protein, which is a value above milk and eggs! The fruit is also rich in potassium, calcium, iron and vitamin E. Due to its richness in fiber, carbs and good fat, the fruit offers a good amount of calories and energy while contributing to the circulatory and digestive systems. 

But why weight lifters like açaí???

The fruit has an excellent amino-acid complex, with minerals that are vital for muscle contraction and recovery. The açaí fruit is a great option to recover in a post-aerobic activity once it accelerates the metabolism and reduces the lactic acid, which in turn will promote less post workout muscle pain. It also possesses anti-flamatory properties, reducing the risk of arthritis, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer. 

Truly, a superfruit!