Acai berries have been touted as one of the super foods in the world. They provide a large number of health benefits even if consumed in small quantities. Acai berries have become very popular in juice bars, health clinics and fitness centers. They are made into ice creams and supplement bars. Acai berry is also available as powders that can then be mixed with any drink to provide you with a healthy, energizing drink.
Studies show that the acai berry powder is the most effective form of acai berries available in the western world. In regions that acai berries grow in, they can be eaten raw, although mostly, their pulp is extracted and mixed with sugar, salt or granola and served. Unfortunately, this option is not available in most parts of the world. This is because the life span of acai berries is very short, only about twenty four hours. If they are stored any longer, they start losing their nutritional value.
Proper harvesting and storing of acai berries is extremely important to take advantages of its nutrients. The acai berries need to be harvested and delivered overnight to a local processing plant where the pulp is extracted from the berries. This pulp can be made into juice or powder. A long time would have elapsed before the product actually reaches our local market and our homes.
If the acai berries are transported as pulp itself, or even in the form of juice, their nutritional value is bound to have reduced in the time elapsed. The acai berry powder is made by freeze drying the pulp and manages to retain all the nutrients irrespective of the time it is stored. This makes acai berry powder the most effective form of acai berries available in our market.
One needs to be cautious about the acai berry products one buys. It is important to know that not all acai berry products will have the same nutritional value. In fact, even among different brands of acai berry powders, a huge gap between nutritional values can be found. This has mostly been attributed to improper harvesting or storing methods employed by different companies.
An acai berry needs to be fully mature to contain its nutrients, but one finds even raw acai berries being harvested for the sake of increasing volume, and thus profit. On the other hand, proper storing techniques also come at a price.
The pulp has to be extracted and freeze dried immediately upon being harvested. A lot of companies try to cut cost by not having the pulp freeze dried and having it shipped as it is. This causes complete deterioration on the acai berry, and the product made out of it will not have any nutritional value.
