How do I say it?
ah-sigh-ee
Where is Açaí from?
This little bitty berry grows on palm trees in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil
Is Açaí really loaded with Antioxidants?
You bet! Açaí berries contain 500% more antioxidants than blueberries and 60% more than pomegranates
What is an ORAC Score?
(Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) The average person needs over 3,000 ORAC units per day to fight free radical damage. Most Americans only get about 1200*. Drinking a 12 oz bottle of Zola Açaí every day, can help keep your body in check from free radical damage, (that means a younger and healthier you)
What’s a Free Radical?
Free radicals are formed inside or outside the body through multiple means including exercise, pollution, and certain foods. Free radicals cause ‘oxidation’ that can lead to cell damage. Free radicals are thought to be the biggest factor in aging and disease. Antioxidants help defend healthy cells, protect the body, and support overall wellness by neutralizing free radicals
How do Antioxidants Fight Free Radicals?
The high ORAC score of Açaí tells us it’s the ultimate at fighting free radicals. The antioxidants in Açaí bind with free radicals so they don’t damage healthy cells. Açaí’s high ORAC score means it absorbs lots of free radicals, and is the best at helping to fight disease and aging
The Science
Free radicals are molecules that are short an electron; therefore they are highly unstable. Since electrons are most stable in pairs, unbalanced free radicals go on the hunt to ‘steal’ an electron from a healthy molecule. This attack spontaneously generates another unstable free radical, starting a chain reaction called ‘oxidation’ that eventually can lead to a cell’s death. Free radicals have been shown to contribute to at least 50 diseases including cancer and cardiovascular disease and are the biggest factor in aging
Can people eat Açaí berries themselves, like strawberries or blueberries?
No. Unlike many other berries, Açaí is 90% seed and 10% pulp making it impossible to eat raw. In order for humans to consume Açaí, it must be processed into a pulp
How do Brazilians eat and drink Açaí?
Brazilians top fresh Açaí pulp with meat, fish and other foods. It is often frozen and mixed with Guaraná syrup (for energy), as well as organic cane juice to bring out the flavor notes of the berry. Surfers, jujitsu fighters, everyday workers, and hip urbanites are driving the huge demand for Açaí. Açaí has become mainstream, spreading throughout Brazil over the past 10 years. Virtually every street corner in Rio has an Açaí sign
How can Açaí have Omega Fatty Acids?
Açaí is 90% seed and 10% pulp. The omegas originate in the seed and gradually absorbed into the fruit pulp
*Dr. Guohua (Howard) Cao, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, “Can Foods Forestall Aging”, http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb99/aging0299.htm?pf=1