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LOOK FOR USDA ORGANIC CERTIFIED ACAI: Products that are USDA Certified Organic are intended to assure consumers that the organic foods they purchase are produced, processed, and certified to be consistent with national organic standards. This is very important because if you are purchasing an acai product that is non-organic, it could contain harmful pesticides and toxins. Acai products which are chemical and preservative free will give you the maximum benefits. However, acai products that are non-organic could cause you more harm than good. Look for the USDA ORGANIC label before buying ANY acai berry product.
KOSHER CERTIFIED: Some companies go a step further and get their acai product Kosher Certified as well. This adds another layer of quality control which ensures that you are getting the highest quality acai juice or capsules available on the market today. Kosher certification is not easy to get - you can see the
 requirements here on the OUKOSHER.ORG website. MAX Acai is one of the only acai products on the market that are Kosher Certified
NO SUGAR: Look for acai juice that contains no added sugar, you don't want
sugar in your acai for obvious reasons and because sugar is the #1 cause
of inflammation and acai is an anti-inflammatory. The acai berry has high
levels of antioxidants and you don't want anything else in there that
would compromise the high ORAC levels. Also acai has been linked to
battling leukemia see this article on acai and cancer. Cancer
feeds off of sugar.
NO PRESERVATIVES: Make sure the acai you are buying has absolutely no preservatives. When purchasing any health products, sometimes the benefits can be canceled out by the preservatives that are added to the product.
GLASS BOTTLES: Make sure the acai pulp juice you are purchasing comes in a glass bottle and is unclarified and unfiltered. Any acai pulp juice product that is packaged in a plastic bottle will cause plastic leeching no matter what they tell you. Juices that are put in plastic bottles have to be hot filled at high tempereratures to kill off micros and bacteria and to santize the bottle. The only acai products that are acceptable in plastic bottles and this plastic must be a hard plastic are capsules and loose powder.
UNFILTERED: Make sure the acai product you are buying is unfiltered to maintain the wholeness of the acai pulp and fruit.
THICKNESS: True, authentic acai juice is thick -- no water added, no sugar, no preservatives, no sodium, just pure organic acai pulp.
ORAC LEVELS: Look for acai juice that has at least 18,000 total ORAC units per single ounce serving. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities of different foods. If an acai company doesn't mention the ORAC levels of their acai, it is probably because their levels are very low. High quality acai products have high ORAC levels. SEE OUR ORAC CHART HERE
IS IT SOLD IN STORES?: Real acai companies sell their products in stores - fake "free trial companies" only sell online because they are not legitimate enough to get their products in major chains like Whole Foods and others who carry acai.
BBB RATING?: Look the company up at http://www.bbb.org/ and see what their rating is. The Better Business Bureau is starting to crack down on free trial scammers, so this is a great starting point to see what kind of company you are dealing with.
PASTEURIZATION: Acai has to be pasteurized or at the least flash pasteurized to kill off micros and bacteria. Anyone suggesting they are selling unpasteurized acai is not telling the truth it is not allowed by the FDA and even if it was you wouldn't want to consume it because the micros and bacteria would be too high and pasteurization is what kills the micros off. When pasteurization is done right at the right temperatures the acai will remain unharmed. In fact when freeze dried powder is made from the pulp puree, the pulp puree has to be first pasteurized or flash
pasteurized to kill off the micros and then it is turned into freeze dried powder.
*Not all açaí is created equal, there are very many factors from raw material solids %, purity of product, regions of harvest, oxidation issues, pick to packaging exposure times, sorting facilities, production facilities, transportation and storage of raw materials and so much more.
*MAX Acai finished acai pulp liquid products are packaged in glass bottles and foil pouches which are all 100% BPA free as are our capsules and powder products. Most other companies use #7 plastic packaging which is loaded with dangerous BPA's. The #7 found on the bottom of all liquid bottles on the market or any plastic packaging marked with this # indicates it contains BPA's.
THERE ARE ONLY A FEW ACAI BERRY PRODUCTS IN THE WORLD THAT MEET THESE GUIDELINES:
Click Here for the list of acai products that meet the criteria mentioned above.
Beautify Your Skin From The Inside Out!
The Acai Fruit Background
Acai berries are harvested as food. In a study of three traditional Caboclo populations in the Amazon region of Brazil, acai palm was described as the most important plant species because the acai fruit makes up such a major component of diet (up to 42% of the total food intake by weight) and is economically valuable in the region (Murrieta et al., 1999).
The juice and pulp of acai fruits (Euterpe oleracea) are frequently used in various juice blends, smoothies, sodas, and other beverages. In northern Brazil, acai is traditionally served in gourds called "cuias" with tapioca and sometimes sugar. Acai has become a fad in southern Brazil where it is consumed cold as açaí na tigela ("acai in the bowl"), mostly mixed with granola - a fad where acai is considered as an energizer. Acai is also widely consumed in Brazil as an ice cream flavor or juice.
As acai deteriorates rapidly after harvest, its raw material is generally only available outside the immediate growing region as acai juice or acai fruit pulp that has been frozen, dried acai, or freeze-dried. However, several companies now manufacture acai juices, other health drinks, and sorbets made from acai berries, often in combination with other fruits.
Acai fruit is sold in various different forms. Pure dried acai, organic acai, acai juice, acai supplements, acai pulp and so on.
For pictures of acai fruit and acai juice etc try searching for images of acai on google.com
For information on acai and to buy recommended acai products that meet the criteria mentioned on this site, click here
ABC Nightline Takes on ACAI Claims
If you are familiar with Internet message boards much, you may have noticed a preponderance of friendly strangers who vaguely agree with you and then link to fake-looking websitespromoting Acai, the palm-borne purple berry which is very high in antioxidants (true) but which they often claim can cure cancer, diabetes, and such (not true).
ABC’s Nightline has done a nice job of sweeping through the claims and counterclaims about acai in their episode tonight, talking to scientific researchers about the berry’s properties, flying to the Amazon to meet the people whose livelihood it constitutes, and even talking with Dr. Mehmet Oz, who appeared on an infamous episode of Oprah in which the use of the unscientific word “superfood” to describe acai launched a thousand acai spam sites pretending to have their backing, many of which Oz and Oprah have sued. Dr. Oz: “If my name or picture is next to a product being sold, you can guarantee it’s a scam, because I don’t endorse any products and I would never let anyone use my name or my face, image, to sell a product.”
One can quibble with Nightline on some grounds — for instance, for largely accepting the claim that antioxidants themselves have anti-cancer and anti-aging properties when that’s still under debate among scientists— but the show should be commended for bringing a clarifying, relatively objective pop science lens to a set of claims about acai that have played on the public’s lack of scientific literacy and tendency to get caught up in hype-storms — claims promoted, not least, by other media outlets.
WebMD Medical Reference
Acai Berries and Acai Berry Juice -- What Are the Health Benefits?
Have you heard about the acai berry? Do you want to know more about the health benefits of acai berries and berry juice? Acai berries are highly touted by marketers who say it’s one of the elite superfoods with anti-aging and weight loss properties. Some manufacturers use acai berries in cosmetics and beauty products. But do scientific studies support these claims of acai benefits?
What is the acai berry?
The acai berry is an inch-long reddish, purple fruit. It comes from the acai palm tree (Euterpe oleracea), which is native to Central and South America. It is a relative of the blueberry, cranberry, and other dark purple fruits.
Research on the acai berry has focused on its possible antioxidant activity. Theoretically, that activity may help prevent diseases caused by oxidative stress such as heart disease and cancer.
Is the acai berry healthy?
Acai contains several substances called anthocyanins and flavonoids.
The word anthocyanin comes from two Greek words meaning “plant” and “blue.” Anthocyanins are responsible for the red, purple, and blue hues in many fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Foods that are richest in anthocyanins -- such as blueberries, red grapes, red wine, and acai -- are very strongly colored, ranging from deep purple to black.
Anthocyanins and flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that help defend the body against life's stressors. They also play a role in the body's cell protection system. Free radicals are harmful byproducts produced by the body. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants may interfere with aging and the disease process by neutralizing free radicals.
By lessening the destructive power of free radicals, antioxidants may help reduce the risk of some diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.
Are there known health benefits of acai berries?
Some studies show that acai fruit pulp has a very high antioxidant capacity with even more antioxidant content than cranberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, or blueberry. Studies are ongoing, though, and the jury is still out.
People eat acai berries to address various health conditions. But so far, acai berries have no known health benefit that’s any different than that of other similar fruits.
Can acai berries boost weight loss?
Scientists are learning more about the functional power of superfoods, such as the acai berry. Although acai is touted in some weight loss products, few studies have tested the benefit of acai in promoting weight loss.
For now, plenty of research supports eating a diet rich in antioxidants. There’s no doubt that berries and other fruits are a key part of any healthy diet promoting weight loss. The jury’s still out on whether there is something special about acai’s ability to shed excess pounds.
Why are acai berries used in beauty products?
Some cosmetics and beauty products contain acai oil in the ingredient list. That’s because acai oil is a powerhouse of antioxidants.
Studies show that acai oil may be a safe alternative to other tropical oils used in beauty products such as facial and body creams, anti-aging skin therapies, shampoos and conditioners, and other products. When acai oil is processed and stored long-term, the antioxidant levels remain high.
Do acai berries and acai juice have any side effects?
If you have pollen allergies or have a known hypersensitivity to acai or similar berries, you may want to avoid this fruit. When eaten in moderate amounts, though, acai is likely safe.
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