The ACAI fruit, a small, round, black-purple drupe about 1 inch (25 mm) in diameter, similar in appearance and size to a grape but with less pulp, is produced in branched panicles of 500 to 900 fruits. Two crops of fruit are produced each year.  The exocarp of the ripe fruits is a deep purple color, or green, depending on the kind of açaí and its maturity. The mesocarp is pulpy and thin. It surrounds the voluminous and hard endocarp, which contains a seed with a diminutive embryo and abundant endosperm. The seed makes up about 80% of the fruit.

ACAI Nutrition :

Powdered preparation of freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp and skin was to contain (per 100 g of extract) 533.9 calories, 52.2 g carbohydrates, 8.1 g protein, and 32.5 g total fat. The carbohydrate portion included 44.2 g of fiber. The powder was also shown to contain (per 100 g): negligible vitamin C, 260 mg calcium, 4.4 mg iron, and 1002 U vitamin A, as well as aspartic acid and glutamic acid; the amino acid content was 7.59% of total dry weight.

The fat content of açaí consists of oleic acid (56.2% of total fats), palmitic acid (24.1%), and linoleic acid (12.5%). Açaí also contains beta-sitosterol (78–91% of total sterols). The oil compartments in açaí fruit contain polyphenols such as procyanidin oligmers and vanillic acid, syringic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid, and ferulic acid, which were shown to degrade substantially during storage or exposure to heat.

Some say ACAI is THE BERRY, means it has a lot of Health benefits, but dont believe all those new stories on the net, about loosing weights bla bla…., Its Healthy and good for you that should be enough for a Person to consider to eat those Berries.

A comparative analysis reported that açaí has intermediate antioxidant potency among 11 varieties of frozen juice pulps, scoring lower than acerola, mango, strawberry, and grapes.

A powdered preparation of freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp and skin was shown to contain anthocyanins (3.19 mg/g); however, anthocyanins accounted for only about 10% of the overall antioxidant capacity. The powdered preparation was also reported to contain twelve flavonoid-like compounds, including homoorientin, orientin, taxifolin, deoxyhexose, isovitexin, scoparin, as well as proanthocyanidins (12.89 mg/g), and low levels of resveratrol (1.1 μg/g).

Only the purple is excellent against peroxyl radicals, good against peroxynitrite, and poor against hydroxyl radicals.

Freeze-dried açaí powder was found to have high antioxidant activity against superoxide (1614 units/g) and peroxyl radicals (1027 μmol TE/g) and milder activity for peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals. The powder was reported to inhibit hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidation in neutrophils, and to have a slight stimulatory effect on nitric oxide production by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages in vitro.

Acai Berry, I would say is the King of Berries before Blueberries, but dont go buy it in Caps or tabs, buy the real thing, the Berries or the Juice its always the best solution.

Blueberry is a Powerful Berry, but dont believe all you read on the net, thats a good rule all in all btw. The Blueberry has some great protective ingredients, but as allays go for Organic berries or Juice, way pay for chemicals.

Flavonoid Content

The USDA Database for flavonoids was created in response to interest by the scientific community in types of flavonoid compounds and their varied biological properties including antioxidative, antimicrobial, and potential anticarcinogenic, and/or cardioprotective effects.
Source: U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council,

Proanthocyanidin Content

The free radical scavenging properties of proanthocyanidins including their potential for risk reduction of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, blood clotting and protection against urinary tract infections have been under investigation by scientists. Also referred to as “condensed tannis,” proanthocyanidins polymers of flavan-3-ols, contribute astringent flavor to foods. Following is a listing of proanthocyanidin content of raw blueberries from the USDA Database for the Proanthocyanidin Content of Selected Foods.
Source: U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council,

Nutritional Profile of Blueberries
(Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference)

Health Benefits of Blueberries

Source: U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, Health Section
From research labs all across the country and the world, there is growing evidence that blueberries could be powerful little disease fighters. Here is what we have learned so far…

Antioxidants – Researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Center (HNRCA) have found that blueberries rank #1 in antioxidant activity when compared to 40 other fresh fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants help neutralize harmful by-products of metabolism called “free radicals” that can lead to cancer and other age related diseases.

Anthocyanin — the pigment that makes the blueberries blue — is thought to be responsible for this major health benefit.

Anti-Aging – In another USDA Human Nutrition Center (HNRCA) lab, neuroscientists discovered that feeding blueberries to laboratory rats slowed age-related loss in their mental capacity, a finding that has important implications for humans. Again, the high antioxidant activity of blueberries probably played a role.

Disease Prevention – Blueberries may reduce the build up of so called “bad” cholesterol that contributes to cardiovascular disease and stroke, according to scientists at the University of California at Davis. Antioxidants are believed to be the active component.

Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections – Researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey have identified a compound in blueberries that promotes urinary tract health and reduces the risk of infection. It appears to work by preventing bacteria from adhering to the cells that line the walls of the urinary tract.

Cranberries is a good way to fight a urinary infection.

Blueberries and Eyesight - A number of studies in Europe have documented the relationship between bilberries, the European cousin of blueberries and improved eyesight. This is thought to occur because of the anthocyanin in the blue pigment which is also available in the blueberry. One study in Japan documented that blueberries helped ease eye fatigue.

New Research
Cholesterol Reducing Blueberries – At the recent American Chemical Society meeting it was reported that a compound found in blueberries called pterostilbene has “the potential to be developed into a nutraceutical for lowering cholesterol, particularly for those who do not respond well to conventional drugs,” reports foodnavigator.com (8/24/04). Study authors from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) indicate that the compound found in Vaccinium berries could be a “potent weapon in the battle against obesity and heart disease through its cholesterol-reducing potential.” Head researcher, Agnes M. Rimando and her associates “earlier showed that this compound may help fight cancer.” An abstract of the study is found on the Agricultural Research Service website which also studied the presence of resveratrol and piceatannol . According to the technical abstract, “These naturally occurring stilbenes, known to be strong antioxidants and to have cancer chemopreventive activity, will add to purported health benefits derived from consumption of these small fruits.”

Ethnobotany and Blueberries: Blueberries have been associated with positive physiological and cosmetic benefits for centuries. Here we list non scientific information which although not endorsed by the USHBC, may be of interest to researchers as a direction for further research.

Nutrition Summary – The following summarizes some of the published research in the area of nutraceuticals and health.

The belief that food products have medicinal properties has been celebrated in folk medicine for centuries. Today food properties are being explored by the medical and scientific fields. Some cultures have long valued many naturally occurring substances believed to have preventative and therapeutic value. In the United States, nutraceuticals are part of a rapidly expanding area of biomedical research, generating considerable interest among consumers, manufacturers, and regulators alike. This is a progressive area; the field is continually conducting studies and discovering possible benefits.

Though blueberries themselves are not a cure-all, they contain a number of substances which are thought to have health benefits. These substances include, but are not limited to fructose, fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Antioxidants thus far, seem to have the most conclusive role in the prevention/ delaying of such diseases as cancer, heart disease and the aging process however, a limited number of studies, especially long term and on human beings, are not available at this time.

Now that was a little about the Blueberry, but we have more which we will also have a closer look at, like ACAI, cranberry,