I’d never heard much about acai before a friend gave me a smoothie-maker for Christmas. Along with the smoothie-maker, I was given a big bag of frozen berries and some packets of acai to kick off my blender experiments.
First things first: acai is pronounced ah-sigh-ee. It comes from Brazil and is all the rage in anti-aging these days. You might not think acai is much to look at — but these tiny, dark red and purple berries have huge health benefits.
- They’re full of essential fatty acids.
- They’re full of antioxidants — anthocyanins are antioxidants that lend those deep red and purple colors to produce like eggplant, black grapes, and acai berries.
- They’re full of phytosterols.
That all adds up to huge protection for your body. The fatty acids and phytosterols help your skin seal in moisture and strengthen the skin’s surface — that helps protect against outside irritants like sun, wind, and pollution. The high antioxidant content in the pulp helps break down free radicals. This tiny little berry can help reduce the UV damage that causes wrinkles, skin discoloration, and sagging.
In fact, acai is one of the highest-rated fruits when it comes to fighting premature aging! Those antioxidants are good stuff.
Acai is popping up in lots of different skin care products, from masks to exfoliating creams to toners and more. Families.com Blogger Courtney Mroch thought acai might be contributing to her hair’s healthy new shine — and I think she might be right. From the sounds of it, acai is good stuff.
As far as smoothies go, this berry doesn’t pack a whole lot of taste. The frozen acai pulp I have is actually kind of bitter alone. But mixed with other berries (or ice cream) I hardly taste it at all. And let’s be honest: with all the antioxidants and the health benefits they bring, I’d put up with a bitter drink any day.