Jewels Of The Rainforest

HOW THESE AMETHYST ANTIOXIDANTS EXTEND LIFE

The Amazon Rainforest is full of many wondrous plants and animals that contribute to a pleasing aesthetic, but the rainforest is awe-inspiring in the medical field as well. Its plants have been used in medications and supplements to treat everything from AIDS and arthritis to Alzheimer’s and cancer.

This sizable swath of land is about as big as the United States and is often referred to as “the lungs of the planet.” It is also home to açaí, a small fruit that belongs to the drupe family along with cherries, nectarines, peaches, and plums. It has enjoyed a spike in popularity over the past several years thanks to health enthusiasts in the United States who discovered its nutritional benefits. It can now be found in grocery stores all over the country.

High Up in the Amazon

Açaí grows on the high branches of slender palm trees, which go by the botanical name Eutrope oleracea. The fruit’s appearance is strikingly similar to that of a berry, which is what it is often mistaken for. It is actually larger than the average berry, but smaller than the average grape. Its dark purple- and red-tinted flesh surrounds a seed that is responsible for more than half of the fruit’s size.

Açaí is not sold as a whole fruit in North America, because of the rapid deterioration of its nutrients and physical appearance. It’s usually dried and ground into a fine powder or pulp.

History

Açaí has been growing in palm trees for thousands of years in both the Amazon region of South America and in Central America. It’s been harvested for just as long, too. Once the indigenous people discovered its potent anti-inflammatory properties, they used it for food and incorporated it into their traditional medicine practices.

Nutrition