Common name: Açaí, açaí-do-para,
açaí-do-baixo Amazonas, açaizeiro, assaí, palmito açaí,
piriá
Botanical names: Euterpe oleracea Mart.
© {Steven Foster}
Parts used and where grown
Clusters of round, dark purple-to-black, berry-shaped açaí fruits are harvested
to make juice, ice pops, and herbal supplements. Ethnobotanists have also documented folk
medicine uses for the seed oil, fruit rind, and roots. The inner core of the thin trunk of the
açaí tree is well-known as the source of hearts of palm. Açaí is primarily
grown in the Pará region of the Amazon estuary, in the northern region of Brazil. It also
grows in French Guyana, Panama, Ecuador, and Trinidad.
Acai has been used in
connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual
health concern for complete information):
Historical or traditional use (may
or may not be supported by scientific studies)
Açaí juice is a major dietary component of Brazilian diets, especially in the
Pará region. It is often eaten at breakfast with cassava meal (manioc) or with tapioca
and sugar. The açaí fruit is rich in nutrients and is found in many Brazilian
prepared foods. The fruit is most popularly used to make juice, but is also found in ice
cream, popsicles, and various desserts.
Açaí seeds can be crushed to produce a green oil that has been used as a folk
remedy for scrofula (a type of tuberculosis). The roasted, crushed seeds, consumed as tea, are
a traditional remedy for fever. Tea made from the root is a folk remedy for jaundice and
anemia. Tea made from the grated fruit rind has been used topically as a wash for skin ulcers.
Boiled preparations of açaí root have been used traditionally to treat many
diseases, including diabetes, hepatitis, malaria, kidney disease, and dysmenorrhea (menstrual
pain).
No clinical trials of açaí for the prevention or treatment of any health
condition have been published in the medical literature.
Active constituents
Açaí is one of nature’s richest sources of anthocyanins—a type of
bioflavonoid. Anthocyanins make up the purple, red, and blue-black pigments found within
certain berries, fruits, plants, and flowers. The fruit of açaí also contains
protein, fiber, enzymes, vitamin E, amino acids, minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium,
phosphorus, copper, manganese, zinc, and boron), phytosterols, and beneficial fatty acids.
How much is usually taken?
Frozen pulp: approximately 100 grams (3.5 ounces) per day is recommended, although there is
no accepted standard. Brazilians commonly drink up to a liter (34 ounces) of açaí
juice per day.
Powder: 1 ounce of powder mixed with 10 to 12 ounces of water, once or twice a day.
Freeze-dried açaí in capsules or tablets is sometimes recommended at 1 to 2 grams
per day.
Are there any side effects or interactions?
No side effects or interactions have been reported.
At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions
with acai.