Exotic Antioxidant Superfruits

Volume 1: Açaí
Powerful Antioxidant Plant Food, Exceptional ORAC
Phenolic, Caloric, Fat, Fiber and Micronutrient Contents
Version 2006

The Berry Doctor

Introduction ................................................................................... 3
Macronutrient content ................................................................. 3
Table 1, Macronutrients .............................................................. 3
Dietary fats ................................................................................... 4
Dietary fiber ................................................................................... 4
Phytosterols................................................................................... 4
Micronutrient content .................................................................. 4
Table 2, Essential micronutrients ............................................... 4
Essential minerals and vitamin E ................................................ 4
Discussion and literature ............................................................. 4
Essential minerals ........................................................................ 4
Vitamin E........................................................................................ 5
Calcium ......................................................................................... 5
Magnesium ................................................................................... 5
Zinc ................................................................................................ 5
Fats ............................................................................................... 5
Dietary fiber .................................................................................. 6
Amino acids and protein .............................................................. 6
Phenolic antioxidants .................................................................. 6
Medical literature through 2006 ................................................ 7
Research directions, health effects ............................................ 12
References ................................................................................... 12
About the author ........................................................................... 13

© Copyright 2007. Berry Doctor Corp. All rights reserved

2
Introduction Macronutrient Content
Just by its deep violet color, you know there is something special about açaí, the tropi- Upon review of the tables below are several new facts about the nutrient content of
cal palmberry (Euterpe oleraceae Mart.). With pigmentation so dense, its juice stains açaí. As the assessment of this berry's nutritional composition comes from two
anything it touches – skin, cowhide, containers, even teeth when frequently taken un- sources (6,9) whose açaí samples were not identical, average or approximated data
diluted. are presented in the following discus-
Table 1. Macronutrients sion:
Used for food, beverages, medicines and dyes Açaí Açaí Dietary Refer- Goji Blueberry
1. the caloric value of a single serv-
by Amazon peasants over centuries, açaí has (a) (b) ence Intake “Wolfberry” ing (approximately 600 calories per
(c) (d)
blazed its way into popularity on the US mar- standard 100 g) is exceptional among
ket over recent years as one of Nature's su- Nutrients Euterpe Euterpe NAS Lycium Vaccinium comparative berry fruit such as goji
perfoods with a delicious taste and versatility per 100 g oleraceae oleraceae (adults) barbarum angustifolium (“wolfberry”, Lycium barbarum L.) and
of beverage and food applications. lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angus-
Energy, cal 657 534 -- 370 57 tifolium L.), apparently due to the re-
Until recently, however, this reputation was markably high fat content of açaí
Total fats, g 52.6 32.5 20-35 g 8.2 0.4
based on assumptions that such a legendary 2. the total fat content for açaí berry
Protein, g 10.0 8.1 46-56 g 11.7 0.7
and richly pigmented fruit would be nutritious is highly unusual for fruit, about 40%
and have exceptional antioxidant properties. Carbohy- -- 52.2 130 g 67.7 14.0 of dry weight
drates, g
Due to the remoteness and obscurity of açaí, 3. it has a very high fiber content,
and its highly perishable nature, no contract Dietary fiber, g 25.2 44.2 25-38 g 10.0 2.1 approximately 35%
laboratory assays were available and there Total, g 91.5 137 (?) 97.6 17.2 4. relative to the National Academy
were few scientific studies in the medical or a) Laboratorio Catarinense SA, Joinville, Brazil, ref. 6 of Sciences (NAS) Dietary Reference
food science literature. b) Schauss et al., ref. 9 Intakes (DRI) and the mineral-dense
c) Gross et al., ref. 4
d) ref. 2 goji berry, açaí has remarkable con-
Even now at the end of 2006, there are only ? variations in macronutrient assays may account for why this value exceeds 100 tents of several essential minerals –
10 medical reports on açaí listed in PubMed, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium,
the online database of medical publications by phosphorus, potassium and zinc
the US National Library of Medicine (http://pubmed.gov). 5. lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamins A and E are dense in concentration, 1000 IU
and 45 mg per 100 g, respectively. 67% of the total tocopherols in açaí pulp
However, two recent research publications and one contract assay have supplied new are alpha-tocopherol (6).
information about açaí that allows comparisons with other better-known nutritious, an-
tioxidant fruits -- in this example, goji (“wolfberry”) and blueberry. Below is a summary By comparison with the two other berry species shown - goji and blueberries - the new
of these new findings. açaí analyses demonstrate a much higher energy, fat and fiber yield. By comparison to
most plant foods, goji berry is also a high-calorie, nutrient-dense fruit (4), whereas