The acai berry has gained popularity as a super-food during the past few years. This one-seed fruit of the acai palm tree only grows in Brazil. Now that the acai berry has traveled to the United States and beyond, many people are touting its nutritional benefits. There is no shortage of offline and online merchants advertising acai berry juice, but not all of it is equal.
Health Benefits
If you are seeking extraordinary benefits from acai berry juice, realize that not everything you may have heard can be proven. The National Institutes of Health and other government agencies have not found the acai berry to be harmful. The Mayo Clinic supports theories that the acai berry is a good source of antioxidants. You could also benefit from the omega fatty acids and fiber packed into this exotic fruit. Adding the juice to your diet definitely gives you a way to get in another of your recommended daily servings from the fruit group.
Sambazon: Original Acai Berry Juice
Sambazon was the first company to sell pure acai berry juice in the U.S. According to Columbia University, they still control the lion's share of a $15-million-a-year acai berry market. You can buy their 100 percent pure acai berry juice online or through an authorized retailer. Brick and mortar retailers include national grocery chains such as Kroger, Publix and Safeway. Wholefoods, Planet Smoothie, Smoothie King and a few other specialty food merchants also carry this brand. You can search for the closest retailer by typing your zip code on the Sambazon website.
Alternative Sources
Organic food distributors, health food stores and a variety of online retailers sell various forms of acai berry juice. General Nutrition Center (a national health food and nutritional supplement retailer) sells various brands of acai berry juice, along with berry-based products in other forms. They have their own brand and distribute brands by other well-known health food manufacturers that contain up to 100 percent juice.
An alternative if you live in an under-populated area without a diverse retail base is online mega markets like Amazon.com. Vitacost is a reputable online health specialty retailer that markets acai berry juice from different manufacturers. Some acai berry products are not 100 percent juice. Several popular juice brands, including Tropicana and V8 Fusion, market acai berry juice blends. They can be blended with up to ten or more ingredients that include cane juice, grape, pomegranate, elderberry and even sweet potatoes. Read the nutritional labels before buying online or in retail locations.
