Acai juice

[Bilbo]

Try this (Euterpe oleracea) as an alteternative to Cranberry with Vodka or mix all three.

Tassssty!

Regardez and cheers

Juan

[SubTropicRay]

Acai?  Good stuff in "smoothies" too.

[palmmermaid]

Yep, the latest health rage.  Last year we started getting requests for the acai palm.  I had to look it up.  Now at every sale, we get requests for the acai palm.  Soon it will go the way of noni juice or kava kava or so many others that have come and gone.  Right now I think it is neck and neck with pomegranite juice.

[Jeff Searle]

This has been a subject that comes up quite frequently. I do know for a fact that alot of people are making ALOT of money off of this product. I personally know 3 people making thousands a week. One is making between $20,000-25,000 per week and the other one is making $45,000 per week!!! Multiply that by 52 weeks and you see what kind of beans are being spent and being raked in.

      Also, on the flip side, my wife being an RN in the hospital, has been told recently by a doctor that numerous case studies have been released lately showing absolutely no benefits from this fruit. Also she said, ask the anyone in the medical field and they have heard the same results. So....if you want to throw your money away, throw it my way and I'll send you home with some nice palms.

Jeff

[Bilbo]

Jeff - you must be a mind reader for sure - because I was actually thinking of you!

I knew for a fact if Cran and Vod was OK so would Acai.

Whatever the "experts" say I for one find it real tasty AND my information IS that it is full of vitamins/minerals

Maybe we shall find some Acai at the next Bi in C.R.?

Regardez all

Juan

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

I do know for a fact that alot of people are making ALOT of money off of this product. I personally know 3 people making thousands a week.

Jeff, one of the ways folks are making lotssa  bucks on this is multi-level marketing...a sanitized way of say pyramid schemes.   I don't know how much of the actual product is being sold, but the movers and shakers in this make their $ by recruiting folks to sell for them, not by selling juice.

....and ummmmm,  i have tasted it, and it must be an acquired taste...... ???

[deezpalms]

I love the stuff in smoothies and acai bowls with fruit n' granola. I've read about all the vitamins & minerals & I'm not sure whats true but after eating some acai I always feel more energized.  

[MattyB]

It's fruit, so it can't be bad for you.  But there's always people looking for the miracle drug/food/vitamin and hate to break it to ya, but it dosen't exist.  There is no substitute for consistantly eating and living healthy across the board.  It'a a long term process, not a quick dose of Acai or other antioxidant and you're cleansed and good to go.  That said, I'm sure that Vodka and acai is the closest thing to the miracle drug yet.  I'll have to investigate further.

[gavilan1]

In one of the last IPS mailings, under the section regarding new scientific work regarding palms, there was mention of a U of FL study demonstrating that acai showed measurable signs of killing cancer cells in rats (leukemia).  Perhaps someone who recalls this better can bring up the attribution.

[fiji jim]

I know that it tastes and smells much beter than noni or kava.

[Logolight]

(Rusty on Pine Is. @ Nov. 21 2007,09:16)

QUOTE

I do know for a fact that alot of people are making ALOT of money off of this product. I personally know 3 people making thousands a week.

Jeff, one of the ways folks are making lotssa  bucks on this is multi-level marketing...a sanitized way of say pyramid schemes.   I don't know how much of the actual product is being sold, but the movers and shakers in this make their $ by recruiting folks to sell for them, not by selling juice.

....and ummmmm,  i have tasted it, and it must be an acquired taste...... ???

I believe the product being sold under this marketing company is called "Isotonix".  I've read an article on it that explained the health benefits and it looks pretty convincing.  But then again any write up on any vitamin supplement will look convincing.  But there are also many doctors out there who don't believe vitamin supplements have any beneficial effects so who knows.

[Al in Kona]

As Jeff mentioned, there are always people out there that will take advantage of an opportunity that arises to make money regardless of the product - in this case the acai fruit.

If a doctor (in U.S. anyway) told me that numerous case studies indicated absolutely no benefits from this fruit I'd tend to be skeptical for various reasons.  Common sense would tell me that most fruits have some type of nutritional value.  Why would the acai be an exception?  We also know the native Amazonian people have been eating acai for who knows how long and claim it has healthful benefits.  

As for those case studies, before believing them I'd want to know more about them.  Who did the studies?  Who funded them?  You'll find that frequently various studies are done by those who will benefit most from them.  Big pharmaceuticals and those who have financial interests in them (this includes many AMA people) would prefer we use their drugs/medications rather than have us learn about how we can take control of our own health thru nutrition and exercise.  So to say that the acai fruit has no benefits sounds a bit erroneous to me.  To each his own but I'm sure time will tell and I'm feeling secure about how I currently feel about the fruit of the Euterpe palm.

Jamba Juice (a smoothie shop) makes a good smoothie containing acai if you've never tried it.

[Alan_Tampa]

Fiji Jim has a good point, kava kava (Piper sp.) and noni taste like crap.

Alan

[waykoolplantz]

not to mention...its one of my favorite palms...it occupies one of the premium spots in my garden.

and looks a whole lot better than Noni

[PalmGuyWC]

Put vodka in any kind of juice and it will taste better, and if you don't get health benifits, then at least you will get a buzz.

Dick

[palmmermaid]

I don't know about the taste of noni but I do know first hand the taste of kava.

When we were in Fiji, we drank kave every night with the local people on the island.  It looks and taste like dish water - gray and icky.  But the locals seemed to really like us, especially my husband, and insisted we participate in the kava ceremony each night.  My husband had weird dreams every night!

[Urban Rainforest]

It's kinda ironic that I just sat down with my first glass of Acai juice and took a sip and saw this post! A lady at the timeshare resort I work at today gave me a whole wine bottle of some of the purest Acai around with literature about it. She just started selling it and wanted to know if I wanted to sell it. The guy who got her into it has been selling it for four months and is making $3500.00 a week. She said some people are making $80.000 a week! I was thinking about selling it but at $20.00 a bottle wholesale I'm not sure what my target market would be. Most people I know are having trouble buying gas these days  ??? . BTW it taste delicious !!!

Steve

[Mark@PalmBeach]

Anyone have any idea how many years from a seedling stage does it take before the Acai Palm sets seed? I have two small seedlings. They seem to grow pretty fast. I have heard conflicting information about whether they are cllumping or not. I always thought they were.

I tasted the juice and it is pretty good, but I sure wouldn't sign up for one of those programs.

I have noni also and I just can't bring myself to consume that juice in any form....yuck!!

[amazondk]

Mark,  Here in Amazonia the home of açai it takes around 5 years from seedling to bearing fruit.  There is a variety that has been developed in Belem, Pará, that starts to fruit in 3 years.  That is the Euterpe olearcea.  The Euterpe precatoria is the prime source of açai fruit here in Manaus. The studies that I have seen about açai show that it is a very good source of various nutrients.  But,  I think there should be a big difference between the pasturized, processed, diluted açai juice sold commercially and the açai drink we have here.  Our açai is directly squeezed from the ripe fruit and is the consistancy of a milk shake. There are no additives except a little water.  Of course you have to get your drink from a producer that has very hygenic processing practices.  As well as açai the fruits from Oenocarpus (bacaba and bataua) as well as Mauritia make excellent drinks with similar properties as açai.   Supposedly the Mauritia is extremely good for you health.   And, the O. bataua produces an oil that is almost identical in chemical structure to olive oil.  

There is another local wisdom here that if you mix açai, bacaba, or pataua drink with alcohol it may be fatal.   I have never seen anyone die from this, but I keep palm drinks and vodka separate.

It will take more than one tree to make any quantity of drink.

But, if you have enough berries you can do the follow.

Soak the berries in warm water for about a half an hour.

Mash the the berries in a big bowl with a wine bottle or similar separating the seeds from the pulp.

Strain the juice out of the the mixture with a strainer.

Chill in the fridge

Consume with our without sugar.

I don't use sugar and just drink it straight.   The locals here also mix in manioc meal, farinha de mandioca, especially the local high nutrient variety here made in the country.  The mixture of the two makes you full enough to go till the next meal.  

I notice that açai fills me up, gives me energy, and a healthy feeling.

Açai icecream is also excellent. We have locally made açai and Mauritia, buriti, ice cream which is great.

The Euterpe edulis berries can be used in the same manner.  And, are in southern Brazil where the tree is native.

And, then you can cut the tree down and eat the palm heart.

dk

[amazondk]

(Mark@PalmBeach @ Nov. 23 2007,23:34)

QUOTE

Anyone have any idea how many years from a seedling stage does it take before the Acai Palm sets seed? I have two small seedlings. They seem to grow pretty fast. I have heard conflicting information about whether they are cllumping or not. I always thought they were.

I tasted the juice and it is pretty good, but I sure wouldn't sign up for one of those programs.

I have noni also and I just can't bring myself to consume that juice in any form....yuck!!

Mark,

As faras I know all E. olearcea are clumping. The E. precatoria which is the prime source of açi berries here in Manaus is not.

The E. precatoria supposedly produces better fruit.

dk

[Mark@PalmBeach]

Thanks DK, great information.  I am pretty sure I have E. olearcea which in all the literature I found also goes by the common name acai palm. That is the problem with common names!  

I think with all natural products, moderation is the key. I would have to believe even in Brazil that it is a seasonal product, so people are not drinking it all the time, especially if it is consumed fresh.

Which brings up a good point, do the palms in Brazil all fruit about the same time or is it staggered? I would assume they fruit just once a year?

[Jeff Searle]

My guess would be that they fruit all year long, but I could be wrong.

Jeff

[amazondk]

The Euterpe here vary in the fruiting periods depending on the area they grow.  Here in Manaus the season with no fruit is from December or January to May or June.  Different areas of the state have different fruit bearing  times.  Most of the berries here are from E. precatoria. Around Belem and especially the island of Marajo at the mouth of Amazon River the E. olearacea native to the area bear fruit for most of the year. We have a much more marked dry season here than they do there.  I believe that with using irrigation during the dry months the fruit production would span most of the year.  

It is getting hard to get fresh açai already.  Our açai guy only gets the best fruit and when he can not find it he doesn't produce anything.  We did buy two liters today though.   Because of the increase in berry price a liter is now selling for 4 reais, or about 2.50 USD.

dk

dk

[steve 9atx]

I've read some good things about the Euterpe fruit.  I happened to notice on this morning's Today show my wife was watching that Acai was number 2 or 3 on their 10 "superfoods" segment.  It's main claim to fame is "twice the antioxidents" of some other fruit, like grapes.  Pound for pound, in the US, you're going to pay 100x more for Acai vs grapes.

Steve

p.s. Don, do you know the relative cold hardiness of edulis, oleracea, and precatoria?  I'm sure none of them are hardy tp drought or low humidity.  I'm experimenting with all three.

[Ken Johnson]

Jeez, what happened to the poor old Seranoa? Old news? It would be my guess that it tastes like shi! with Vodka.

Now on growing Euterpe...why can't I grow a nice one? I'm thinking they don't like limestone.

[Nigel]

Regardless of its health benefits its an extremely delicous fruit drink. I love it.

[Jeff Searle]

(Ken Johnson @ Nov. 26 2007,16:01)

QUOTE

Jeez, what happened to the poor old Seranoa? Old news? It would be my guess that it tastes like shi! with Vodka.

Now on growing Euterpe...why can't I grow a nice one? I'm thinking they don't like limestone.

Ken,

        I think the Saw Palmetto is used somehow for prostate cancer and not used as a tropical health drink. As far as growing down in South Miami, your probably right that they don't like the limestone soils with a high pH. Up north of you where I am, I have them in my black rich soil with a low pH, and they seem to love it. The biggest one is now about 12-14' tall.

Jeff

[steve 9atx]

Unfortunately, I believe the beneficial effects of Serenoa on the prostate have been totally discounted.  I still see Saw Palmetto supplements for sale at the drugstore, however.

Any word on Euterpe cold hardiness?

Steve

[Ken Johnson]

When I think abut modern drugs that cure ailments NO "natural" supplements come to mind but lots of good drugs do (with the exception of aloe). When I think about "wonder" drugs and "natual healing" I think about the early 1900's when children were given opiates to calm them down.

Looks like the market has changed little but it is cool to see that a palm has reached this pinacle. Maybe it's good for IPS? As for the charlitans... want to buy some swamp land?

[Phil]

Jeff,

Hmmm....

Perhaps it is time for a new common name for this species....

"The Healthy Heart Palm",

"The Forever Young Palm",

"The Toxin Busting Palm",

Come on, help me out.

Phil

[PalmGuyWC]

How about the current "fad" palm? Gosh, next year we will be back to eating coconuts and dates.

Dick

[Phil]

Yes, out of the woodwork, comes lots of calls for the "Acai Palm".  The same happened a decade ago with the Serenoa.  Now, I'm not saying that there's not something beneficial to agents from these species.  What I am saying is that there's always an attempt to meet demand and many times demand is created.

Phil

[Jeff Searle]

Phil,

   Well, let me put you on the spot, sort of. Your a doctor, have you seen,read or heard anything lately, anything written up in any of the journals regarding the pros and cons?

Jeff

[PalmGuyWC]

Actually.....I did read in a scientific journal once that the ingrediant found in Serenoa fruit, is the same that has been synthisied by the drug companies. The artifical compound is much stronger than just the Serenoa fruit alone, and large quanities of the Serenoa would have to be taken to have any benificial effect. They also speculated there might be other "chemicals" in Serenoa fruit that might be benificial in prostate shrinkage, but they had never been tested.

Over the years, I have taken various "health food" products, and the only benifit I got, was a slimer wallet. Some of the stuff they sell can be down right harmful, and cause liver, or kidney damage. I think I'll stick with orange juice.

Dick

[amazondk]

Here is how Euterpe grow around my area.  These are E. precatoria, my favorite and one of the symbols of Amazonia.  That is along with the Mauritia flexuosa, the buriti.  Maybe someone just dumped a bunch of seeds and they grew on there own.  I don't believe that they were planted and they were all indivual trees.  The E.olearcea has a bit different leaves as well.  I think that the E. precatoria is the most gracious. I don't believe that either the E. precatoria or the olearcea would be cold tolerant.  They are real tropical palms.  The E. edulis is another matter as it is native to the southeast forests of Brazil.  These palms grow here in areas with fairly rich organic soil.  Much like what Jeff describes.   The E. olearcea is from wetter conditions than the E. precatoria.  

Like I mentioned above there is along way from fresh açai to the one people are making all the money on.  The ice cream is quite good also.

[Mark@PalmBeach]

(PalmGuyWC @ Nov. 28 2007,13:48)

QUOTE

Actually.....I did read in a scientific journal once that the ingrediant found in Serenoa fruit, is the same that has been synthisied by the drug companies. The artifical compound is much stronger than just the Serenoa fruit alone, and large quanities of the Serenoa would have to be taken to have any benificial effect. They also speculated there might be other "chemicals" in Serenoa fruit that might be benificial in prostate shrinkage, but they had never been tested.

Over the years, I have taken various "health food" products, and the only benifit I got, was a slimer wallet. Some of the stuff they sell can be down right harmful, and cause liver, or kidney damage. I think I'll stick with orange juice.

Dick

I wonder if there is any kinda market for the fruit from a small grower. I have dozens if not over 100 of serenoa repens and when they are fruiting (and fermenting) the garden smells like a micro-brewery. The pollen and subsequent problems it causes to my allergy prone wife and daughter is another matter!.

I have tasted the fresh fruit and it is wicked bitter.  

[Mark@PalmBeach]

(Rusty on Pine Is. @ Nov. 21 2007,09:16)

QUOTE

I do know for a fact that alot of people are making ALOT of money off of this product. I personally know 3 people making thousands a week.

Jeff, one of the ways folks are making lotssa  bucks on this is multi-level marketing...a sanitized way of say pyramid schemes.   I don't know how much of the actual product is being sold, but the movers and shakers in this make their $ by recruiting folks to sell for them, not by selling juice.

....and ummmmm,  i have tasted it, and it must be an acquired taste...... ???

Hey Rusty,

Are you on Pine Island on the Florida Gulf Coast? You wouldn't happen to know Chris Lindsay would you? I worked with him a couple of years ago and he talked about eventually moving there on some property he owned.

[amazondk]

As to açai you can produce from 8 to 10 tons per year of berries per hectare.   If you have say 50 hectares of land to plant açai on that is a lot of fruit and I believe you could make some decent cash.  But, it takes a bit of capital to make that work, and you also need a climate like ours as well.  This is a project I would like to do and who knows maybe I can evern find a way to get it done.

dk

[Phil]

Jeff,

I suspect you'll see more published in the Health Food type journals or Dietary journals.  Mainstream medicine typically lags behind until something is really proven to be efficacious.

Phil

Phil,

  Well, let me put you on the spot, sort of. Your a doctor, have you seen,read or heard anything lately, anything written up in any of the journals regarding the pros and cons?

Jeff

[amazondk]

I don't think that this information will help many unless they can read Portuguese or maybe Spanish.  But, it is very complete work by EMBRAPA the Brazilian Federal Agricultural Development and Research Agency on all aspects of açai.  This from seeds, planting,soil, harvest, climate, and the nutritional value of the fruits from the berries.  At least from the table on this page one should be able to decipher the nutiritional content of the fruit.

EMBRAPA Açai info