We have all probably heard of the new super food which is sweeping through the health conscious among us but do you actually know where the Acai berry comes from? Well in parts of South America there is a palm tree which is native to the area; it is from this palm tree that we are able to get the Acai berries.
The part of South America that is being referred to is the Amazon rainforest; it is at the mouth of the Amazon that there are various large and small islands. On these islands are large floodplains and tropical forests that are full of Acai palms. These trees are members of the genus Euterpe. This contains eight species of palm trees, which are all native to Central and South America, including Belize, Brazil and Peru. Within these areas the palms grow mainly within swamps and floodplains. These palms are fast growing and are in global demand due to the fruit that they produce.
In most cases a palm has between four and eight trunks, each of these is between four to six inches in diameter. However it isn't impossible for an Acai tree to be found with as many as 25 trunks. Also each of these trees is said to grow to an impressive height of between 15 and 30 meters, which can sometimes make harvesting them a bit difficult. It is due to this that when the berries are harvested it is done by a skilled Acai berry harvester.
Only two crops of fruit will be produced by the trees every year however when the trees do produce the berries they do so in branched bunches of 700 to 900 fruits. However the palm generally doesn't start producing fruit until it is about four to five years old. These palms believe it or not have actually been used as a food source for 1000's of years.
An interesting fact when it comes to the Acai palm is natives actually use every part of the tree, not only just the berries. For example the seeds of the fruit are considered to be an important source of food for livestock, so when the pulp and juice have been taken out and freeze dried for consumption the seeds are then gathered. Also the seeds are also used to grow further Acai palms as it only takes a few months for a sprout to form, however it does have to be in very moist climates. Once the berries have been harvested the rest of the palm tree can then be used, for example the leaves can be used for making hats, mats and baskets as well as acting as thatch for roofs of houses.
In recent times however the Acai palms are only being used to harvest the berries. The reason for this is locals have started to see that there is more economic value in preserving the tree in order to harvest the fruit. A lot of companies are now supporting harvesting and selling of Acai as it helps to preserve the lives of the trees, which goes on to benefit the local economy.
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acai berry is one of the world's most popular weight loss supplements.
acai berry is a terrific health supplement when supported with a healthy diet and exercise routine.