What They Don’t Want You to Know About Acai Drinks

Acai drinks have taken America by storm, but are many claims just hype?

There are some misconceptions about the healthfullness and freshness of the acai fruit drink. Especially the juice available in the grocery store, or even health food store.

The truth is, that unless you live in Brazil (near an acai palm tree), you’re not going to get fresh acai.

Even though it's not fresh, it's still better than drinking pop, or pasteurized milk, or whatever else you might have eaten instead of drinking the sweet, deep purple juice. But it might not be the miraculous potion it’s cut out (and priced) to be.

So then, what are you getting?

Conventional juice is ALWAYS pasteurized. Whether it is “flash pasteurized” or just “pasteurized” makes little of a difference.

When a food is heated past 120 F, ALL of its enzymes are destroyed, and it loses up to 80% of its other nutrients, including vital antioxidants as well.

Everything that’s bottled and sitting in the fridge at the grocery store is pasteurized (it’s the law here in North America). Check the bottle and you will find the label!

Many commercial acai berry drinks (very potent before processing), become just another pasteurized fruit drink, with water and many additives. Because the acai juice was initially very nutritious, it retains many nutrients, even after pasteurization...but not nearly as much as it could!

Drinking fresh juice made with local berries might be more healthful.

Try juicing black currants, black raspberries or black berries. Or just eat them by the handful. Black currants grow throughout North America, and this little known berry is an antioxidant powerhouse too!

If you want something more, you can try the exotic acai drink and experience it for yourself. Make sure you choose the best quality.

Th good news is you can still get the amazing benefits of acai in certain kinds of juice, you just need to know what to look for.

Even though most acai berry drinks are pasteurized, they are still much healthier than pop or milk, and most other pasteurized fruit juices anyways!

When looking for acai juice you want 100 % pure, sugar-free acai. It should be thick, unfiltered, and in a glass bottle. One of the best brands is best brands is Sambazon, but Trace Minerals Reasearch also makes a great acai drink with an ionic trace minerals complex.


An Alternative to “Flash Pasteurized”.

There is one good method that preserves the highly perishable acai berries – FREEZE DRYING.

Look for freeze dried organic acai products. Make sure it isn’t spray dried (at a high temperature with the carrier agent maltodextrin) and check the ingredients: it should be 100% acai.

BEWARE OF THE FREE TRIALS. There has been an explosion of free trial scams for acai weight loss products all over the internet. These free trial offers send the lowest quality product - spray dried butchered acai powder that is mostly filler - 75-95% dried corn starch!

If you are going to purchase organic, freeze-dried acai, I recommend Madre Labs, Simply Acai.

Here are some delicious drink ideas:

Acai “Juice”

• 1-2 scoops freeze dried acai

• 1 cup water or freshly squeezed juice of your choice

Super Food Powerhouse Chocolate Smoothie:

You’ll be so buzzed from this you’ll want to jog to work in the morning! (Hint: skip the coffee) In your blender, combine:

• 3/4 cup almond milk

• 1 tbsp Acai powder

• 2 tbsp raw cacao powder

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 banana, or a few drops of stevia, to sweeten

• ½ tsp maca

Juice (freshly squeezed):

• 1 apple

• 3 carrots

• 2 tbsp Acai powder

Stir together until dissolved, enjoy.

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