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Move over, pomegranates. Acai is the new super fruit.
Acai berries (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) grow on palm trees in the Amazon rain forest, which explains why you most likely haven't seen them locally. When quickly frozen, Acai fruit pulp can retain its vast nutritional value even when being shipped around the world. The acai berry is known for its deep purple color, as well as for being a rich source of many important antioxidant vitamins.
The major benefits of the acai berry are thought to include its strong heart health benefits. It's a rich source of compounds called anthocyanins. These anthocyanins are the same compounds thought to give red wine its health benefits, but acai berries may contain even higher concentrations of these healthy chemicals than wine, with none of the health risks associated with alcohol.
But it gets even better. Acai berries are also a rich source of protein and dietary fiber, and contain high levels of both omega-6 and omeaga-9 fatty acids, thought to have a protective effect on the heart and cardiovascular system. The omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids contained in the acai berry may also play a role in lowering levels of cholesterol in the blood.
Besides these important benefits, the acai berry is thought to play a vital role in slowing down the aging process. Amazingly, the acai berry is known to contain ten times as many antioxidant vitamins as grapes and twice as many as blueberries.
For many years acai has been hard to find, even in health food stores and natural grocery stores. As its reputation grows, however, acai is becoming more and more available. It is now possible to buy a number of excellent, highly concentrated fruit drinks made with the healthful and powerful acai berry.
Check in our produce section, where you may find several types of juice blends that contain acai. In the dairy area, you may see yogurt with acai, and some refrigerated juices with it, as well.
So, while pomegranate is still a super-healthy food, there's a new fruit in town. Look for acai and give it a try!
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Just when you thought you had it figured out—that pomegranates are the healthiest fruit around—someone discovers another obscure fruit that's even better. 
