|
It seems the lastest ''superfood'' is the acai berry...pronounced ah-sah-ee.
They are supposed to have twice the antioxidant punch that blueberries offer and as much as ten times more than the grape. Supposed health benefits are as listed below...
* increased longevity * increased energy * better sexual performance * aid to digestion * clearer skin * better sleep * cholesterol reduction * aid to people with chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes * makes skin look younger
Legend speaks of the acai fruit...
For hundreds of years, acai (açaí) has been a traditional food of the native people of the Amazon – and part of its folklore, finding its way into legend as well as onto the table. Once upon a time, there was an Amazon Indian girl named Iaca, whose father was the tribal chief. His tribe had grown so large that there wasn’t enough food to go around. So, the chief decreed that all newborn babies must be killed. When Iaca, his own daughter, bore a child, the chief had his decree carried out. Iaca mourned her baby’s death alone in her hut for days. Then she thought she heard a baby crying. When she went outside in search of the baby, she saw a palm tree shooting up from the earth, covered in fruit. Full of despair, she lay down under the tree and died. The next day, the tribe found Iaca’s body under the new tree. The tree’s fruit satisfied their hunger and renewed their energy, and the chief lifted his harsh decree, declaring that the fruit would be named after his daughter (“Acai” is “Iaca” spelled backwards). With abundant food for all, the tribe grew and flourished.
|