Amazon Berry Called Super-Food Is A Super Hit!

Want to reverse the aging process, prevent disease and save the rain forest? Big claims come from a small berry that grows only in the Amazon rainforest. The berry is called Acai, and is called a super-food because of its anti-oxidants and nutrients. It even has Oprah's endorsement!Café 976 in Pacific Beach is thousands of miles away from the Brazilian rainforest, but its lush overgrown garden gives the outdoor restaurant a tropical feel, and a little purple berry grown on palm trees in the Amazon is one of the most requested items on the menu.According to the café's general manager Lauren Passero, the imported fruit is good for business."It's actually one of our best sellers. We sell tons of acai on a daily basis," Passero said.The small berry-like fruit is a hit."We serve it in a bowl, we call it the acai bowl, with granola fruit on top, strawberries, blueberries and bananas with granola on the side," Passero explained.The fact that Oprah called the South American berry a super-food increased its credibility and demand.Café customer Jamie-Lynn says she loves the chocolate-berry taste."I tried it, and been coming here for two years," she said.When Phillip Warren opened Café Joie on Mission Boulevard, he wanted healthy food on the menu. He says acai filled that order."It's got 16 more times anti-oxidants than any known fruit on the market at the moment," Warren said.There are claims acai improves sleep, improves hair, skin and nails, increases energy levels and is anti-aging."The main health benefit that I know about is the fact that it makes your skin a lot smoother, helps get rid of wrinkles," Warren said.Anika Contos drinks her acai straight from an aluminum can."It gives you energy, but you don't feel like you're going crash off it or anything like that," she said.Janice Baker, a San Diego registered dietitian for 25 years, has seen food fads come and go. She says the largest health risk with the Amazon berry is thinking it's a panacea."You have to look at the big picture, and if you're not exercising, the rest of your diet is not healthy, nothing is a cure for that," she said.You can find acai products in health food stores and make your own smoothies and breakfast bowls.

Source:http://www.cbs8.com/features/healthcast/story.php?id=138585