The Popularity Of Acai Berry

With celebrities using acai berry for everything from weight loss to general health and article after article touting the acai berries benefits, it’s no wonder that this little berry has become increasingly popular.

Hollywood was the first place the acai berry really became popular. It began showing up on the set of television shows and films in foods offered to the celebrities and the crew. Once it was mentioned on Oprah’s television show, people wanted to know more about this berry, and its popularity skyrocketed.

The berries spoil quickly, so it’s not likely you’re going to find fresh acai berry in your local grocer’s produce section. Most people who’ve tasted the actual berries say they’re too bitter to eat plain, but with sweetener and other ingredients they work well in things like desserts, juices, smoothies and even sorbets.

Frozen acai berry pulp or acai berry juice can be purchased at natural and health food stores, like the Whole Foods chain, so that you can use them as you see fit at home, with smoothies being a popular way to eat, or rather drink, the berries.

Large food manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon now that they’ve recognized the growing popularity of the berries. It’s reported that Coca-Cola is looking for a way to use acai berry in its products. Other large players like Anheuser-Busch, who created an energy drink infused with acai berries, and Procter & Gamble, have angled for ways to include these “miracle” berries in their products to enjoy some of the berry’s popularity.

The berry isn’t just healthy to eat, they are also consumed as acai berry capsules or acai berry extract. Procter & Gamble didn’t use it in a drink or a food item. They put acai berry into some of their hair care products. Many large manufacturers have come out with, or will soon introduce, products that incorporate acai berry in their list of ingredients to meet the public’s demand. Already, sales of acai berry related products have tripled since the berry’s introduction.

A drawback to the berry’s growing popularity is the berry’s growing cost. The acai palm or acai fruit, which is harvested for the acai pulp is very expensive. Though sales have tripled, the price has almost matched that rate. It’s over twice what it was just 5 years ago, with the cost of a pound of raw acai berries costing more than $6.

It has yet to be seen if this raising price will slow the popularity of the berry that’s reported to have health benefits from clearing skin to weight loss. Some even call the acai berry the “fountain of youth in a fruit” because of the health benefits it’s believed to have.

Because the berries are highly perishable and grown in the Amazon, the only way most markets can even get acai berry is for it to be included in other products or as a frozen pulp like what’s sold at Whole Foods. But if sales and the growing number of celebrity endorsements are any indication, the public’s interest in the berries doesn’t look to slow. With acai berry infused juices and smoothies and even shampoos available, more and more people will be introduced to the acai berry and its popularity is only expected to grow.

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