Are you looking to slow down the aging process? Tests for ORAC, (Oxygen Radical Absorbance ability), levels show that the acai berry - also called the palm berry - has an antioxidant capability equal to at least 4 times that of blueberries which is well known for it's antioxidant properties.

ORAC is a test tube analysis that measures the total antioxidant power of foods and other chemical substances. Some findings suggest that eating plenty of high-ORAC foods like the acai berry may help slow the body's aging processes.

The phytonutrient rich acai berry is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. It has at least ten times the antioxidant benefits of red wine grapes and has been a staple of Brazilians for centuries.

The term phytonutrient is commonly used to explain fruit and vegetable components which are thought to have immune boosting properties. And the acai berry is full of these phytonutrients, anthocyanins, and essential vitamins and nutrients.

The acai berry also has an extremely high amount of antocianine, a substance that helps to rid the body of free radicals which are thought to damage the body's cells and lead to premature aging and diseases. But antocianines do more than help protect the body, they also help repair damaged cells in the body.

In the past year alone, the acai berry has been featured prominently on CBS, NBC, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Men's Health, and many other periodicals in and out of the United States. Dr. Nicholas Perricone, on the Oprah show, even went so far as to call the acai berry one of the ten most powerful anti-aging foods in the world.

The acai berry also has more proteins than the average egg, as much calcium as milk, and like most berries, also has a high fiber content - making it excellent for the digestion and elimination.

As the berry has become more and more popular many companies have begun to market it in powder, tablet, juice, and frozen smoothie form. Also, even though most grocery stores don't carry the acai berry, you can increasingly find it in health stores, gourmet shops, and juice bars around the country. And more than a few multi-level marketing companies have sprung up letting their members share in the acai berry sales profits.

Probably most humorously, in Brazil the acai berry is known as the "viagra of the amazon" for it's reputed ability to help those requiring more stamina in the love-making department.