Superfood No. 1: Açaí

Nature's Energy Fruit 

Goji, Noni and Mangosteen are good antioxidant wellness fruits but they cannot compare to the over all numerous benefits of acai; nor do they contain the essential fatty acids known as Omega 3,6 and 9 . The biggest problem with 99% of the Goji, Noni and Mangosteen in North America and around the world is: It is refined in China! Even a lot of the acai on the market is refined in China, which literally all the big name MLM companies are part of, including some big name acai companies! You don't want to buy any food products from China! China sprays everything with the harshest of chemicals and preservatives and they have the lowest form of quality control and literally no organic program whatsoever. How many times have we heard of so many food product problems coming out of China? It seems to be in the news every week! Why do companies ship everything over to China? For one reason, it's cheap! Why buy Amazon Thunder acai? Because everything that we create conforms to the strictest standards in quality control, is 100% organic and is never processed or refined in China but instead in quality controlled USDA organic certified facilities in Brazil and then imported into the US for individual packaging at USDA organic certified facilities under the strictest quality control programs possible! This assures the consumer only the freshest and highest in quality certified organic acai products that none can compare to.

It may seem odd to start this list of superfoods with one you’ve likely never even heard of. But studies have shown that this little berry is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world! Açaí (ah-sigh-EE) is the high-energy berry of a special Amazon palm tree. Harvested in the rainforests of Brazil, açaí tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate. Hidden within its royal purple pigment is the magic that makes it nature's perfect energy fruit. Açaí is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. Although açaí may not be available in your local supermarket, you can find it in several health food and gourmet stores (often in juice form). A new product (Amazon Thunder) featuring the unsweetened pulp is now also available, and I highly recommend that you choose this form of açaí.

Açaí pulp contains:

A remarkable concentration of antioxidants that help combat premature aging, with 10 times more antioxidants than red grapes and 10 to 30 times the anthocyanins of red wine.

A synergy of monounsaturated (healthy) fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols to help promote cardiovascular and digestive health. An almost perfect essential amino acid complex in conjunction with valuable trace minerals, vital to proper muscle contraction and regeneration.
The fatty acid content in açaí resembles that of olive oil, and is rich in monounsaturated oleic acid. Oleic acid is important for a number of reasons. It helps omega-3 fish oils penetrate the cell membrane; together they help make cell membranes more supple. By keeping the cell membrane supple, all hormones, neurotransmitter and insulin receptors function more efficiently. This is particularly important because high insulin levels create an inflammatory state, and we know, inflammation causes aging.

http://www.oprah.com/presents/2005/young/life/life_acai.jhtml

READ THIS NEW Article on pure concentrated Açai vs. CANCER!

• Amazon Thunder açaí is grown and processed in the heart of the Amazon River basin in Belem and Manaus Brazil, and we then freight it into North America as a pure pulp or in pure freeze dried powder form for bottling capsules and our thunder scoop, or in the puree form for our concentrate juice -- which is not made from concentrate -- it is actually 100% pure açai pulp.  We just call it concentrate because we add no water! As soon as the açai fruit is picked it is packaged the same day and exported where it is packaged immediately to sustain all of its natural health properties. All of our products are packed in organic certified FDA-regulated facilities. Our açaí is 100% organic, wild and sustainably harvested. After bottling, it is shipped to our Nevada warehouse for distribution across North America as well as internationally.

• You CANNOT buy açaí as a whole fruit in North America. You can only get it in powder or pulp form.  When açai is picked, it is a delicate fruit that must be processed within 24 hours as it is highly perishable.

• Açai is shaped like a blueberry; it is only the skin that the pulp is made from. The skin is tough in texture, and somewhat bitter if eaten plain.  The pit is discarded.

• The taste is similar to that of a blueberry with a hint of dark chocolate on the back palate.

• Amazon Thunder has the only açaí concentrate with no added sugar (including cane sugar/syrup or guarana, which is also a sugar and acts like a caffeine). Açaí is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, while all forms of sugar cause inflammation! http://www.oprah.com/health/beauty/health_beauty_prescription.jhtml

• We do not add guarana (caffeine) as well. Be careful as a lot of açaí products contain this ingredient.

• The purest organic açaí on the market today.  It is 100% organic and is sweetened slightly with organic Concord Grape concentrate (no water) in place of sugar to bring out the exotic taste of this powerful Amazonian jewel.

• Our açaí concentrate is 100% pure açaí pulp; it is not made from concentrate and the only reason we call it concentrate is because it is pure açaí pulp!  It is just so concentrated!  Other forms of our açaí on the market in the powder form are 100% natural, 100% pure, 100% organic and contain zero sugar and zero additives or preservatives.  

• The consistency is thick, like a tomato soup, from the whole pulp solids that are left intact, unlike other blends that clarify their versions extracting the valuable thick pulp which provides 99% of the nutrients and enzymes.

• Dosage: at least 1-2 ounces a day morning or night. It can be added to yogurt, your favorite smoothie, granola and banana, or create a salad dressing (contains omega 3, 6 and 9 oils).

• Oprah’s #1 superfood – see www.amazonthunder.com/oprah.html

• http://www.oprah.com/health/beauty/health_beauty_superfood.jhtml

• Dr. Perricone, author of the #1 anti-aging book, recommends pure açaí with NO SUGAR as sugar is the #1 cause of inflammation. http://www.oprah.com/health/beauty/health_beauty_prescription.jhtml

• A recent study conducted in Florida and reported in a medical journal on açaí and cancer (leukemia) found that 85% of leukemia cells were destroyed, but only through high concentrations of açai -- as is consistent with Amazon Thunder (Japan is also conducting studies on the link between açaí and cancer and Alzheimer’s). www.amazonthunder.com/cancer.html     http://news.ufl.edu/2006/01/12/berries

•  High in fiber and calcium.  

• The natives of the Amazon have been taking it for hundreds of years.

• There is a difference between Amazon Thunder açaí and other brands of açaí. Other companies use ingredients that are not 100% organic and may contain guarana. Click here to compare us to other brands.

• The difference between açaí and Mangosteen, Gogi, Noni, etc. – açai is the #1 antioxidant and anti- inflammatory, and is the only one that also has Omegas 3, 6 and 9 and has been reported to destroy cancer cells in lab tests! www.amazonthunder.com/cancer.html  -  http://news.ufl.edu/2006/01/12/berries

• Check out the webpage testimonials.html for real life testimonials on Amazon Thunder açai products!

• Natural Viagra.

• Helps drive out inflammation, cleansing the body (antioxidant), energy boosting – for some, immune booster, anti-bacterial, anti-mutagenic (cancer fighting). Contains all of the essential and highly important Omega oils 3, 6 and 9.

• Flash-pasteurized to prevent microbe growth. Does not in any way affect the enzyme level of the berry. FDA regulations require that all juice forms entering North America must, at a minimum, be flash pasteurized.

• We also sell 100% pure freeze dried açaí organic capsules and organic scoop açaí powder, and we are now featuring our pure açaí concentrate in 1.1 fl oz. single-dose packets for those on the go. Beware of other versions of powder that may contain fillers, carriers, multidextrin, corn starch (dried corn syrup) and/or magnesium stearate, which is an added powder that absorbs the valuable omega fatty acids of the fruit (so that it can be filled easier). This actually depletes the important health properties of this Amazonian Jewel. Many companies are not required to add these carriers to their ingredient list since they are added during the production process and certain regulations permit the omission of such ingredients. Most of these powders have high glucose levels. This berry is an anti-inflammatory and energy enhancer. Sugar causes inflammation and energy loss. Sugar is the #1 cause of inflammation.

• How do you know if you're buying the real thing? Pure açai juice will be very thick, pulpy and very oily from the natural Omegas 3, 6 and 9 of the fruit. 

• In powder form, true 100% pure açaí is freeze dried powder which is dried by using temperatures below -20c and is made from unpasteurized açai berries where no heat is exchanged, thus resulting in a very oily powder. This oily powder (from the Omegas) is very difficult to package into capsules and other powder forms and this is why most companies use carriers, colors and spray dried powder -- which uses high heat to dry the fruit after it is powdered. This kills off most of the anthocyanins (antioxidants).  Be sure to open up the capsule and taste and feel the powder. It should be very dark and purple in color, taste like a blueberry with a hint of chocolate, have a smooth and oily texture from the omegas, and cling to your fingers. There should be no bitterness, and you should taste the true richness of the berry.
  
  
  

The Açaí Fruit and ORAC Value

ORAC, short for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, is a test tube analysis that measures the total antioxidant power of foods and other chemical substances.

In 1992, the ORAC test was developed by Dr. Guohua Cao, a chemist and physician at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, Maryland. Early findings suggest that eating plenty of high-ORAC fruits and vegetables--such as spinach and blueberries--may help slow the processes associated with aging in both body and brain. According to Suzanne Dixon (MPH, MS, RD), ORAC is just a fancy way of saying, "How well does a certain food help my body fight diseases like cancer and heart disease?"

What is ORAC and what does it stand for?

ORAC = Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity

ORAC is the acronym for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, and it is the measurement of antioxidants in foods. This way, we are able "to see" the radical elimination power of that product or food.

According to recent studies, in the diet of an average human being, we are consuming 1000 units ORAC daily, as you can see, we are consuming considerably less ORAC than we should be, consequently leading to degenerative illnesses (cancer, arthritis, loss of the memory, etc.), that are the illnesses that have gone proliferating in the last decades.

For the average person they need a minimum of 1670 ORAC per day. To give this perspective 80% - 90% of people in the world do not consume even half of the daily-required ORAC. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers in healthy eating at Tufts University have found that in order to provide meaningful antioxidant health benefits in a nutritional supplement you need at least 2400 to 3000 ORAC, or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, in your daily diet.

Açaí is a powerful nutrient, which combines in a single product, unique properties and ingredients. There is no other fruit that can be compared with the effectiveness of the Açaí and no product on the market that competes with the quality of Amazon Thunder™.

We bring to the world this Amazon Elixir, one of the "Top 10 Super-Foods" of the planet, according to Dr. Perricone author of the best seller book "The Perricone Promise" presented on the Oprah Winfrey show.

To verify our claims, we are going to explain in detail, the natural ingredients of this marvelous juice, originating from the bowels of the Amazon, made from pure Açaí without any dilution with other "low cost" juices.

Amazon Thunder™ contains:

Essential Fatty Acids, Omegas 3, 6 and 9: These are the "good" fats of the human body and are very important to our health. These are considered "essential" because our body does not manufacture large quantities of them, in spite of being substances involved in the vital functions of a human being, especially in building the structure of cell membranes and in the synthesis of prostaglandin, lecithin and melanin. These essential fatty acids play an important role in maintaining low levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, in the stabilization of the heart rhythm, in cleaning the arteries and to normalize arterial pressure. They regulate the hormone prostaglandin, which helps the body in cleansing the walls of the blood vessels and to diminish the formation of blood clots. Some scientists do not consider Omega 9 as essential, because our body can produce it in small quantities, either way, it is associated in the reduction of the arterioscleroses, reduces resistance to insulin, which balances the glucose. Essential Fatty Acids improve the immune system.

Anthocyanins and Polyphenols (Antioxidants): These antioxidants are the substances that protect the cells against the damage from oxidation caused by "free radical" molecules. These chemical products can damage you by splitting important cells, including proteins, damage membranes and to create mutations in the DNA. This cell deterioration, caused by the radicals, is a cause in the development of cancer, in the loss of mental capacity, loss of memory, degenerative illnesses and premature aging.

How much antioxidant should we consume daily?

Studies carried out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, show that a human being should consume at least 3000 units ORAC per day to have sufficient amount of antioxidants in its blood to eliminate the formation of free radicals.

Essential Amino Acid: Muscle regeneration, giving strength and resistance.

Sterols (beta-sitosterol): These phytosterols have very special properties. Its formula is very similar to that of cholesterol and due to this it masks cholesterol and it avoids the body’s ability to absorb cholesterol. For many years it has been used for lowering the levels of cholesterol in the blood and for problems of the prostate, balancing the level of sugar and help to control type II diabetes (caused by aging). Also anti-mutagenic effects have been reported, along with the fortification of the immune system.

Vitamins A and C: Are antioxidant vitamins by nature. They fortify the immune system, the skin, eyesight and the formation of red blood cells. The absence of vitamin A produces: blurry vision, bad nails, dry skin, and hair loss. The absence of vitamin C: diminishes our defenses, causes premature wrinkles to appear, a delay in the healing of injuries, inflammation, bloody sores and sets a general abatement. If you suffer from one of these symptoms, it may be that your body does not have enough of these vitamins.

"There is no such thing as using the pit of the acai berry or the seed of the acai berry in any acai juice or powdered acai product period! Before I wrote this articles, I had just finished surfing around the web recently and saw some sites and companies stating that they use the pit or seed! First off acai does not contain seeds, it contains a pit in the center and that is it! There has been no proven research that is has any value and it is discarded almost always except for being used in some instances as pig feed in the Amazon.  I truly find it amazing how so many state this just to sell their products when it is blatant lie!  There is companies saying their product contains the seed but in fact the truth is there may be the odd fibrous hair in the product from the pit but this is only because it was not filtered correctly and was processed poorly!  Any company that is stating this is in fact tickling your ears and giving you the run around! FACT!  How can you trust any company that is saying this? You can't period and I am tired of all the misinformation spread by people who have little knowledge whatsoever about acai but instead write fictional garbage with nothing to back it up! What companies are saying this? Usually it comes from misinformed distributors and affiliates who have no idea about acai whatsoever and have never ever been to the Amazon which I have and have been buying the best in raw acai materials for much longer than almost any co presently online today as I was a bulk ingredient supplier before I started this co in 2005.   Our acai comes from deep within the Amazon River basin region and it is a known fact in Brazil that the pit of the berry is not used in the pulp or the powder of the berry, the pit is also the only seed in the acai berry, this is like saying a cherry puree or powdered cherry product would also contain the ground up pit of the berry, do you know of a cherry juice today that contains the ground up pit? I sure don't. Why because it has no known nutritional value and is probably bitter and would be unpalletable, if you only knew how bitter the pit of the acai berry is and how stringy it is you would see my logic and be set straight!  

Also freeze dried acai does not have as much orac as puree because it is taken the next step further in processing but  it is much more concentrated so it takes much less to get the full benefits of acai puree and it is usually more convenient but not all freeze dried acai powder is in the same league.  My best advise is to pick up various different products being marketed and do the tests, tastes and examine the ingredients yourself, in the end the best product will be left standing and always proves itself..we tell many to do this analogy and are told time and time again there is literally no one in our league, folks I say this from my heart and in all honesty, we are a straight forward down to earth co that is not hear to tell you anything you want to hear, we stick to the facts and I feel I have to write this because many many people are being misinformed, my outspokenness has landed me in hot water many times with many people, but it is a fact and I am really tired of hearing about all the consumers that are being led down the garden path, it is time they knew the truth if they don't already!"  If your still not convinced then do your own due diligence and get on a plane and go to Brazil, catch a boat ride down the Amazon and go to an acai processing plant and see for yourself first hand how it is all done...Im not saying this to blow my own horn or boost my product sales, Im saying this because it's the truth period!  You the consumer need to know this, have you been misinformed?  What else is new in the consumable nutraceutical industry?  People buy into all the unproven hoopla of what they hear rather than doing their own on hands on due diligence!"

READ THIS NEW Article on pure concentrated Açai vs. CANCER!