Have you heard about the grape-sized purple berry from the Brazilian raniforest called acai (pronounced ah-sah-ee)?  It tastes like a sumptuous chocolate and berry concoction.  But don't let the decadent flavor fool you; underneath hide nature's answers to good health--antioxidants and essential fatty acids.

When it comes to disease-fighting anthocyanins (antioxidant flavonoids that give red foods their color) acai provides almost 10 times the amount found in old favorites like red grapes and red wines.  But what's more amazing is that German researchers have determined that anthocyanins only make up approximately 10 percent of acai's antioxideant properties. Their study, published in the February 2005 issue of the Internationa Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, noted that the antioxidant capacities of purple acai are excellent free-radical fighters. While the specific compounds responsible for this ability have not yet been identified, acai is known to have other healthyful properties.

Your digestive system can benefit from the fruits fiber, while your cardiovascular system can reap the benefits of the fruit's monounsaturated fats--specifically, oleic acid. Also found in olive oil, oleic acid helps strengthen the heart by aiding omega-3 fatty acids in penetrating cell membranes, thus making the membranes more malleable. In the case of the heart, this may help the muscle function more efficiently and lessen the risk of a heart attack, according to an April 2005 study in the journal Chest.

If you'd like to try acai, you may not find this superfruit in the produce section of the supermarket, however you'll be more likely to find it as an ingredient in smoothies or in bottled juices. Sometimes the frozen fruit section of stores like Whole Foods, Wild Oats or Sunflower Market will carry acai in frozen form. Either way, acai can provude enough of a nutrition boost to keep your body energized and healthy all day long!