Acai, Brazilian Superfruit Trivia Quiz

Answer: Amazon Rainforest

Acai grows in the rainforest. There are several large plantations near Belem, which is near the mouth of the Amazon. Sao Paulo is Brazil's largest city, not the greatest environment for farming. Rio Grande do Sol is the home of Gisele Bündchen and many other supermodels.

Answer: ah-sah-ee

The correct pronunciation in Portugese is "ah-sah-ee." The name of the fruit comes from Tupi-Guarani, a language of the indigenous people of the Amazon.

Answer: Euterpe oleracea (A type of palm)

The Açaí palm is known to botanists as Euterpe olearacea. The name of the tree comes from a Tupian word meaning "fruit that expels water." Acai palms are tall and thin, and can grow as high as 25 meters (82 feet), with leaves up to 10 feet long. Tabebuia alba is the national flower of Brazil, and is a popular tree in urban areas. Grimichama and Macaranduba are both fruit trees, but are also known for their hardwood.

Answer: Purple

Acai berries are dark purple, about one inch in diameter. Acai palms typically produce two crops each year. They are compared to grapes, both due to their size and they come in bunches of 500 to 900 fruits. One of the chemicals in Acai are anthocyanins, which is Greek for "blue plants." It is these chemicals which give Acai and grapes their bluish-purple coloring.

Answer: 40 percent

Researchers in Brazil found that Caboclo natives on the island of Marajo had Aaci as 42 percent of their food intake by weight. The Acai is a central food to the diet of tribes throughout the Amazon rainforest. Many conservation groups are worried that increased harvesting may threaten the lifestyle of indigenous tribes who rely on the Acai. Marajo is a large island near the mouth of the Amazon, and is roughly the size of Switzerland.

Answer: Vitamin C

According to analysis of Acai, it has 260 mg of calcium, 4.4 mg of iron and 1002 units of Vitamin A per 100 grams of fruit. Acai has very little Vitamin C. It is also an excellent source of fiber and protein.

Answer: False

In a 2006 study done by scientists from Spain and Brazil, an analysis of fruits grown in Brazil revealed that Acerola was actually highest. Acai fruit also fell behind mango, strawberry and grapes. Acai fruit does rank above cranberry, apple or orange juice.

Answer: Brad Pitt

Pitt is often featured in Internet Acai Ads. In "Burn After Reading" (2008), Pitt plays a physical trainer. He did have to get in shape for the role, and the Internet claims that the magical Acai fruit helped Pitt get down to 5 percent body fat. That's a level only incredibly trained bodybuilders have, and that many doctors would regard as dangerous. Athletes are 6-13 percent, and a fit average person is 14-17 percent. Some ads also mention Angelina Jolie as an advocate of Acai fruit.

Answer: Oprah Winfrey

In 2009, Winfrey and frequent guest Mehmet Oz sued hundreds of websites which claimed that Winfrey and Oz had endorsed their weight loss plans. Doctor Oz did say that Acai had health benefits, but was not necessarily better than other healthy foods. "The companies that are using my name to hawk these products are duping the public. I do not endorse any of these products," stated Oz.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan also filed fraud suits against Acai-related marketers. In August 2010, the FTC and the courts ordered marketers to stop making deceptive claims.

Answer: False

Incredibly False. Even a cursory glance at the Internet reveals there are still dozens of marketing sites promoting the health and/or weight-loss properties of the "Miracle Superfruit." This does not mean there are no health benefits to Acai -- it does contain polyphenols and flavoinoids, both healthy anti-oxidants. But most scientific studies have shown that it is in the same class as other anthrocyanic foods such as blueberries and concord grapes.