The Açaí superfood gold rush

Superfoods are types of food that are thought to be nutritionally dense, meaning, are good for your health.

Looking at the scientific side, most scientist claim that the concept “superfood” does not exist and it is mainly a marketing tool. There is not enough scientific research to back this concept up.

Açaí berries, or Euterpe Oleracea (scientific name) gained global recognition only in the 21^st century. Searching for Euterpe Oleracea on SciFinder-N retrieves all the scientific information ever been published, showing the first publication in 1931, in which the authors discuss its botanical characteristics and the anatomohistological structure of the fruit and seed. Additionally, looking at related formulations in the new Formulus tool, reveals the use of this superfood not only in food, but also in pharma cosmetics.

The story of Açaí as a superfood will be presented and sources of scientific information (materials, technologies, formulations and analytical methods) will be described.