Not all Acai created equal

Acai is the world's most potent source of antioxidants (oxidative damage is thought to cause disease and aging - antioxidants are thought to be a disease preventer, and anti-ager).

ORAC is the most popular antioxidant measurement and studies show the Acai berry is about 10 to 20 times higher in ORAC value compared to other berries like Blueberry which were at one time thought to be the highest in antioxidant properties.

But apparently this does not mean you can just buy any Acai drink, powder or supplement. According to one scientific comparison (discussed in This article), MOST commercial Acai products are severly depleted in comparison to a recently picked berry.

Acai berries begin losing their nutrient value soon after being picked. In one study only one Acai product ranked high on the ORAC scale at 1026. This Acai product has a trademarked name, "OptiAcai". Other commercially produced Acai products averaged 155 on the scale. 155 is still good in comparison to blueberries which are only a 24 per Gram on the ORAC scale, but if you're paying a premium price for Acai, you ought to expect a premium product. OptiAcai ranks a 1026 on the ORAC scale. That is 7 times higher.

This article explains the study. So just don't buy just any Acai product, they are definitely not all created equally. If you buy some juice found in your neighborhood health food store, and Acai is listed as one of the ingredients, the chances are that Acai is only a small part of the juice, and the Acai used is 7 time less potent than OptiAcai.