Acai Palm in the Amazon RainforestQuoting Dr. Schauss: "Hundreds of years ago when the Europeans made contact with the New World, certain groups of indigenous populations became extinct within a very short period of time because they lacked resistance to diseases brought over from Europe."
Ancient Acai "Some pupulations did survive, and for that reason, their tribes exist to this day. A number of these groups are found in and around the tributaries and estuaries of the Amazon River. This is area rich in a palm that bears the fruit called açai." "The fruit grows biannually in only three species of trees. This fruit is remarkably rich in a very large range of macronutrients, micronutrients and trace elements. It has a broad range of essential amino acids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals. So rich in nutrients is the fruit that it is possible someone could survive on it alone for quite a period of time without showing signs of malnutrition."
"A few years ago I had the opportunity to go to Portugal and visit the anthropology department of a prominent university. I wanted to find certain watercolors that were drawn by naturalists and botanists who went to the Amazon in the 18th century. The drawings were in impeccable condition and showed natives holding small, berry-sized fruit in their hands and baskets against a backdrop of local fauna, including growing acai. This provided hard evidence of its traditional use as a food source by natives over 200 years ago."
Acai palm 
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