Calories In Acai

People of the Amazon rainforest have been using acai berry for centuries to enhance health and vitality. Since acai goes rancid quickly, fresh acai berries are not readily available in the United States. To get the benefits of acai fruit you can drink acai juice or smoothies or use the freeze-dried form. Although the calorie content is moderately high, acai has important nutrients, including anti-oxidants, essential fatty acids, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Calorie Content

Fresh acai berries contain nearly 50 percent fat, but fat content is primarily healthy omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids, essential for the cardiovascular system and proper neurological function. Commercial acai berry supplements vary in calorie and fat count by product. A brand with 100 percent acai berry in an organic juice form contains 150 calories per 8 oz glass. The saturated fat content is 1 g. An organic acai berry unsweetened puree, for making smoothies, contains 75 calories per 100 g pack. Total fat content is 6 g, of which 2 g is saturated fat. There is no cholesterol in acai berries.

Carbohydrate and Fiber

Organic acai berry juice contains 31 g of carbohydrates which includes 25 g of sugar per 8 oz serving. Unsweetened acai berry puree smoothie mix contains 4 g of carbohydrates and 2 g of sugar per 100 g serving pack. Although acai berry juice and puree only contain 1 g of fiber each per serving, fresh freeze dried acai berry powder contains more -- 14 g per 100 g.

Vitamins and Minerals

Acai berries contain the B vitamins B-1, B-2 and B-3 as well as vitamin E and as much vitamin C as blueberries. Acai berries supply the minerals calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and copper. Acai berry organic juice contains 10 percent daily value, or DV, for vitamin A, 6 percent DV for vitamin C and 2 percent DV for calcium and iron. Drinking organic acai berry puree smoothies supply 15 percent DV for vitamin A, 8 percent DV for vitamin C, 4 percent DV for calcium and 6 percent DV for iron, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. The sodium content of both forms is 10 g and the protein content is 1 g. Freeze dried acai powder contains 8 g of protein per 100 g, of which 19 different amino acids benefit bodily cellular structure and repair.

Phytochemical Composition

The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemisty reported a 2006 study by Natural and Medicinal Products Research, Washington, that analyzed freeze-dried acai berries and found substantial quantities of numerous flavonoids in addition to a low concentration of resveratrol. Components, including fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, sterols and other nutrients were quantified. Total fatty acids consisted of 11 percent polyunsaturated; 60 percent monounsaturated and 29 percent saturated fats. The two dominant fatty acids were oleic and palmitic acid with 19 amino acids representing 7.6 percent of total weight.

Antioxidant Properties

The antioxidant content in acai berries is 10 times more than grapes and twice as much as blueberries. Natural and Medicinal Products Research, Washington tested the antioxidant capacity of freeze-dried acai in a 2006 study and found acai to have the highest concentration of any food reported to date. Findings suggest acai may be of benefit to anti-inflammatory and immune function.