Pitaya vs Açaí: Battle of the Bowls
by April Pascarelli
In the battle of the bowls, we all have our favorite. Sometimes it’s all about the toppings. Or maybe it’s which superfood blend you pick that matters. If you’re a regular at the local juice and smoothie bars, you have probably heard of these two tropical fruits that generally make up the base blend of a bowl: pitaya, pronounced “puh-tai-uh,” and acai, pronounced “ah-sigh-ee.” Both are beautiful in color, delicious, and loaded with nutrients. Read on to find out what sets these super fruits apart.
Pitaya
Pitaya, sometimes also referred to as dragonfruit, is a fruit derived from the cactus plant species. It is indigenous to Central and South America but nowadays can be found all over the world. There are three different types of pitayas. All have a leathery, leafy outer skin that can be pink, red, or yellow. The insides of a pitaya consist of white or pink flesh. And often, this delectable fruit is compared to the kiwifruit due to its texture and tiny black seeds. Though it has the consistency of a kiwi, it has a sweet taste that is much more like that of an earthy watermelon. Not only is this fruit eye-catching and quite pleasing to look at (especially when blended) but, it comes with a load of benefits.
For starters, it is a great source of iron which we know is vital. When iron levels are in check, it helps to beat fatigue. One way to be assured your brain and muscles function as they should is by making sure you are taking in proper amounts of iron.
Pitaya is high in fiber, and we know that maintaining proper fiber levels in our diet is key to many factors. Fiber helps our digestive system work smoothly to maintain weight or aid in weight loss. It controls blood sugar levels and can also lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
If you need to up your magnesium levels, pitaya may be where to start. Since it’s rich in magnesium, this fruit can be a natural energy booster and plays a role in regulating sodium, potassium, and calcium levels within the body. Magnesium is known as a relaxer. Not only does it have a way of relaxing your muscles but also your anxiety and nerves. For these reasons, it can make a great partner for both sleep and muscle recovery.
Vitamin B2 and Vitamin C are both found in pitaya. And since Vitamin B2 is essential to our diet, and our body cannot store it, it is needed daily. It’s also a key player in energy production. And we know Vitamin C is mega important when it comes to supporting our immune health. It is also known to give protection against cardiovascular disease and is beneficial toward eye and skin health.
Also rich in antioxidants, another benefit to snacking on this super fruit is the protection it may give your body against those bad guys we so often hear about, aka free radicals. Steer clear of these to keep your cells free from heart disease, cancer, and other diseases as well.
To sum things up, pitaya is pretty to look at, pretty satisfying, and pretty powerful when it comes to your health!
Acai
Acai comes from a palm tree native to the warmer, tropical climates of Central and South America. These trees harbor a vegetable known as hearts of palm and the acai berry. With the look of a traditional berry with a dark purplish-black hue and yellow flesh, these berries are small wonders filled with flavor and superfood proponents. Acai berries are usually soaked to soften their tough exterior and then mashed into a deep purple paste. As far as taste, imagine an earthy flavor as you sink your teeth into an unsweetened chocolate and blackberry blend. And not always commonly known, acai berries have a short shelf life allowing for them to be exported only in the form of frozen puree, dried powder, and pressed juice. Now, for the goods on this gem of a berry.
One of the most talked-about features of this berry beauty is that it is stacked full of antioxidants. As mentioned previously, these counteract the free radicals that like to wreak havoc throughout the body. If free radicals don’t become neutralized by antioxidants, in turn, cells become damaged, and disease sets in the body. And if you thought blueberries were high in antioxidants, well, some say acai has three to ten times the amount! Woah!
Our body does this cool thing to get rid of toxic cells that no longer serve us. It’s called autophagy, and as we get older, the process works less adeptly. Want to try and beat the system? Add some acai into your life. Many of the plant compounds, and healthy fats, found in acai combat the oxidation and inflammation that target brain cells, which can potentially improve your memory and give your brain a boost.
Acai contains naturally occurring substances called plant sterols that have cholesterol-lowering properties. Lowering your LDL cholesterol also reduces your risk of heart disease. Plant sterols (and stanols) help to block cholesterol from being absorbed into your bloodstream. And rather than all that cholesterol backing up in your body instead, it leaves by way of waste. In addition, acai is high in anthocyanin, which may offer up oxidative stress protection. So this means that consuming anthocyanins on the regular could help to reduce heart attack risk by a considerable amount in women.
Like its opponent, this fruit scores high in the fiber department. Acai clocks in at an impressive 14 grams of fiber to every 100 grams of frozen puree powder. Therefore, acai may help to keep your digestive system and other bodily systems working as they should too.
It is no wonder why these berries get touted as a superfood. They are high in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, and E and include the minerals potassium, magnesium, copper, calcium, and zinc. Also, they are surprisingly low in sugar yet high in (healthy) fat making them a total knockout compared to plenty of other plant-based counterparts.
So, basically, eat your acai berries. They offer up goodness in many forms, which, of course, has helped to give them their reputation in the health food industry.
And long story short, these tropical fruits both boast resumes that will knock the socks off most health food enthusiasts, let alone the average Joe who is just trying to up the ante by eating a healthy diet. You may crave one over the other, and that’s okay. But be sure to give them both a fair shot. They are both beautiful, super good, and super good for you. So grab a spoon and eat up!