The pulp of the Brazilian açaí has a considerable amount of fats and dietary fibers. When compared to popularly consumed foods, whose cardiovascular benefits have been well established, vitamin E is the nutrient of açaí that stands out. The amount of carbohydrates in the açaí pulp alone, without syrup or any dietary item added, is low (Table 1).

The lipid composition of the Brazilian açaí berry is as follows: polyunsaturated fatty acids, 11.1%; monounsaturated fatty acids, 60.2%; and saturated fatty acids, 28.7%.3 Of the monounsaturated fatty acids of the açaí berry, 53.9% are oleic acid,3 a substance found in avocado and olive oil and that can improve the lipid profile.4

A significant amount of anthocyanins is present in the açaí berry, which also contains other antioxidant phytochemicals important to the cardiovascular system, such as sterols, mainly beta-sitosterol,3 which, similarly to monounsaturated fats, is also found in olive oil and avocado.4 Beta-sitosterol acts mainly on lipid modulation,4 while anthocyanins act mainly by reducing blood pressure.5

The most important effect of the açaí berry on vascular function is vasodilation, mainly via the anthocyanins. An easily accessible clinical parameter to monitor the açaí effect on vascular function is blood pressure. Despite the expectations, Aqurashi et al.,6 and Udani et al.,7 have not found any improvement in blood pressure deriving from the açaí intake, but their sample was formed by normotensive individuals. However, Aqurashi et al.,6 have reported a 1.4% increase in the flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery resulting from the intake of 150 g of açaí pulp in an acute test, which reflects a significant improvement in vascular function.

Despite not finding any improvement in blood pressure, Udani et al. have shown a reduction in total cholesterol from 159 to 142 mg/dL (p < 0.030) in overweight patients consuming 100 g of açaí pulp twice a day for one month, but the other lipid profile parameters showed no change.7 Surprisingly, Sadowska-Krępa et al.,8 have reported an increase in HDL-C levels from 50 to 60 mg/dL in young athletes following the intake of 100 mL/day of açaí juice for six weeks, in addition to a decrease in total cholesterol from 159 to 134 mg/dL, in LDL-C from 90 to 60 mg/dL, and in triglycerides from 94 to 72 mg/dL.

However, a new study has reported that the intake of 200 g/day of açaí pulp for four weeks did not improve the traditional lipid profile parameters of healthy women. Nevertheless, açaí consumption elevated the serum levels of apolipoprotein A1 and the activity of paraoxonase-1, whose molecules are HDL-C precursors. The consumption of açaí improved the transfer of cholesteryl esters to HDL-C, a beneficial biochemical process, because that is an HDL-C function, which captures cholesteryl esters from VLDL-C (reverse cholesterol transport).9