"The Wonder Berry - The Açaí berry combats cancer and premature ageing"

Daily Express, Saturday, April 22, 2006.

A life-saving berry from the Amazon rainforest, which has twice the cancer beating antioxidants of blueberries, will soon be on sale in Britain. Shops are to begin selling a drink from the Açaí berry - pronounced ah-sai-ee - which is described as the healthiest fruit ever. The berry is billed as the world's first 'power-food' because of its range of beneficial properties. Some doctors believe that it can help to fight leukaemia and even combat premature ageing.

The fruit, grown by native Indians in the Amazon, has 50% more antioxidants than pomegranates. The grape-sized balls also have health-giving Omega 6 & 9 fatty acids, rarely found in fruit, are low in calories and contain fibre, calcium and vitamins.

Until now, the only way most Britons would have come across the fruit is in the form of smoothies sold in a small number of trendy bars. But a London-based company is hoping it could soon challenge other juice by selling it in supermarkets for the first time. Its product, called Happy Monkey, will be available from June in branches of Waitrose, priced at £1.49 per 330ml bottle.

The Açaí is a purple wonder berry hailed by food and fitness fanatics for properties which put "super-food" rivals like blueberries and beetroot in the shade. A single Açaí palm tree produces up to 20kg of fruit per year and has built up a celebrity following in the US.

Happy Monkey managing director Hamish McCall, 33, of Battersea in South-West London, got the idea fro the product after a holiday in Rio de Janeiro where he spotted locals drinking a "weird purple, gloopy" concoction.