Cupuaçu
The Juggernaut of Super Fruits

Cupuaçu is extremely popular in South America, especially Brazil, and is poised to become the next big super fruit to hit the U.S. Nutritional food experts are saying that it will eclipse the popular Acai because it's healthier, has the same benefits and is easier to grow.

So what is Cupuaçu and why is it better?

The fruits are about the size of a medium-sized watermelon and become ripe from January to April, during the rainy season. These are gathered, split open, and the pulp is made into juice, ice cream, jam, tarts, smoothies and more. These are considered delicacies in many of the larger cities of South America.

There are many health benefits to Cupuaçu, most of which are tied to the fruit's extremely potent phytonutrient polyphenols, anti-oxidants, essential nutrients, vitamins, and others mentioned earlier.

It's primary health benefit is stimulating the immune system while simultaneously supporting the body's ability to fight disease. Cupuaçu has a caffeine-like effect, but does not contain caffeine. It is one of the few cocoa relatives that does not, yet it retains this energetic effect.

Unlike most energy drinks or caffeine, however, there is no down with Cupuaçu. No tired feeling afterwards!

Still more synergistic effects include healthier skin and hair, lowered cholesterol levels (through lipid peroxidation inhibition), and better libido. These are some of the better benefits of the Cupuaçu fruit.