No, blueberry and açai are not the same fruit. For sure, you have once confused the açaí and the blueberry maybe because they look similar or because you don’t know the differences between them.
Don’t worry though, in this blog you’ll learn what is açaí, its benefits, what is blueberry and what are its benefits, as well as the similarities and differences between blueberry and açaí. So let’s get started!
Table of Contents
What is açai?
The açaí is a fruit native to South America and is specifically grown in the Amazon region. It is classified as a berry, that is, a fruit with fleshy and juicy pulp often.
So, the açaí is a small round berry of only 1 to 2 cm in diameter. They grow on trees when they begin their inflorescence process and grow in clusters (sets of fruits). The açai peel is smooth and usually purple, although this may vary depending on the type of açai, as there are red, green and other colored peels.
4 benefits you need to know about açaí
The açaí is a fruit with many health benefits, here you can learn about some of them.
The anti-inflammatory power of açaí
Açaí is rich in lipid components, what does that mean? Let me explain: in simple words, lipids are fats, this fruit has saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated acids and monounsaturated acids. It contains oleic acid and palmitic acid, substances that give this fruit an anti-inflammatory effect on the body.
Nutritious food
The açaí is a fruit with high contents of omega-3, 6 and 9, and is even compared to olive oil in terms of fatty acids. These fatty acids are essential for the proper functioning of the human body, so they should be included in a healthy diet. Some of the functions of these acids are:
- Strengthen defenses
- Promote good blood circulation
- Strengthen the nervous system
- To regulate cholesterol levels
- Promote eye health
Rich in fiber
The açaí peel has insoluble fiber, a substance that promotes digestive health and accelerates the intestinal tract, so it has a laxative effect. This means that if you suffer from constipation or other ailments of this type, you should consume açaí.
Antioxidant capacity
Over the years, several studies have been carried out on the antioxidant effect of acai. To begin with, we need to know that in our body oxygen generates unstable molecules in our bodies. These are called “free radicals” and sometimes they accumulate in the cells, which can damage molecules in our body.
The acai is a fruit with a large number of antioxidants, among the most prominent are anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and flavonoids. This substance helps to fight free radicals in our body, that is, it can prevent the negative effects of these unstable molecules: aging, immune system dysfunction, obesity, and insulin resistance, among others.
To learn more about this fruit, we invite you to read our complete guide to acai.
What is blueberry?
The blueberry is a fruit native to North America, like açaí. it is also classified as a berry. This fruit has a rounded shape with a thin waxy skin covering the pulp that can be blue or red and can be 1 to 3 cm in diameter.
Blueberries come from small bushes and grow along their branches. Normally, the closer they are to the initial part of the branch, the larger the fruit is, and the more vigorous the branch is, the more fruit it will bear.
This shrub is characterized by growing in regions with cold climates since blueberries need high exposure to such climates. It should also be avoided to plant these fruits in areas with robust winds because this can cause damage to the bush, cause the fruits to fall, and affect them.
Properties of bilberry
Blueberry fruit is used since ancient times as traditional medicine. If you want to know the benefits of this fruit, read on!
Rich in vitamin C
Blueberries have a high content of vitamin C, a substance with great benefits and functions in the body. For example, this vitamin helps the body to absorb iron properly, which can help prevent anemia; if you did not know this condition occurs when the body has a deficiency of iron.
Besides this, it has benefits for the skin: a diet rich in this vitamin will make our body produce collagen, allowing the body to scar and heal wounds.
Rich in vitamin P
Have you ever heard of vitamin P? Well, blueberries happen to contain a high amount of vitamin P or bioflavonoids. This substance is one of those in charge of promoting good blood circulation, functioning as an anticoagulant. This makes it an ally in the treatment of diseases related to blood circulation. In addition, it is antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory, promoting the absorption of vitamin C, among other functions.
Rich in vitamins A, E, and magnesium
These vitamins are naturally found in foods. To begin with, vitamin A is one of the vitamins responsible for promoting eye health, and it is important to include it in the diet because it will prevent macular degeneration or loss of vision caused by aging.
In the case of vitamin E, it is an antioxidant substance. It strengthens the immune system helping to fight bacteria or viruses that can enter the human body.
Furthermore, magnesium is one of the most abundant substances in our body, it fulfills fundamental functions such as promoting the proper functioning of the nervous system, regulating blood sugar levels, and causing the formation of bone mass, among many other functions.
To learn more about this fruit, we invite you to read our complete guide to blueberries.
Similarities and differences between acai and blueberry
The table below illustrates the similarities and differences between the blueberry and the acai berry.
| Appearance | Similar or different? | Açaí | Blueberry |
| Botanic classification | Similar | Classified as a berry. | Classified as a berry. |
| Size | Similar | The açaí measures 1 to 2 cm in diameter. | The blueberry measures 1 to 3 cm in diameter. |
| Color | Similar | The shell has blue and purple tones. | The shell has blue and purple tones. |
| Flavor | Different | Sweet flavor | Slightly acid flavor |
| Uses | Similar | It has been used as a traditional medicine to treat fever, infections in the body, and digestive system disorders, among others. | Since ancient times it has been used as a traditional medicine to treat pains in the body, it is used as an anti-inflammatory, and tea from the leaves of the plant is used to treat colic in infants or children, among other uses. |
| Properties | Different | It is more antioxidant. It has more vitamins and proteins. | It is also an antioxidant, and has vitamins and proteins, but not in the same quantity as açaí. |
| Origin | Similar/different | Originated from the American continent, specifically from South America. | Originated from the American continent, specifically from North America. |
| Plant | Different | It grows in palms. | It grows in shrubs. |
| Root system | Similar | Shallow roots | Shallow roots |
| Climate | Different | Açaí grows in warm climates. | Blueberries grow in cold climates. |
| Pluviosity | Different | Açaí needs high relative humidity, i.e. large amounts of rain. | Blueberries cannot withstand high rainfall, they have to be preferably dry and with little rainfall. |
| Harvest | Similar | It is harvested manually, i.e., the growers climb the palms, cut the bunches and extract the berries from them. | Blueberries can be harvested by hand as well. |
| Propagation | Different | The most commonly used method to propagate açaí is through the use of seeds. | The most commonly used method is by planting sprouts or cuttings selected from the shrub. |
Conclusion
As you could see, acai and blueberry are not the same fruit and even though they share several similarities, they are different in many aspects.
We hope this article has cleared up all your doubts about these two fruits and of course, that you feel encouraged to consume them and include them in your diet.