The driving force behind my research into diseases, antioxidants and the açai berry was initially more personal than scientific. My family, like many families, was facing issues that affected our well-being and happiness. My wife had an immune system dysfunction, I suffered from back pain from an old injury, and my sons were facing their own conditions - one gastrointestinal and the other neurological.

As it seemed counter intuitive to me that diseases and illness were become more commonplace at a time when our society is becoming more advanced, I asked our doctors two questions: first, what did they think were the causes of these seemingly random and unrelated conditions; and second, what curative and/or preventive measures did they recommend? Western medicine, as we all know, is more adept at treating the symptoms of a disease than it is at understanding and addressing the underlying causes - so their answers did not satisfy my intellectual curiosity.

My research began focusing on issues of biology and biochemistry - areas seeing tremendous growth in the area of medical and scientific research. What I found was extraordinary. Over 75% of the diseases we face today - from cancer to diabetes, mental illness to arthritis - could be attributed to the same thing: oxidative (free radical) stress and inflammation at the cellular level. While this may sound complicated, it is actually very easy to understand. Our bodies are made up of trillions of cells, and if these cells are unhealthy we become sick.

It was at this point that I stumbled upon the açai berry. The more research I uncovered, the more scientific reports I read, the clearer it became that the açai berry needed to be a part of my family's life. Its antioxidant properties, combined with other important nutrients and phytochemicals, make it the most powerful fruit on the planet.

We have been drinking it now for months, and while we can't (and wouldn't) make any medical claims; nothing can diminish the fact that my family is happier and healthier that it has been in years.

I hope it helps you and your family like it has helped mine.