Last year, the big thing in fruit beverages was pomegranate juice. Ads for Pom popped up everywhere, touting the benefits of the antioxidant-rich juice. There was even a dark chocolate-coated Pom flavored ice cream bar, a tasty but slightly schizophrenic blend of antioxidants and trans fats.

Pom's been riding high, but açai (“ah-sigh-ee”,) a berry that grows wild in the Brazilian rainforest, packs such a nutritional punch it could knock Pom off its perch. The Açai Supercharger smoothie is a hot seller at Jamba Juice bars, and açai juices from Sambazon and Bossa Nova are available in stores.

Anti-aging expert Dr. Nicholas Perricone counts açai as one of his ten superfoods, and no wonder: açai is a veritable fountain of youth, overflowing with the flavanoids, amino acids, and omega fatty acids that combat premature aging and heart disease. It's got calcium and vitamin E as well.

How does açai juice taste? Sambazon describes the flavor of its açai beverages as “a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate.” I tried two of Bossa Nova's açai varieties, Passionfruit and Original, which are slightly sweetened with organic agave nectar, and while I don't think they taste as good as Pom, I liked them both.

What's really sweet is Bossa Nova's Save a Tree project, in partnership with the Rainforest Alliance. According to Bossa Nova, every time you buy a bottle of one of their açai juices, you save a rainforest tree. Sambazon also devotes a portion of its profits to supporting sustainable agroforestry in the Amazon.

So when you buy a bottle of this powerful purple juice, you can rejuvenate yourself and maybe the planet, too. Who could resist?