Acai Berry

The acai berry is an inch-long reddish, purple fruit, similar in appearance but smaller than a grape and with less pulp. It comes from the açaí palm tree (Euterpe oleracea), which is native to Central and South America.


Harvested in the rainforests of Brazil, acai tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate. Hidden within its royal purple pigment is the seeds that makes it nature's perfect energy fruit. Acai is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. The fruit of acai also contains protein, fiber, enzymes, vitamin E, amino acids, minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, zinc, and boron), phytosterols, and beneficial fatty acids.


The acai berry is actually derived from the tree pulp. The tree is similar to a palm tree and grows as tall as 60 feet. The tree sprouts hundreds of deep purple pulps that are similar to berries in size and color. Once harvested, the pulp is thick like that or orange pulp. The pulp is then processed to accommodate capsules, juice, and even powder. Almost even well-known beverage companies including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and even Anheuser-Busch want a piece of the acai berry and here is why. The acai berry is almost entirely comprised of antioxidants. These are the same antioxidants that are responsible for cancer prevention, anti-aging , and improvement in brain function. Overall, the acai berry is a super fruit with the ability to remedy ailments and improve physical appearance.


Although acai may not be available in your local supermarket, you can find it in several health food and gourmet stores (often in juice form). A new product featuring the unsweetened pulp is now also available, and I highly recommend that you choose this form of acai.

Acai pulp contains:



The fatty acid content in acai resembles that of olive oil, and is rich in monounsaturated oleic acid. Oleic acid is important for a number of reasons. It helps omega-3 fish oils penetrate the cell membrane; together they help make cell membranes more supple. By keeping the cell membrane supple, all hormones, neurotransmitter and insulin receptors function more efficiently. This is particularly important because high insulin levels create an inflammatory state, and we know, inflammation causes aging.


Is the Acai Berry Healthy?

Acai contains several substances called anthocyanins and flavonoids.


The word anthocyanin comes from two Greek words meaning “plant” and “blue.” Anthocyanins are responsible for the red, purple, and blue hues in many fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Foods that are richest in anthocyanins -- such as blueberries, red grapes, red wine, and acai -- are very strongly colored, ranging from deep purple to black.


Anthocyanins and flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that help defend the body against life's stressors. They also play a role in the body's cell protection system. Free radicals are harmful byproducts produced by the body. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants may interfere with aging and the disease process by neutralizing free radicals.


By lessening the destructive power of free radicals, antioxidants may help reduce the risk of some diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.


Are there Known Health Benefits of Acai Berries?

Acai berries contain a number of substances that could boost health. For one, acai berries seem to have very high levels of antioxidants -- comparable to cranberries, but higher than blueberries, strawberries, and other fruits. In lab studies, antioxidants appear to protect cells from damage that can lead to diseases like cancer, in addition to possibly directly inhibiting the growth of some types of cancer. Substances in acai berries may reduce inflammation and could possibly slow the spread of cancer cells. Also, some lab studies of acai extracts led to positive effects on blood vessels that could be useful for many different medical conditions.


Other helt benefits of acai berry include:



Can acai berry diet boost weight loss?


Scientists are learning more about the functional power of superfoods, such as the acai berry and the acai berry diet pills. Although acai is touted in some weight loss products, few studies have tested the benefit of acai in promoting weight loss.


For now, plenty of research supports eating a diet rich in antioxidants. There's no doubt that berries and other fruits are a key part of any healthy diet promoting weight loss.


Why are acai berries used in beauty products?


Some cosmetics and beauty products contain acai oil in the ingredient list. That's because acai oil is a powerhouse of antioxidants.


Studies show that acai oil may be a safe alternative to other tropical oils used in beauty products such as facial and body creams, anti-aging skin therapies, shampoos and conditioners, and other products. When acai oil is processed and stored long-term, the antioxidant levels remain high.


Acai Berry Diet

After Dr. Perricone highlighted the berry as the number one antioxidant food on the Oprah show and Oprah herself mentioned that she has incorporated the berry into her diet, there has been an explosion in the popularity of acai berry based weight loss plans.


Some websites are promoting the acai berry diet as Oprah's new diet plan however this is basically a marketing tool used to attract more attention to acai berry supplements and is not related to any particular diet plan.


Diet Basics


There isn't a specific acai berry diet but rather dieters use acai berry in conjunction any other weight loss plan they prefer to follow. It is often paired with a colon cleansing product or with other nutritional ingredients that are said to enhance weight loss.


The acai berry is promoted primarily for its antioxidant effects, which exceed that of many other foods that are high in antioxidants. Advocates of the acai berry diet claim that these antioxidants will enhance general well-being and vitality which will support weight loss.


Acai berries are also said to have many other benefits that include improving digestion, cleansing and detoxifying the body, boosting immunity, supporting cardiovascular health, increasing mental clarity, enhancing vision, reducing insomnia, and slowing down the aging process. Not all of these claims can be supported by scientific research and much of these possible benefits are speculations at this stage.


In regard to the effects of acai berry on weight loss; promoters of the diet say that the berry has a combination of essential fatty acids, amino acids and phytosterols that work in unison to improve metabolism, enhance digestion, and reduce appetite.


Exercise Recommendations


There are no specific exercise recommendations.


Costs and Expenses


Acai berry supplements are available as capsules, powder, puree or juice. The cost ranges from around $30-80 per month depending on the dosage taken.


Pros



Cons



Conclusions


The acai berry does have some important nutritional benefits, however by consuming a range of fresh fruit and vegetables and other foods that are high in antioxidants, it is possible to reproduce a similar enhancement of the dietary intake.


If dieters experience weight loss on the acai berry diet it will be due to the effects of simultaneously following a calorie restricted diet rather than due to any special effects of the acai berry. Acai berry supplements may support general health and well being while dieting such juices in the market like monavie can do that, but cannot be relied on as the sole factor for successful weight loss.


If you decide to try acai berries it is recommended to find a high quality reputable source and to view it as an addition to your weight loss program rather than the main focus of the plan.


Do Acai Berries, Juice or Pills Have Any Side Effects?

If you have pollen allergies or have a known hypersensitivity to acai or similar berries, you may want to avoid this fruit. When eaten in moderate amounts, though, acai is likely safe.


Although acai berry itself as an ingredient has no known side effects, that does not mean that all acai berry products are safe.


You see, some acai products are full of additives and fillers and contain very little acai berry. This means that not only are you getting a product that does not do what it's supposed to but you are also leaving yourself open to potential side effects such as:



Acai Berry Scams

Many people who caught onto the acai berry wave were often disappointed with their results. Many people did not report any weight loss results at all or saw less than stellar weight loss results while on the acai berry diet pills. This was due in part to the fact that many of the acai berry diet pills were not authentic at all. Many people's hard earned dollars were stolen and were instead of receiving an authentic product, they were given fake pills. It may seem a little over the top to go through as much trouble as to give someone fake diet pills. In either event, many people were taken advantage of in hope of receiving a new weight loss miracle pill.


FREE TRIAL SCAMMERS: (By the way, they are not really free because you have to pay shipping!) The reason they charge you for shipping is so they can get your credit card info and charge it every month. I am talking about all of the “free trial” offers out there who promise a free trial but instead they start charging you $89 per month or more without you knowing it - then they make it very hard to dispute the transaction. Also all of these free trial offers are shipping you spray dried butchered acai powder that is about 75-95% dried corn starch! What the reports on these free trial scammers fail to tell you is that the free trial scammers are shipping you worthless placebo! Real acai works but it has to be of the highest quality only. Not just a trace ingredient.


FREE TRIAL SCAMMERS WHO TRY TO ACT LEGITIMATE: Since the “free trial” acai scammers have been exposed lately in the national media, the same scammers who peddle these schemes set their websites up so they appear to be educating consumers about free trial offers. So they start by saying BEWARE OF FREE TRIAL SCAMS -- but the problem is, they are in fact the scammers, they just try to divert attention by appearing as if they are warning about acai scams.


Acai Berry Reviews

Here are some reviews taken from a big famous Internet website which further highlights some of the health benefits of using Acai Berry supplements:


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64 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5 out of 5 stars On my second packet!, 9 Feb 2010

By

Christina Rossetti

I was curious to see what the Acai Berry hype was and decided to try it myself. After taking the product twice/three times a day over 3-4 weeks I found that I lost a considerable amount of weight when combined with moderate excercise and over Christmas, when I couldn't excercise, I did not put any weight... Personally, I have had no negative side effects but rather found that taking the tablets did make me feel more energised and I did sleep better. I find these tablets to be most effective when combined with a sensible eating plan and when taking regular excercise and I cannot recommend them enough if you are buying these tablets alongside starting a new fitness regime. If you are looking for a "quick fix" then I don't think this will give the results you want, but as a long term sustainable plan the supplements are very effective. Troo Health Care are also a pleasure to use; I ordered my second shipment on the Tuesday and it arrived on Thursday. I believe this product to be very reasonably priced and I will undoubtedly be using their services whenever I need more Acai Berry supplements.


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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1 out of 1 stars why bother?, 19 Dec 2010

By

Dragonfly

I did some research into these before buying and opinion seemed to be divided. I have been taking them for about six weeks (three a day) and have not changed my diet - and the pills have not made me feel full so there has been no impetus to change it. I do not feel any different and my weight is slightly increased (though that is probably not the pills). I have had none of the side effects (either good or bad) that I have read about. I will continue until the pack is empty but I won't buy any more - I will have to try harder with diet and exercise to get my weight down.


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164 of 166 people found the following review helpful:

4 out of 5 stars Good but use your brains on the hype!, 2 Feb 2010

By

M. Scott "general Consumer"

The hype surrounding these supplements recently has been very over the top on my opinion. While I am a firm believer in health food related supplements, there are certain things that people will take from these campaigns from companies that they should be taking with a pinch of salt OR using common sense.

I take these, green tea extract (or making fresh green tea) and a few other vitamin and health supplements to counteract my slightly deficient diet and to give me a boost while trying to trim down. And I must confess to thinking it helps and the weight is coming off in what I think is a healthy way.

I advocate to anyone to drink green tea if they can possibly do it as it's health benefits are there for everyone to see. It not only gives the body antioxidants, reduces blood pressure (technically stops it raising up in the first place from vasoconstriction but the effect in the end is the same) and also gives energy and increases metabolism. I take Acai berry to complement my other supplements and it works great for what i'm expecting from it.

What people don't want to get sucked into the trap of is thinking this is a miracle pill that will make them look [good] overnight. The truth is that the weight loss properties of this product is dubious to say the least. What it is proven to do though is induce fibre into the diet making you regular and thus keeping you flushing undigested food from the system, it is high in vitamins, minerals and amino acids which help the body stay healthy, it contaisn omega fatty acids liek those found in fish which is great for skin and joints, and it also contains high amounts of antioxidants which are very good for the body and reducing the effects of ageing. The effects also lead to appetite suppression (but then chillies and peppers will do the same) and also reduce the effect of high blood sugars and more importantly the crash afterwards. All this isn't an actual effect of reducing your weight but it induces a lifestyle and health benefits that cause you to lose weight.

You do however need to east healthiliy with these to gain any benefit, but don't expect anythign extra that a well balanced diet wouldn't, this is just a more efficient way for people to get their healthy intake when they have a busy lifestyle. Don't expect to take one pill a day and go out and eat a whole pizza on your own and drink 10 pints and still lose weight, you won't. Eat healthy, take you supplements and let them do the job they were designed for and they will show improvements.


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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5 out of 5 stars Excellent results!, 11 Sep 2010

By

Ms. J. A. Dixon

I bought these tablets initially as an aid to slimming - the majority of such products appear to contain caffeine (or guarana) and I am intolerant to this, and therefore I was pleased to find this product which is, as it states on the label, 'pure' acai berry! I take 4 a day, 2 first thing in the morning, and 2 mid-afternoon (I'd recommend taking them at least 1 hour before a meal to get the most noticeable impact), and within 3 days I had lost 4lbs! (From 9st3 to 8st13 - I only needed to lose half a stone to be my ideal weight!) I have found that the tablets aid the digestive process, and also, after 2 weeks, I noticed an improvement in my sleeping patterns in that I now find it easy to sleep for a solid 7-8 hours without waking up in the middle of the night which was always a problem for me! And I seem to have more energy during the day! I already have 4 friends asking me to order some for them to try! I have also found the advisors at Troo Health to reply very promptly and courteously if you have any queries regarding their products!


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