Acai Berries: Super Food or Scam?

Everywhere you look right now, the grape-like acai is popping up. Companies from small natural foods purveyors to corporate giants like Tropicana are adding it to their products. Health gurus like Dr. Mehmet Oz are extolling its virtues. Even Oprah has hopped on the acai bandwagon, featuring it on a recent show.

Why all the attention? Some claim the acai berry is the super food of super foods. Proponents of the acai berry say it can potentially lower cholesterol, hasten weight loss, boost energy, make you look younger, strengthen bones, up your sex drive, possibly help autism and many other health claims. Several small-scale studies have shown the berry to have positive effects on diseases like leukemia.

Most nutrition experts, however, say 'Not so fast.' According to the Mayo Clinic, very little large-scale research has been performed on the acai berry. It has been proven that, yes, acai berries are high in antioxidants, fiber and heart-healthy fats. And, like red wine, the berry may also be a significant source of flavanoids. But most other claims have yet to be fully proven.

The berry, which grows in the rainforests of South America on the acai palm, has been popular in South America for years. In places like Brazil, it's a popular ingredient in smoothies and breakfast bars, and the fruit is even used in savory meat dishes. The berry spoils very quickly, though, which has prevented it from being distributed very widely - until now.

Companies producing acai berry juices, extracts, pulps, powders and other preserved forms of the fruit have found a way to introduce the berry in far away locales, including America, while circumventing the berry's short shelf life. Now, from Los Angeles to New York and all points in between, the fruit is pretty much unavoidable - showing up in health drinks, supplements, martinis and even beauty products. Jamba Juice offers an acai supplement shot for its smoothies; Jelly Belly recently announced that it will create an acai-flavored jelly bean.

The hot products can come with a high price tag. The Home Shopping Network's Elysee skin care line sells a one-ounce bottle of its LuminAcai Radiance and Retexturizing Facial Fluid for $38.95, not including shipping and handling. And single-serve juices run about $4 to $6 a piece, about the same thing you'd pay for a whole carton of orange juice.

If you're planning on giving some of these acai products a try, though, make sure you do your research. Some acai products may only include a trace amount of the fruit, which may not be enough to provide the berry's health benefits. Consumers should read the ingredients label carefully - the higher up on the list acai is located, the more the product contains.

Nutrition experts also warn to check the nutrition information. Acai products can vary greatly in calories, fat content, and sugar, depending on other ingredients the products include. Stick to low-calorie, low-sugar options for the most nutritional benefits. And don't expect acai to be a cure-all for other unhealthy behaviors - just because you're consuming the berry doesn't mean you can eat junk food, smoke or stop exercising.

SOURCES

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/acai/AN01836

http://health.msn.com/nutrition/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100214451

http://www.acaiberryproducts.org/