This is not a medical site and does not offer medical advice. Always consult a doctor regarding medical matters.
Acai Berries
As I write this, Acai fruit is the latest health "superfood" to take the market by storm. You can buy a wide variety of acai based products, two of the most best known names being Mona Vie and Amazon Thunder. The fresh acai berries spoil quickly so it's usually sold in the form of a juice.
A huge variety of benefits have been claimed for this fruit, most of the popular interest being focussed on suggestions that it might aid in weight loss. So what is this superfood and does it really work?
What Is Acai?
Acai is a palm tree that grows in Central and South America and is commonly associated with the Amazon rainforests, in particular Brazil. Acai is part of the Euterpe genus, named after the Greek muse Euterpe who was also known as the Giver of Delight. The acai tree itself is the species known formally as Euterpe oleracea, a name meaning "fruit that gives out water".The trees are tall and thin with leaves that grow up to ten foot long. The berry is a small fruit that looks a bit like a cross between a grape and a blueberry. This was traditionally harvested by climbing the tree and was then eaten as a pulp. The large seed inside is not eaten.
In modern Brazil you can buy local acia in a variety of forms including a pulp dish (acai na tigela), an ice-cream flavouring and acia plus tapioca served in a gourd (cuias). With the surge of interest outside of South America, much of the acai crop today is processed and sent abroad. The edible fruit itself only makes up some 10% of the berry, the rest being unused seed, which is one of the reasons the cost is so high.
Health Claims
As with other superfoods such as goji and noni, the range of claims for acai is large and based mainly on anecdotal evidence. The two most frequent claims are its antioxidant power and - more controversially - the suggestion that it can help as a slimming aid.Acai certainly does have antioxidant properties, however some tests have shown that in general it's not that much more powerful than other common fruit such as mango or guava. Supporters of acai argue that although only of average power as a general antioxidant it is more effectve against certain specific classes of free radical. It also contains a number of trace elements and might thus be useful at plugging some gaps in a standard western diet.
The weight loss claims sound too good to be true. However there are many people who are convinced that it really does help as a diet aid. The exact mechanism by which it might perform this feat is unclear. One suggestion is that the fruit contains cyanidin which some people say can aid digestion. Combined with the antioxidant and generally invigorating results claimed for acai, it's conceivable that it might help to stimulate the metabolism as well as improving digestion when eaten as part of a balanced diet and heathy lifestyle.
At the moment most of these claims are purely anecdotal. Research has been done on the composition of Brazillian acai berries, however I'm not aware of any significant long term studies concerning general health or weight loss. Despite that many people buy and consume it regularly.
In the end it's a case of "buyer beware" - there are no guarantees. However even if starting to drink acai juice simply gives you the psychological boost you need to switch to a healthier lifestyle then it might be worth a try.
As always, discuss any medical issues with your doctor first.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
This site is not associated with or endorsed by MonaVie or Amazon Thunder.
Contact an authorised dealer for prices and availability.