The Truth About Acai Berry
If you are anything like me, you've read more than a few "debunking" articles on Acai berry.
You know, the ones that say something like "acai is no miracle, but it is still the best most nutritious fruit on the planet" and then tries to sell you some acai cleanse at the bottom?
This isn't one of those articles. I am not, I repeat - I am NOT trying to sell anything.
I am someone who is researching superfoods, and publishing my results along the way. Curious?
Here's what I've found about Acai berry:
Acai is a fruit that is grown in the Brazilian Amazons and has been a staple of the diet for many of the local people there. They generally eat the pulp/juice mixed in with other juices or made into a sorbet.
There are thousands of claims of what Acai can do for you. I've heard everything from miracle overnight 30lb weight losses, to increases in penis size. None of that is true, or at least verifiable scientifically.
The truth about acai is this - it has a high level of antioxidants and is pretty nutrient-rich - and that's about it.
There's lots of anecdotal evidence out there that says it will help decrease your appetite, stabilize blood sugar, increase libido, cleanse and detox, and I could go on.
What scientific studies have been able to verify is that it can help reduce cholesterol, and the high antioxidant content helps battle free radicals that can cause cancer, heart disease and inflammation.
Please don't misunderstand, I do think that acai is a pretty great product. But given the fact that scientific studies have found that blueberry, pomegranate and red wine have higher antioxidant levels than acai, I'd say go have a glass of wine instead!
Another pet peeve of mine is the scammers. There are reports of people all over the internet who have been scammed for hundreds of dollars from so-called "free trials" for acai berry supplements.
So do this. Go try acai berry juice. Most natural food stores will have it these days. Drink an ounce or two every day, and see what it does. It will cost you about $7 and then you can make a decision based on how it works.
It may help reduce your blood pressure, or even decrease your appetite. If it does, great!
But at least this way you only spend $7 to find out, and don't have to spend hundreds on supplements.
Anna Bailey lives in the mountains of Washington State with her family where she is working her way into a more sustainable existence, step by step.
For many years, Anna has believed that the increase in physical ailments in the past 20 years are largely due to the lack of proper nutrition.
She is currently undertaking a two-year research project to study over 100 "superfoods."
