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15th February 2009
The Acai Berry's Natural Weight Loss Powers:
Should We Believe It?
Cliff Baker
Aha! Here we go again. First it was hoodia and now it's the acai berry. It's that magic bullet, the missing link-- or so every ad screams at you -- that's missing from your diet program. The acai berry contains substances that can make your weight loss efforts . . . well, effortless!
In fact, it's so important -- so the marketing hype goes -- that it's now tightly ensconced in a supplement! And if you take this supplement faithfully, you can't help but lose weight. This berry is so popular it's even been featured on Oprah! How can you even doubt its effectiveness, then?
Despite everything you've heard, if you still approach these ads as cynically and skeptically as I do these days, you're probably asking yourself how much of this marketing line can you believe. And with this supplement, that's probably the only approach you can take.
You can surf the web for hours trying to find some clinical trials of this South American berry's ability to help melt the pounds off of you. But don't surf! I'm going to tell you right now, I found no scientific evidence whatsoever that indicated this wonder food is also a wonder fat burning, weight dropping instrument that you can't live without.
In fact, if you've already searched the web looking for evidence of acai's "alleged" amazing weight loss abilities, then you know that any scientific proof -- at least any easily accessible on the web -- is woefully missing.
The truth of the matter, though, is that it is a berry and like its North American cousins, is rich in antioxidants, as well as phytochemicals that promote antibacterial activity in your body as well as anti-inflammatory and antimutagenic. An antimutagenic is exactly what it sounds like, it's an agent that inhibits the formation of mutations in your genes. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is a good example of a mutation.
But more than that, this tiny berry also contains omega 3 fatty acids, along with a good supply of iron as well as fiber and a host of vitamins and minerals. The natives of South America have a recipe that mixes the pulp of this fruit with natural guarana seed. This provides them with natural energy as well as heightens their mental clarity. Perhaps, this is where the idea of using the acai berry as a weight loss supplement first began.
Berries -- like the strawberry and blueberry, are fast becoming the new superfoods, because they contain so many health-giving properties. And you can certainly put the acai berry in this category.
But there's a catch. You're not very likely to find fresh acai berries in the produce section of your grocery store any time soon. The reason? They begin to ripen rapidly and have a very short "shelf life" the moment they're taken from the tree. For this reason, it's near impossible if you live in North America to experience the taste of a fresh acai berry.
The acai berry is marketed in many forms -- including a juice. If you want to buy this product for its general health-boosting properties, that's wonderful. Just don't think that when you drink this juice that you're going to experience any miraculous weight loss benefits. Because you're probably not.
You will be enriching your body with antioxidants and you may find you have more energy because of it. But don't forget what those walking shoes look like or your way to the gym! You're still going to need to use both of those "old fashioned" weight loss methods! That's a guarantee you can depend on!
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