Post date: July 24, 2010 7 a.m.

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Acai is the latest greatest thing in natural health, sharing a long tradition of superfoods with mangosteen, pomegranate, and vitamin E, and, if you go back far enough, kelp, cod liver oil, and even lard. But are the purported acai berry health benefits real?

If you are a lab rat or a fruit fly, you can be assured that acai berry have scientifically proven health benefits for you. One study found that acai berry extract helps fruit flies live longer on a high-fat diet. For fruit flies that live in the dumpster behind McDonald’s who can buzz over to the dumpster behind the local juice bar, this is great news.

Another study found that a diet that derives 5 per cent of calories from acai berry protects against N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine-induced esophageal cancer in lab rats. (The same study found that strawberries, wolfberries, blueberries,and blackberries work equally well.) And yet another study has found that frozen acai berry pulp slows damage in aging rat brains. If you are an elderly lab rat with a drinking problem, acai is clearly for you.

But what about humans? Is there any real proof of acai berry health benefits for humans?

In a word, no. Acai berry juice tastes great. It is sustainably harvested with sensitivity to the environment and with respect for the people who gather it. More people like a little acai in their juice than like a lot, but it’s great way to add variety to healthy beverages.

The thing is, acai isn’t a scientifically proven superfood. And it’s not a diet food. To quote the world’s most famous promoter of acai berry, Chris Kilham (who introduced me to acai berry about 10 years ago): “Just a quick word about the acai diets that everybody has been spammed over.  Useless.  Acai is not a diet miracle. It is a wonderful, amazing-tasting, highly beneficial fruit that gives you energy and makes you feel good. But don’t be bilked by companies that want you to believe it’s the key to slimming. It isn’t.”

Buy acai berry. It’s a great-tasting fruit, and every purchase you make helps struggling native peoples earn a living honestly and honorably while preserving the Amazon rainforest. Be careful about getting the juice on your clothes or countertops, because the stain is hard to get out. Just be aware that the astonishing antioxidant power of acai berry is balanced by the fact that most acai berry products contain only about 5% acai berry juice.

For amazing health benefits, choose the right combination of foods, herbs, and nutritional supplements. Never rely on a single product, no matter how miraculous it may seem to be.

Article By BeWellBuzz Featured Writer Robert Rister:

Chemist, commentator, and formulator of natural products, cited as an authority on herbal medicine in publications such as the Journal of the American Medical Association and Natural Health, Robert Rister is the author or co-author of over twenty books on natural health, including the forthcoming Coconut Grove Diet.

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