Acai Berry Health Benefits

Acai berry health benefits have seen quite a bit of hype in recent years. These small and unsuspecting looking tropical berries have had a full spectrum of claims made about them. While some of these claims are perfectly justified, others are entirely unsubstantiated or downright false.

Common Claims About Acai Berry Health Benefits

Some of the most common claims made about acai berry health benefits include:

• Cognitive function improvements
• Weight loss
• Heart health
• Cancer fighting
• Athletic performance
• Superfood-level nutrition

More commonly, acai berry has seen tremendous focus as a weight loss aid in the United States. Following a spectrum of scams, the attention on this ingredient has greatly shifted toward other acai berry health benefits as well. When considering weight loss aids, acai may not be as helpful as some products claim. Therefore, it’s important to do some research to be sure you are taking the right amounts and that you are taking them safely.

What is Acai Berry?

The acai berry comes from the acai palm tree. The fruit and the palm hearts are harvested for human use for various nutritional acai berry health benefits, and the leaves of the palm are great for basket weaving and for making other products.

The acai berry looks a lot like a grape but has less pulp inside. The berry is usually purple when fully ripe, but they may also be green. This berry is a staple in Brazil, most notably in the Amazon region. It is used as a food and can be juiced to form smoothies and even acai soda. It has also been used as a liqueur and also as an ice cream flavoring. It is known for being a source of energy and revitalization for those that ingest it.

In North America, most products with this berry are in dried form, or in extracts and syrups, as the fresh variety doesn’t travel very well.  Much of the research into acai berry health benefits has shown that extracts and dried versions simply aren’t as helpful as the fresh fruit in whole form.  Therefore, despite what many products have claimed about what it may be able to provide, there is inadequate research to show that this would be possible in the forms in which it is commonly sold to the North American market.

Why Acai Weight Loss Pills Are Losing Steam

You may have seen advertisements online that state acai berry health benefits include providing the weight loss supplement you’ve always dreamed of using. Remember though, as with any product, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Acai berry is no exception.

Acai will not allow you to lose 7 pounds in one week without diet and exercise, despite the claims. Instead, the type of acai berry health benefits you can count on are quite similar to those associated with eating blueberries. It may not be a miracle weight loss ingredient, but you can take it in small doses to give yourself an antioxidant boost if you aren’t eating well enough on average.

You may be wondering about claims regarding acai berry health benefits linked to the metabolism. Some very small and preliminary research has suggested that it may help to improve metabolism. However, those were not large, reputable, human studies, Instead, they were limited and did not directly link the use of this substance with actual weight loss, regardless of what it was believed to do for the metabolism.

Supplements Versus Whole Foods

Eating the actual berry is the best way to get the real acai berry health benefits. That said, they are difficult to find in fresh berry form in the US. That said, while it may seem natural to opt for supplements instead, the nutritional benefits associated with fresh acai have yet to be demonstrated in supplement form. Therefore, even if you buy high quality acai supplements, you may not be obtaining the benefits you’re seeking.

On the other hand, if you can get your hands on some fresh berries, there are some acai berry health benefits you may enjoy. Those who have studied this berry suggest that it can help boost the immune system and increase energy levels. It can aid in digestion, lower blood pressure, support a healthy heart, and may even boost the libido. Also, acai’s antioxidants may have anti-aging and anti-cancer properties just like those in blueberries. That's not bad for a little berry.

Talk with your doctor before you begin eating acai to be sure it is safe for you as it is not necessarily appropriate for everyone. While you do, you may find that the acai berry health benefits you were seeking are readily available in a food grown locally to you, such as in blueberries!