Acai Health Watch

While it is true that there haven’t been large scale clinical human trials evaluating the health benefits of “superfoods” like the acai berry, evidence is building that the acai berry naturally contains health benefits that may help with disease prevention in the future.  Some marketing messaging for acai berry products is designed to lead the reader in drawing a conclusion that may not actually be true.  Still, there is reason to be optimistic about acai and its health benefits according to Monica Giusti of Ohio State University’s Department of Food Science and Technology.

“Giusti and her colleagues have found that applying anthocyanin extracts from a variety of plants to human colon cancer cells in test tubes can significantly slow down or even completely stop the cells’ growth. Researchers think they will find the same cancer-quashing results from other foods that contain anthocyanins.

And similar evidence is mounting for the potential health benefits from anthocyanins in dark-colored fruits like blueberries and pomegranates, fruits in which growers and manufacturers have invested a lot of research money”

Research has yet to prove benefits of antioxidant-rich berry juices | Health and Fitness – cleveland.com – - cleveland.com.

An outbreak of Chagas disease, a tropical ailment caused by insects has been identified in acai berries in one area of Brazil.  This disease can arise due to unsanitary conditions, leading to food-borne contamination and this is likely how the disease has been transmitted.

“Though still under investigation, health authorities in the Para state of Brazil is reporting an outbreak of food borne trypanosomiasis.

There have been 13 confirmed cases of Chaga’s in the Belem neighborhood. State officials at present suspect it occurred through contaminated food stuffs, including the fruit acai.”

There is no indication that products for export were contaminated.

Outbreak of Chaga’s disease through contaminated acai berries.

Physician and nutritionist Martica Heaner discusses acai’s health benefits, including whether claims that acai facilitates weight loss are legitimate.  She talks about how much of the language used in marketing acai products really just amount to ads, because there’s little medical research on acai to back it up.

Here’s Dr. Heaner’s take on weight loss and the acai berry:

“As far as weight loss goes, there’s no plausible mechanism that has been shown for why acai berry products might aid weight loss. Fruit can help with weight loss because it is high in fiber and nutrients and has few calories. Once fruit is turned into juice, however, it becomes another sweetened drink, often adding surplus calories to a diet that can lead to weight gain, not loss, if not monitored.”

Beware of the Hype on Acai Berries – MSN Health & Fitness – Weight Loss.

You’ll often see acai berry products described as having an ORAC value.  ORAC (or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a way to measure antioxidant capacity in fruits and vegetables.  As you may know, the acai berry is known to contain high levels of antioxidants and thus, a high ORAC value.

Marketers of acai berry and other products suggest that because of the high ORAC level present in the food or drink, it has disease fighting properties.  Chicago Tribune health expert Julie Deardorf reveals the truth behind the claims of some acai berry product marketers.

“It is true that plant-based foods contain phytochemicals with antioxidant properties, and people who eat large amounts have a lower risk of developing chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

However, “just because a food or beverage scores well with the ORAC test doesn’t guarantee that it can cure, treat or even prevent disease, though it certainly warrants further investigation,” said Diane McKay, an antioxidant researcher at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.”

Julie’s Health Club: Health claims: Antioxidant drinks.

One of the reasons why the acai berry has been associated with scams is because of the false claims.  Acai berry produce makers and distributors have been found to invent or bend scientific information to support their claims that the acai berry is key to losing weight.

What do the experts say about the acai berry and weight loss?  Basically, there’s not enough scientific evidence of acai’s ability to promote weight loss any more than another antioxidant-rich fruit.

Here’s what health expert Martica Heaner says about the acai berry weight loss hype:

“As far as weight loss goes, there’s no plausible mechanism that has been shown for why acai berry products might aid weight loss. Fruit can help with weight loss because it is high in fiber and nutrients and has few calories. Once fruit is turned into juice, however, it becomes another sweetened drink, often adding surplus calories to a diet that can lead to weight gain, not loss, if not monitored.

While many ask, “Is the acai berry a superfood with super benefits,” perhaps the real question is this: “Is any food a ‘super food?’”

Beware of the Hype on Acai Berries – MSN Health & Fitness – Weight Loss.