Acai Health Watch

Written by a dietitian, this article is a great overview on how to select the best ingredients for fruit smoothies.  As you may have seen, the acai berry has been showing up on smoothie menus around the country.  But is an acai smoothie healthier than another type of fruit smoothie?  Not necessarily.  You’ll find flavonoids, antioxidants and potentially other disease-fighting nutrients in plenty of other fruits.

The author also provides tips on what not to include in your fruit smoothie.  This includes ice cream, sorbet and fruit purees, which lack the nutritional value of whole fresh and frozen fruits.

“When it comes to picking the ingredients for a smoothie, you really can’t go wrong by starting with any kind of fruit, whether fresh or frozen. Bananas are probably the most common choice, partially for the taste, but also because they add a rich texture, especially if they’ve been frozen before blending. As for the calorie content, don’t be afraid: While they are one of the more energy-dense fruits, the roughly 110 calories a banana provides is quite low compared with many other snack foods — and few foods of any kind are as rich in blood pressure-lowering potassium.

Aside from bananas, berries of any kind are a great choice for their antioxidant and fibre content, as well as their relatively low calorie content.”

Just juice it for better health.

Surely you’ve seen grocery refrigerators overflowing with beverages that are neither juice, nor water.  They are vitamin enhanced drinks and many promise benefits such as energy and relaxation.  You may have seen flavors such as acai pomegranate or acai blueberry.  Many vitamin drinks are low calorie and include natural sweeteners and tasty flavors.  But do they deliver on their promises?

“One consumer group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, filed suit against Coca-Cola Co. in January, accusing the soft drink giant of attempting to deceive the public with marketing claims about its version of the beverages, Glacéau VitaminWater.

In a statement released when the lawsuit was filed, CSPI said, “Coke markets VitaminWater as a healthful alternative to soda,” but according to CSPI nutritionists, “the 33 grams of sugar in each bottle do more to promote obesity, diabetes and other health problems than the vitamins in the drinks do to perform the advertised benefits listed on the bottles.”

Stephen Gardner, litigation director for CSPI, said the companies selling the vitamin beverages are “playing on people’s view that vitamins are good.” He said not only do most of the beverages contain a fair amount of sugar, but CSPI’s scientists say the drinks “aren’t a great vitamin delivery system.”

Vitamin-enhanced drinks: Better than water?

This article makes some interesting points about the nutritional aspects of acai berry juices, the way acai products are marketed, and the unsustainable farming practices.  It suggests that acai is largely a “Girl from Ipanema” fantasy and that the nutritional value is mostly fabrication or spin.  Acai, it suggests, is simply part of a marketing trend involving products from faraway lands such as noni, goji berries and mangosteen.

Certainly there are unscrupulous players in the acai berry supplement industry, but the article makes blanket statements about the superfruits as a whole.  Are the health benefits received by acai consumers worldwide just the claims of people who “have been had?”

“In truth, what we’re guzzling by the gallon is masterful marketing. Rather than being a “global wonderberry,” acai might better be described as an overhyped jungle juice that’s no better for your health than the average orange. Instead of the happy tale of the little berry that could, the acai phenomenon is really just the latest example of how time and time again we turn off our brains and open our wallets when we’re presented with a bottle of exotic “superfruit” juice that’s been packaged as some kind of shortcut to immortality.

In other words, we’ve been had.”

Pulp Fiction – Page 1 – MSN Health & Fitness – Nutrition.

Though our main topic of conversation here is the acaiberry, there are many more superfoods that can and should be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet.   If you’re looking for delicious, inexpensive foods that contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy fats, this list is a great place to start.  In addition to acai, you’ll find foods like barley, yogurt, kale and blueberries that can help prevent health problems.

“Acai: This exotic berry from the Amazon has been the subject of intense hype, but there’s a good reason why it’s so trendy. Named by famed nutritionist Dr. Nicholas Perricone as his No. 1 superfood and one of the most powerful foods in the world, acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) contains a remarkable concentration of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. It’s considered one of nature’s best offerings to combat premature aging thanks to its high monounsaturated oleic acid content.”

10 Superfoods That Can Rescue You From Health Problems

While information about acai often seems like the same recycled content over and over, we found this article which is clear, digestible and well-written on some of the basics.   Here’s an overview from Acai Berry Hope on how the acai berry has anti-aging effects on the body. (more…)