Acai Berry | Medical-Weight-Loss-Guide.com

Acai berry has been heavily promoted recently as a weight loss supplement. This is perhaps one of the most blatantly dishonest advertising campaigns of all herbal supplements. After searching the major and respected drug databases LexiComp and Micromedex, which also include information about complementary and alternative medicines, I came across virtually no results and definitely nothing pertaining to losing weight. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has no information at all on this product. Using the PubMed service (also part of the NIH) which catalogs nearly every scientific journal article (over 16 million) related to health, only 24 articles were related. Of these, none studied its effects on weight loss. In short, there is absolutely no scientific evidence or research that even addresses the claim that this supplement can aid in weight loss.

What little science exists offers three potential health benefits: 1.) a source of antioxidants, 2.) dilates blood vessels, and 3.) an alternative contrast dye for MRI studies.

Acai juice does increase antioxidant levels in the blood and has more antioxidants than juices made from oranges and apples as well as iced tea beverages. However, it has the same antioxidant activity as black cherries and cranberries but less antioxidant activity than pomegranates, red wine, Concord grapes, and blueberries. Antioxidants are good for you, but Acai does not appear to offer much benefit over several other fruits.

Acai extract has been shown to increase the production of nitrous oxide in the vasculature of rat intestines. Nitrous oxide stimulates blood vessels to dilate and allow for more blood flow through them. Researches suggest that further study could lead to a medicine that may be helpful in treating cardiovascular disease.

Using chemical analyzers, scientists found that the plant contained iron, manganese, and copper. These atoms can cause signal changes on MRI scans. A study done on imaging after ingestion of the pulp demonstrated a change on MRI images and suggests that further study could lead to a new MRI contrast dye.

Just as there is very little research into the benefits, there is also virtually nothing known about its side effects. However, one risk worth mentioning is the possibility of contracting a specific infection. The supplement comes from a species of palm tree called Euterpe oleracea Mart, and it grows in Central and South America. From 1968 to 2005, 62 outbreaks of Chagas disease were related to consumption of Acai. Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi which is spread by blood feeding insects and chronically infects about 10 million people in Latin America. Good customs and border security should keep this out of other countries, but the risk of spread exists.

It is important you discuss any weight loss or exercise plan with your doctor. Only you and your physician can decide what is best for you. Some people have certain conditions that prevent them from doing all exercises, and goal body weights may be different for different people. You need to discuss all these things with your physician before starting any weight loss or exercise program.