subject: Can Acai Berry Help You Lose Weight? [print this page] Acai berries have been all the rage lately and making headlines everywhere for everything from curing cancer to losing weight. Can they really cure cancer and, even more importantly, can they help you lose weight?
Research shows that the acai berry have anti-oxidants that protect the body from damage caused by what are known as "free radicals". Basically, any food that contains anti-oxidants can help to mitigate the destructive effect of free radicals. These molecules are created by natural processes in the body like breathing or the digestion of food. Free radicals are unstable molecules that try to bond with other molecules causing the molecules to be weakened or damaged. Everything from old age, disease and damage to tissue has been blamed on the effects of free radicals.
There are many common foods that contain these anti-oxidants in abundant supply. Berries, broccoli, tomatoes, garlic and red grapes are all rich sources. With so many easily attainable foods that provide anti-oxidants why suddenly all the hype about an exotic, relatively unknown source like acai berries? The common themes that seem to run through most of the claims are that acai berries help to burn fat faster while cutting down on feelings of hunger, torquing up your metabolism and flushing your body of all the toxins that are preventing your body from being young and beautiful.
Acai berry supplements are over-the-counter supplements that don't have to pass the rigorous testing and clinical trials that prescription drugs and medications do. In the United States, there is far less regulation for these kinds of supplements and manufacturers and marketers have a lot more leeway in making claims that may or may not be supported by evidence.
Don't get the idea that there isn't anything good about acai berries. Besides the anti-oxidants acai berries are the only fruit beside the avocado that has monounsaturated fats (MUFA). Known as the "good fat" MUFA has some important healthy benefits. Improved cholesterol, anti-inflammation and decreases in the rate of breast cancer are all known to be linked to consumption of MUFA over polyunsaturated fat or trans fat. To get good levels of MUFA try dark chocolate, olives or sunflower oil for a lot less money than acai berries.
If you're still thinking of trying acai berry supplements, you would be wise to be wary of the many web sites offering free trials of acai berry weight loss products. In 2009 the Center for Science in the Public Interest published a report warning consumers not to fall for supposedly free trials of diet supplements made with acai berries. According to CSPI, "There is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that acai pills will help shed pounds, flatten tummies, cleanse colons, enhance sexual desire, or perform any of the other commonly advertised functions. And thousands of consumers have had trouble stopping recurrent charges on their credit cards when they cancel their free trials".
