The acai fruit is found in the Amazon forest and is
promoted as having very powerful antioxidant properties. The acai fruit is
purple colored and small and comes from a palm tree. With pigmentation of deep
violet color so dense, the acai fruit juice stains skin, cowhide, containers,
even teeth when frequently taken undiluted. Used for food, beverages, medicines
and dyes by Amazon peasants over centuries, acai fruit has reached the US market
over recent years as a superfruit with a delicious taste and versatility of
beverage and food applications. You may also consider other interesting fruit
extracts including noni fruit and
Goji berry.
There are certain web sites that offer a free bottle of acai and
then charge your credit card repeatedly. Be aware of any promises of free acai
bottles.
Acai Berry Extract 500 mg,
90 capsules



This
acai berry supplement is for those who do not wish to
consume the extra calories from juice or drink.
Ingredients
The predominant beneficial substances in the acai berry are polyphenols, flavonoids, mostly of the
anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins categories.
More information at acai
fruit berry. There are many other beneficial fruit extracts including
Graviola supplement and
Mangosteen extract supplement.
Historical uses
Acai has been a traditional food for several centuries of the native people
living in the Amazon forest. However it was only a few years ago, about the year
2000, that the acai berry was introduced to the Western market.
Acai drink benefit
Apparently the dark purple skin of the acai berry has many times the
anthocyanin content
as red wine. The antioxidants in acai could be helpful for several health
conditions. Acai also has plant sterols, essential fatty acids, and fiber.
Acai drink as Vasodilator
Polyphenols in acai berry have the ability to act as vasodilators, which means
they can dilate blood vessels. This means acai berry extract could potentially
be beneficial in conditions where blood vessel dilation is benecial.
Endothelium-dependent vasodilator effect of Euterpe
oleracea Mart. extracts in mesenteric vascular bed of the rat.
Vascul Pharmacol. 2006; Department of Pharmacology and Psychobiology, IBRAG, UERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) a fruit from the Amazon region, largely
consumed in Brazil is rich in polyphenols. Experiments were undertaken to
determine whether hydro-alcoholic extract obtained from acai induces a
vasodilator effect in the rat mesenteric vascular bed precontracted with
norepinephrine and, if so, to elucidate the underlying mechanism. The present
study demonstrates that the vasodilator effect of acai extract is dependent on
activation of nitric oxide -cGMP pathway and may also involve
endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor release. The vasodilator effect
suggest a possibility to use acai berry extract as a medicinal plant, in the
treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
Acai berry availability over the
counter
Acai is sold as capsules, and can be placed in smoothies or made into acai
drink. Acai pulp is also useful. You can also find acai fruit juice and berry juice.
Acai Fruit drink review
Human studies with acai fruit or acai drink are lacking, therefore no firm
statements can be made regarding the clinical uses of this plant. However,
eating acai berry or taking an acai berry supplement as part of a healthy diet
seems to be a reasonable approach. An acai berry extract supplement can be taken
once or twice a week with breakfast.
Acai fruit nutrient composition
Phytochemical and Nutrient Composition of the Freeze-Dried Amazonian Palm Berry,
Euterpe oleraceae Mart.
J Agric Food Chem. 2006. Schauss AG, Wu X, Prior RL,
Ou B, Patel D, Huang D, Kababick JP.
Natural and Medicinal Products Research, AIMBR Life Sciences, 4117 South
Meridian, Puyallup, Washington 98373, Agriculture Research Service, Arkansas
Children's Nutrition Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1120 Marshall
Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202, Department of Physiology and Biophysics,
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham, Little Rock,
Arkansas 72205, Brunswick Laboratories, 6 Thatcher Lane, Wareham, Massachusetts
02571, Integrated Biomolecule Corporation, 2005 E. Innovation Park Drive,
Tucson, Arizona, Food Science and Technology Program, Department of
Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore, and
Flora Research, San Juan Capistrano, California.
A standardized freeze-dried acai fruit pulp / skin powder was used for all
analyses and tests. Among many findings, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and
other flavonoids were found to be the major phytochemicals. Two anthocyanins,
cyandin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-rutinoside were found to be predominant;
three others were also found as minor anthocyanins. The total content of
anthocyanins was measured as 3.1 mg/g dry weight. Polymers were found to be the
major proanthocyanidins. The concentration of total proanthocyanidins was
calculated as 13 mg/g dry weight Other flavonoids, namely, homoorientin,
orientin, isovitexin, scoparin, and taxifolin deoxyhexose, along with several
unknown flavonoids, were also detected. Resveratrol was found but at a very low
concentration. In addition, components including fatty acids, amino acids,
sterols, minerals, and other nutrients were analyzed and quantified. Total
polyunsaturated fatty acid, total monounsaturated fatty acid, and total
saturated fatty acids contributed to 11%, 60%, and 28% of total fatty acid.
Oleic acid (53%) and palmitic acid (26%) were found to be the two dominant fatty
acids. Nineteen amino acids were found; the total amino acid content was
determined to be 7% of total weight. The total sterols accounted for 0.048% by
weight of powder. The three sterols B-sitosterol, campesterol, and sigmasterol
were identified.
Scam
CSPI warns consumers about Web-based acai scams. The Center for Science in the
Public Interest is warning consumers not to enroll online in supposedly free
trials of diet products made with the Brazilian acai berry. There's no evidence
to suggest that acai pills will help shed pounds, flatten stomachs, 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.
Acai studies
Total oxidant scavenging capacities of Euterpe oleracea Mart.
fruits.
Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2005.
The antioxidant capacities of 11 commercial and non-commercial samples
of Euterpe oleracea Mart. fruit pulp were studied with the total
oxidant scavenging capacity assay in a modified and automated version
against three reactive oxygen species. The antioxidant capacities of all
purple acai samples were found to be excellent against peroxyl radicals,
good against peroxynitrite and poor against hydroxyl radicals compared
with common European fruit and vegetable juices recently analysed. In all
cases the correlation between sample concentration and antioxidant
capacities was non-linear. The antioxidant capacities against all three
reactive oxygen species of the fruit pulp from one white acai variety were
very low. The phenolic compounds in purple acai fruit pulp were identified
by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the two
major anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside, were
quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography-visible spectrometry.
The contributions of the anthocyanins to the overall antioxidant
capacities of the fruit were estimated to be only approximately 10%.
Obviously, compounds not yet identified are responsible for the major part
of the antioxidant capacities of the acai fruit pulp.
Phytochemical composition and pigment stability of
Acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.).
J Agric Food Chem. 2004. Del Pozo-Insfran D,
Brenes CH, Talcott ST.
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Anthocyanin and polyphenolic compounds present in acai (Euterpe
oleracea Mart.) were determined and their respective contribution to the
overall antioxidant capacity established. Color stability of acai
anthocyanins against hydrogen peroxide (0 and 30 mmol/L) over a range of
temperatures (10-30 degrees C) was also determined and compared to common
anthocyanin sources. Additionally, stability in a model beverage system
was evaluated in the presence of ascorbic acid and naturally occurring
polyphenolic cofactors. Cyanidin 3-glucoside (1040 mg/L) was the
predominant anthocyanin in acai and correlated to antioxidant content,
while 16 other polyphenolics were detected from 4 to 212 mg/L. Red grape
anthocyanins were most stable in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, while
acai and pigments rich in acylated anthocyanins displayed lower color
stability in a temperature-dependent manner. In the presence of ascorbic
acid, acylated anthocyanin sources generally had increased color
stability. Acai was recognized for its functional properties for use in
food and nutraceutical products.
Questions
Q. Is
acai fruit in canada legal?
A. Yes, acai fruit and supplement can be imported into Canada without customs
restrictions.
Q. How much acai drink can one have daily?
A. There is no clear limit, but since that are dozens of healthy
fruit juices available to the consumer, an ounce or two of acai drink a
day should be fine, and leave some room in your stomach for other types of
fruit and vegetable juices.
Q. I am currently breastfeeding. I am interested in the acai berry juices
that are currently on the market (more specifically from Monavie) and was
wondering if there were any concerns or cautions against drinking acai
juice while breastfeeding? Are there any resources that you can direct me
to that would offer more insight on the use of supplements to mothers
breastfeeding?
A. There are hardly any studies regarding the role of supplements
and their safety or benefit during breastfeeding. We have no reason to
suspect that reasonable amount of acai juice drinking or taking an
occasional acai supplement would influence a breastfed baby. However, we
have not seen any studies regarding the influence of acai use by the
mother on the breastfed baby. We are not familiar with Monavie acai and do
not know whether there are other herbs or substances in this product.
I have had an auto-immune disease CFIDS for
nearly twenty years. I have treated alternatively entirely but within the
last seven years my allergic response to things has dramatically
increased...and on several occasions caused anaphylaxis. I am a massage
therapist and have noticed my joint health greatly diminished. I came
across your website while researching the health benefits of the acai
fruit berry. I was encouraged from what I had read but could not find any
information about tendency towards allergic reaction to this fruit from
people who have taken it. Can you please tell me whether or not there is a
noted history of allergic reaction to acai fruit. This illness is
multi-systemic in that way it presents itself, from inflammatory processes
to digestive issues, to allergic responses, to name a few and if you can
suggest a supplement safe enough with regard to possible allergic
reaction.
Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome CFIDS,
also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis and by
other names, is a complex chronic illness that affects the brain and
multiple body systems. We have not come across any specific medical
reports regarding an allergic reaction to acai fruit, but, as with any
plant, there could be some possibility of an allergic reaction. It is
impossible for us to predict.
I have been really confused lately about Acai
fruit. I have been taking Amazon Thunder but I am not sure that I am
getting all the nutrients and antioxidant value of acai fruit through this
product. Does bottling pulp lose nutrients? Also, I have read claims that
freeze dried powder is the most effective way to get the highest
antioxidant effects of the Acai. A website claims that only their 4:1
extract has the highest ORAC score. Can you please help me decide which is
the best way to include Acai fruit in my diet? Sometimes I think I should
just switch to goji berries.
There are countless beneficial vegetables, fruits, berries, and
herbs. Sometimes we focus on one or two that are in the news or promoted
heavily. It is best to have a wide range of such beneficial plant products
in the diet rather than focusing on one or two. As to acai fruit, frozen
or freeze dried or juice or supplements are all good ways to ingest it.
But consider other beneficial fruits also such as noni, pomegranate,
mangosteen, cranberry, bilberry, goji, and others.
I went through gastric bypass almost 5 years ago
and lost 85 pounds. I got married and had a baby. He's 2 now. I gained 60
pounds back. Because of the surgery i've been told that I do not get
enough vitamins through pills so I would need to eat childrens vitamins.
My question is If I take an acai fruit supplement, will it effect my new
stomach? Will I get the same weight loss results as the next guy who
doesn't have gastric bypass?
We have not seen studies regarding acai fruit extract
supplements and weight loss. Acai fruit and extract are regarded as safe
supplements.
Suppliers
We are a Brazilian vitamin company and wanted to
tell you what we have in stock.
Acai (Euterpe oleraceae Mart.)
Acai Juice Powder => USD 23.00/kg
Acai Powder Freeze Dried USD 57.60/kg
Special powder - Min. 0.5% Polifenois USD 48.29/kg
Acai Base Liquid Extract for Beverages USD 12.57/kg
Dry Extract 1:1 (powder) USD 39.00/kg
Acai Dry Extract 5:1 (powder) USD 59.00/kg
Back to home natural healing articles home
August 2009 lawsuits
Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Mehmet Oz filed suit against 50 businesses over
allegations the companies used their personae without permission to
endorse products including companies in the dietary supplement,
wrinkle-cream and tooth-whitening sectors who used their images and
names to endorse their products. The list of companies cited in the suit
include a combination of online nutraceutical and MLM companies, many
that tout acai for weight loss, cancer prevention and other medical
miracles. The legal action from the Oprah and Oz duo is in line with a
recent decision by the FTC to fine tune rulings surrounding product
endorsements. Research by the FTC showed that more than half of
consumers believe that they will achieve similar results as those touted
in product endorsements. Acai is the perfect example of how words of
advice about healthy foods get filtered into specific brand
endorsements. The courts will now have to decide if the use of
unauthorized endorsements were calculated, were from anecdotal comments
from overzealous consumers or an even grayer area, sales representative
posing as consumers. For many years companies and authors whose products
and books were mentioned on Oprah reached overnight success with one
single mention. The superfruit conversation that fueled the lawsuit
began in 2008 when Dr. Oz mentioned the antioxidant capacity of the
superfruit acai during one of his regular appearances. The messaging was
further supported on Oprah by Dr. Perricone, who suggested acai while
promoting his book, The Perricone Promise: Look Younger-Live Longer in
Three Easy Steps. This pushed acai into a top-selling category. Acai
sales in the mainstream market rose 250 per cent from July 2008 to
August 2009. MLM beverage company Mona Vie, named in the suit, claims
cumulative sales are close to $2 billion since the company's inception
in 2005. They were named in Inc magazine's Sept. issue as one of the
fastest growing companies in America. The single mention of acai opened
the floodgates of advertising, email newsletter subject lines, online
ads and You Tube video proclaiming products like the Oprah Diet and the
Dr. Oz Acai Berry Diet. Many of the false endorsements came from
overzealous sales reps for acai dietary supplements companies. Mona Vie
claims they are as much a victim in this as Winfrey and Oz.
Press release 2010
A clinical trial investigating the health benefits of acai, the
antioxidant and vitamin-rich berry, is adding to the emerging scientific
evidence of the fruit's ability to potentially reduce some metabolic
risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and
stroke. "This pilot study demonstrated the ability of the Sambazon acai
pulp product to significantly lower several markers of cardiovascular
risk in a relatively short period of time. Given these promising
results, and the biologically active components in the acai fruit,
further study is merited," said Dr. Jay Udani, MD, CEO and Medical
Director of Medicus Research, a leading contract research organization
with functional food experience. Medicus Research recently conducted a
pilot study with 10 slightly overweight, but healthy adult male and
female participants (representing 1/3 of the American population). Each
study participant consumed 100 grams of Sambazon (R) acai frozen fruit
pulp twice daily for one month. Researchers measured participants'
baseline fasting plasma glucose, plasma insulin levels, lipid levels
(total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), high sensitivity
C-reactive protein and blood pressure. After 30 days of consuming
Sambazon acai, participants' fasting glucose, insulin, total
cholesterol, and LDL (bad cholesterol) were significantly reduced, as
compared to the baseline. In addition, post-prandial (between meals)
increases in blood glucose levels were significantly reduced. "While
additional research is needed, this pilot study suggests that in
otherwise healthy, overweight adults, daily consumption of acai reduces
several markers of metabolic syndrome associated with an increased risk
of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke," said Jack F. Bukowski,
MD, Ph.D., a former Harvard professor and currently Director of the
Nutritional Science Research Institute. This study follows a recently
published study showing that acai consumption lowers cholesterol and
raises antioxidant activity in rats. Sambazon is committed to scientific
and nutritional research about acai and supported the Medicus clinical
trial. Sambazon Acai Pure Pulp Packs, which were used in the Medicus
study, are a top selling frozen fruit item and available in finer
grocery and natural food stores. Founded in 2000 as the first company to
bring the antioxidant-rich acai berry from the Amazon to North America,
Sambazon's mission is to deliver high quality, organic acai products to
the planet. Sambazon's product line of Organic Acai Juice and Smoothies,
Frozen Acai Smoothie Packs and Sorbets and Acai Supplements are enjoyed
by world-class athletes and health-conscious consumers everywhere.
Products are available at major retail stores and juice bars across
North America including Whole Foods, Publix, Kroger, HEB, Albertsons and
Vitamin Shoppe. Sambazon is also a leader among organic foods and
sustainable agriculture. In November of 2006, Sambazon was named a
winner of the Secretary of State's Award for Corporate Excellence for
helping to create worldwide awareness and demand for the acai fruit.
Sambazon pioneered the first of its kind Fair Trade and Certified
Organic supply chain of acai which benefits thousands of local families
and protects the biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest through
sustainable agriculture. Sambazon is the largest vertically integrated
supplier and marketer of acai products, controlling every step of the
manufacturing process to ensure sustainable and organic origin of the
fruit as well as the highest level quality, nutrition, taste.