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.