Whole, fresh berries are a nutritious treat, and many claims have been made regarding the benefits of two antioxidant-rich fruits in particular: the acai berry and the goji berry. One claim is that these berries can speed weight loss. Yet recent commentary also refutes these claims, and it turns out that you may already have in your kitchen other berries that have been shown to help dieters.
Acai Berries
According to How to Lose Weight, the acai berry's name is derived from the Central and South American word "ïwasa'i," meaning a fruit that expels water. Grape-sized and deep red or purple in color, acai berries have been a long-time staple for Peruvians and Brazilians but are increasingly marketed as a dietary supplement so high in antioxidants that it boosts metabolism and helps people shed fat. However, there is no quantitative proof. A 2009 article in "The New York Times" argues that while acai berries do exhibit high levels of protective antioxidants, no long-term studies exist to support claims that they encourage weight loss. Acai berries may simply be benefiting from their relative mystery; when viewed as an exotic fruit with strange new powers, acai could seem a dieter's salvation. Health and Fitness Advice also specifies that despite the acai berry's promising nutritional profile, there are no scientific data supporting acai berry as a weight-loss aid.
Goji Berries
Goji berries, sometimes called wolfberries or lycii berries, have historically been cultivated throughout China for their healing powers. Health Food Benefits describes the goji as a tender, raisin-sweet, bright red berry that has been used as a tea or tonic. Like acai berries, goji berries are very high in antioxidants that combat disruptive oxidants and carcinogens, improving blood health, nerve processes, brain function and general immunity. However, also like acai berries, there is little proof that goji berries help you lose weight. They are another relatively "new" food to the West, and can be willfully ascribed special powers until science catches up with empirical data to prove or disprove.
Three Useful Berries
Blueberries, strawberries and bananas are just as likely to support weight loss as any other berry. The banana is technically a berry, defined by Oklahoma State University's Family and Consumer Sciences division as fruit having a many-seeded, fleshy inner layer. Blueberries and strawberries are very low in calories: only 50 per cup. And bananas, at only 75 to 100 calories each, are a robust and filling lo-cal snack you can tuck into a pocket or bag for easy access. Blueberries and strawberries are especially rich in antioxidants and flavonoids. Bananas join them with the calorie-reducing fiber and water, and those slow-release complex carbohydrates for blood sugar stabilization and food-intake moderation. Furthermore, all three berries contain potassium and vitamin C for cell health and muscle contraction. Potassium, according to Weight Loss for All, also governs the body's water balance, reducing bloat. So, set aside, for now, the expensive acai and goji. Instead, go bananas--and blueberries and strawberries.
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