What Is Acai Berry Supreme?

Acai is a species of palm tree native to Central and South America. In recent years, various acai preparations have been heavily marketed in the United States as "super foods," including Acai Berry Supreme. However, while there is no doubt that acai berries are indeed nutritious, there is little evidence to support certain health claims made by some manufacturers.

Description

Acai berries are an important food source to the people of the Amazon basin region. The juice of the berries is a popular cold drink served alone or blended with other fruit juices. The juice is also used to flavor carbonated drinks, liqueurs and other alcoholic beverages, including tequila. In Brazil, a dish called Açaí na tigela, which consists of frozen acai berry pulp, honey, tapioca, granola and guaraná syrup, is a very popular treat sold on beaches and in juice bars.

Nutritional Value

According to a research paper published in a 2006 issue of the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry," a standardized powder of freeze-dried acai fruit pulp and skin was found to contain several phytochemicals. Specifically, per 100 g of dry powder, the sample contained 3.1919 mg anthocyanins, 12.89 mg proanthocyanidins and the sterols B-sitosterol, campesterol and sigmasterol in a total concentration of 0.048 percent. Also identified were 19 amino acids, several fatty acids and a small amount of resveratrol.

The results of another qualitative analysis published in the same journal in 2008 revealed the presence of several plant polyphenols in oil extracts of acai berry, such as vanillic acid and ferulic acid.

Supreme Formula

Acai Berry Supreme is widely available in health food stores and numerous online outlets. Since the ingredient list on the bottle contains only two agents--organic acai extract and gelatin--it is difficult to determine what makes the "supreme" formula different or superior to other acai berry dietary supplements. It is also worth noting that the term "organic" may be misleading since the product does not carry the U.S. Department of Agriculture organic seal. Although the use of this seal is voluntary, its absence might indicate that the ingredients are not truly organic or that the manufacturer has not been granted certification.

Marketing Claims

Advertisements boast acai berry as a panacea for everything from rheumatoid arthritis to sexual dysfunction. One of the most persistent claims is that acai berry is a natural weight loss aid. There is no clinical evidence to support most of these claims, including the promotion of weight loss. On the other hand, the suggestion that including plant sterols in the diet may help to prevent certain diseases is supported in the medical literature. However, as nutritious as acai berries might be, they are no more so than other dark-colored fruits, such as blueberries.

Warnings

Since Acai Berry Supreme is a dietary supplement and is not subject to regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there is no guarantee that the product is not contaminated with other herbs or even contains authentic acai berry extracts, organic or not. In addition, a number of lawsuits have been filed against some manufacturers by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and various state attorney generals due to complaints about online sales promoting "free trial" offers that resulted in automatic shipments and recurring credit card charges.

With the exception of rare allergic reactions, there are no adverse side effects associated with acai berry.