It's difficult to ignore the hype surrounding the seemingly miraculous benefits of the acai berry diet as described by product marketers. The acai berry weight loss fad first began to gain momentum when Dr. Mehmet Oz, a guest on Oprah Winfrey's popular talk show, mentioned the acai as a fruit rich in antioxidants. Relying on consumer's trust in Oprah, nefarious-minded supplement peddlers took it even further and attributed weight-loss properties to the acai berry. However, recent warnings issued by the consumer watchdog group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, indicate that relying on an acai berry diet or supplement won't lighten your body weight---merely the weight of your wallet.
About the Acai Berry
The acai fruit is a tart, purple grape-like berry that grows on trees as tall as 60 feet that grow in the Brazilian rain forest, states a March 2009 article in the "New York Times." The acai berry got little attention in the U.S. until 2001, when Ryan Black and Ed Nichols stumbled across the fruit during the course of their travels. One of the first products told to U.S. consumers was a bottled beverage comprised of acai berry pulp and guarana syrup, marketed by Black and Nichol's company, Sambazon.
Weight Loss Claims
Initial studies on the acai fruit were published in the September 2008 "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry." The first study measured the antioxidant capacity in the blood of 12 volunteers after consuming a single serving of acai juice or pulp. Lilian Cheung, a nutritionist at Harvard University's School of Public Health told the "New York Times:" "Its results did not demonstrate that consuming açaí pulp lead to any health outcomes, let alone weight loss." It should also be mentioned that neither Winfrey nor her guests who mentioned the berry as a flavorful antioxidant---Drs. Oz and Nicholas Perricone, a dermatologist---ever stated that the acai berry led to weight loss.
Celebrity Appeal
Acai berry diet supplements are a boon for Internet marketers, notes quackwatch.org, a consumer education site run by the National Council Against Health Fraud. Since the Oprah mention, advertisements on Google and social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace have sprung up with site names created intentionally to befuddle the consumer. Some of these sites include oprah-best-acai.com and oprahsamazingdiet.com, as well as a litany of others that mention Dr. Oz. Many of the sites feature blogs hawking acai berry diet products purportedly given the green light by Winfrey and other celebrities.
Acai Berry Diet Scams
Quackwatch.org notes that Winfrey and Oz have been quite vocal when it comes to distancing themselves from sites that use their names and likenesses without permission---and with good reason. For the savvy consumer who's done her research, a quick word association of the phrase "acai berry diet" brings to mind "scam." In March 2009, the Connecticut attorney general's office and the CSPI issued a warning informing consumers about acai berry diet supplement schemes that involved placing unauthorized charges on customers' credit cards after they agreed to a trial of the product. "There are no magical berries from the Brazilian rain forest that cure obesity---only painfully real credit card charges and empty weight loss promises," says Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. "... These claims are based on folklore, traditional remedies and outright fabrications---unproven by real scientific evidence." Other states to take action against unscrupulous acai berry supplement marketers include Texas and Arizona.
Acai Berry Bottom Line
In addition to advertising acai berry supplements as a weight loss aid, marketers also outrageously claim that acai can cleanse the colon, increase libido and reduce risk of heart attack, Alzheimer's disease and even cancer. Some marketers, such as those in Texas, went as far as to claim that the acai berry halts the aging process. Acai berry products aren't necessarily harmful, although quackwatch.org notes there are other fruit beverages far higher in antioxidants---such as Concord grape, blueberry and black cherry juices. Mayo Clinic experts agree that the acai fruit is also a good source of fiber and heart-healthy fats, but advises those who are curious about acai berry products to purchase them at a local specialty market.
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