Fat Loss 4 Idiots Opinion

Saturday, January 2, 2010

The Acai Berry: Super Fruit or Super Hype?

By Joan Jameson

Decades before in the rain forests of Brazil, the Acai berry was simply an unusual fruit consumed by the people of this region. Today, the Acai berry is not only costly but it is also in great demand. How did Acai come to be esteemed is such a short amount of time?

As you might expect, the introduction of Acai berry to most Americans was on television. Losing weight and hampering the aging process is what Opray Winfrey had experts on to acknowledge were true about the Acai berry.

The Acai Berry Today

A simple Google search on Acai berries will yield hundreds and thousands of results and introduce you to countless products, all of which claim that Acai is a super, miracle food. Some people even posit that the little berry can cure cancer.

The berry is a little smaller than a grape and is dark purple. It is indigenous to the Amazon rain forest where it has been consumed for hundreds of years by native Brazilian tribes. Because the Acai berry is so abundant in the Amazon rain forest, it is said that nearly half of the food consumption in that region is made up of the berries. Growing and selling the Acai berry provides a generous living for these local tribes.

The Acai Comes to America

Shortly after the fruit appeared on the Oprah show, demand for the acai berry went through the proverbial roof. The requests for the Acai berry are very nearly overpowering the abilities of the supermarkets to supply these miracle berries. Because of the great publicity surrounding the Acai, the market was able to create many different uses for the Acai by establishing different products from the berry. Currently, the most popular product is Acai berry juice, which can be found in most supermarkets and health food stores. Many people are surfing the internet to find Acai berry products and have had great success.

Fact and fiction need to be separated regarding the Acai berry. We will attempt to distinguish these in the next few paragraphs. The Acai berry consumers and their most prevalent claims is where we will begin.

The Claims

Speeding up a person's metabolism and therefore burning more calories is one of the frequent claims of sellers and consumers. This has aroused Americans who are ever searching for the best diet plans to seize the juice and other products related to the Acai berry in record numbers.

There are allegations too that the Acai berry can assist people with sleep disorders and it can also increase sexual desire and performance. Many people also claim that it can improve mental clarity, much like Ginkgo Balboa.

This is what we know

The greatest antioxidant-rich products on earth is the Acai berry, without question. The importance of this is that antioxidants help the body fight off free radicals that can cause the DNA harm and can also clog arteriers. However, in spite of reports by many eager users that the wonder berry can actually reduce the aging process, it has never been proven that high amounts of antioxidants can reverse, stop or even slow aging.

What we do know is that antioxidants increase the good cholesterol, LDL, while decreasing the bad cholesterol, HDL. Researchers have detected in lab tests that the Acai berry has ten times more antioxidants than grapes and two times the antioxidants of blueberries.

The fruit is also said to be the perfect blend of antioxidants, essential fatty acids and amino acids. The instant success of the berry is largely in part to the intense interest in the berry by athletes and health-conscious individuals. Isn't it obvious why professional South American soccer players would snack on the Acai berries before any and all big games.

But how do they taste? There are numerous consumers that acknowledge that the Acai reminds them of a strangely different and yet fascinating array of berries and chocolate. Perhaps that it is why the fruit is used to flavor cocktails, make smoothies and as a topping for ice cream in its native Brazil.

The Hype Mechanism

Like most things in a consumer society, people have a tendency to get carried away, especially when dealing with an effective product. It is clear that the Acai berry is indeed one of the healthiest fruits in the world today, and it can offer users a myriad of amazing health benefits. Unfortunately, we have not seen proof that the Acai berry is a miraculous fruit. In fact, it is simple wishful thinking to believe that it can cure cancer or reverse or stop the aging process. - 17269

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