Acai berries. Most acai supplements use freeze-dried berries or juice.

You may have been hearing a lot about Acai (ah-sa-EE) berry supplements or acai juice lately. Acai is an antioxidant-rich palm fruit that grows in South America, and is widely cultivated and consumed  in various forms throughout that region. Acai berries are round, dark-purple and about 1 inch in diameter, similar to a grape and grow in bunches that contain hundreds of individual fruits. Two crops of berries are produced each year.Interest in Acai berries and Acai products has grown with the discovery that the fruits have an exceptional nutritional profile, including high levels of antioxidants, amino acids and nutritional fats.  Seeking to capitalize on this interest, a great many Acai products and brands have come onto the market in a relatively short period of time.  Some make exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims. Perhaps even more significantly, several high-profile individuals such as Dr. Nicholas Perricone and Oprah Winfrey have publicized Acai supplements and purported great benefits from using them. This has further intensified interest and demand, drawing even more Acai products to the market, with ever more-attractive health claims. Quite a few AllStarHealth customers have asked us to comment on the new popularity and legitmacy of Acai supplements.  From these questions, it’s clear that someone somewhere is making some pretty tall claims about Acai: Is it really anti-aging?  Does it get rid of joint pain? Is it better than Viagra? (more…)