It seems like every week we turn on the television and hear about some type of study that has identified yet another superfood that is good for us.  Those foods that have multiple health benefits such as lowering cholesterol, reducing your risk of heart disease and cancer, controlling diabetes, and anti-inflammatory properties all rolled into one little package.  Even incorporated in small amounts, these superfoods can prove effective in maintaining weight, fighting disease, and in increasing our life expectancy.  Beans, blueberries, broccoli, salmon, tea, turkey, yogurt and walnuts are just a handful of the foods proven to provide super health protection. 

Another organic food that seems to have captured our attention in the last two years, and now sporting the label of superfood is the acai berry.  Marketers across the country have bombarded us with advertisements regarding this small reddish purple fruit’s food’s superpowers.  According to the millions of ads out there, it can help you lose weight and slow down the aging process.  It can treat digestive disorders and skin conditions, lower bad cholesterol levels, cleanse and detox, and act as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. 

As most people are skeptical by nature, your first reaction is probably, “yeah right” or “no way!”  You probably find it hard to believe that one little berry can do all that, and you may be right.  Clinical trials on humans regarding the health benefits of the acai berry are few and far between.  While there have been several studies on animals that have proven hopeful, there is much more that needs to be learned about this little berry from the Amazon. 

So Dave, you ask, what do we know about the acai berry?  Does it warrant the label of superfood?  To answer that question, let us look at what we do and do not know.  First, does it truly assist in weight loss?  The verdict is still out on this one.   Few studies have looked at the benefits of the acai berry as an aid for shedding pounds, so I think it is too early to make the leap to weight loss wonder pill.

Now, as to the other health benefits associated with this berry.  Studies have proven it is a powerful antioxidant, loaded with anthocyanins and flavonoids.  Diets rich in antioxidants have been show to slow the effects of aging and the disease process by counteracting free radicals. By reducing the danger of free radicals, antioxidants appear to reduce the risk of some diseases such as heart disease and cancer. 

Early research indicates that the fruit pulp of acai berries appear to have high antioxidant properties.  A study by the University of Florida indicates that the antioxidants found in acai berries can actually destroy human cancer cells.  In the university study, acai berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested.

Another study by the Federal University of Ouro Preto in Brazil, published in the Journal of Nutrition has also proved promising, finding that the phytosterols in the acai berry appear to fight bad cholesterol.  Rats were fed a high-fat diet and given a supplement with acai pulp.  The result, after six weeks, showed that rats fed the supplement had lower levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol than those eating only a high-fat diet. 

The acai berry appears to be a rich source of proteins, dietary fiber and a great source of both omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids.  While the jury may still be out on whether it should legitimately label a superfood, early research seems to indicate it may soon earn a spot on that ever-growing list of superfoods.

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