Tag Archives: acai

Diet Supplement Comparison: Raspberry Ketones vs. Hoodia vs. Acai

Let’s face reality. As much as doctors and pharmacists will tell you there are risks in taking diet pills and the effects they could have on your health, people take them anyway. What I do believe in is the power of knowledge and educating yourself before taking any chances. Let’s take a look at three pretty popular diet aids and how they compare to each other: Acai, Hoodia, and Raspberry Ketones, the newest craze.

RASPBERRY KETONES

Raspberry Ketones were recently discussed on the Dr. Oz show and hours later pharmacies were getting calls from patients. “Where can I get it, is it safe?” Well I can tell you that not many pharmacies or stores carry this product yet.  It’s believed that raspberry ketones help burn fat by increasing the release of  norepinephrine in your body. This causes the body’s temperature to rise and in doing this increases the body’s metabolism. Increased norepinephrine could causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. Currently most of the raspberry ketone studies conducted were done in mice and we don’t have much to go on for how this will affect humans.

HOODIA

Hoodia is derived from a plant located in Southern Africa called hoodia gordonii. Commercially you can buy it in capsules, tablets, chocolate chews, and a variety of other forms. There are numerous websites selling hoodia, but because the products are not regulated by the FDA it’s possible you won’t be getting any of what you paid for.

There are few studies to support the effectiveness of hoodia. Pfizer was looking to enter the diet pill market and developed a molecule called P57, which was very similar to hoodia, but in 2003 decided to discontinue their research and give the rights to the other company they were working with, called Phytopharm.

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Posted on February 10, 2024 by Sarah

Acai Berry Supplements for Weight Loss May be a Waste

There comes a certain point in some people’s weight loss journey where they start to get frustrated and desperate. They may turn to options other than diet and exercise to kick start results and if it’s something quick and easy, they’ll take it. One of those options most frequently includes diet pills and supplements. One particular little fruit has become increasingly popular for fast and easy weight loss: the acai berry. But, does it live up to the hype?

Acai berry came onto the American market when it was promoted as a superfood for age-defying beauty by Dr. Nicholas Perricone on the Oprah Winfrey show. The fruit is grown in Brazil and tastes like a cross between wild berries and chocolate. Acai in berry form contains significant amounts of healthy fats and fiber and the juice contains antioxidants making it a smart addition to any diet.

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Posted on September 4, 2023 by Sarah

Government Cracks Down on Acai Berry Sellers

You know how some less-than-reputable health supplement companies shill their products by attaching major news organizations to their pitch in order to lend credibility to their product? Right, I don’t know how they get away with it either.

Regulators aren’t too happy about some of these tactics, and are now starting to crack down on companies that sell acai berry weight loss products with fake endorsements from news organizations, including CNN, Fox News and USA Today.

The Federal Trade Commission has requested that federal courts freeze the assets of 10 operations using allegedly deceptive tactics such as fake news websites to market products. (more…)

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Jason

Amafruits: Acai Without the Gimmicks

amafruits AcaiThere’s been a lot of hype surrounding the Acai berry, an Amazonian fruit with alleged super-nutrients. While Acai isn’t a miracle weight-loss food (no such thing exists), it is a rich source of many of the nutrients you need, including vitamin A, minerals, potassium and iron.

Acai berries themselves are difficult to find whole, but many companies offer juices and extracts. Last night I tried out Amafruits’ Acai puree. The puree comes frozen in packs of four, with a choice of Acai Energy Mix with Guarana or Acai Pure & Unsweetened. A pack of either flavor counts as a serving of fruit. Many other Acai juices add a lot of sugar to compensate for the berry’s slightly bitter taste. The unsweetened fruit pulp is about as close to eating the berries as you can get: no pills, pyramid schemes or other fruit juices added for bulk.

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Posted on November 22, 2023 by Margaret

Ask Mary Answers How You Can Control Your Metabolism

Mary Hartley, RD, MPH, is the director of nutrition for Calorie Count, providing domain expertise on issues related to nutrition, weight loss and health. She creates original content for weekly blogs and newsletters, for the Calorie Count library, and for her popular daily Question-and-Answer section, Ask Mary. Ms. Hartley also furnishes direction for the site features and for product development.

Calorie Count members want to know about specific foods that affect metabolic rate (the speed at which the body uses calories for fuel.) Here are two of the readers’ favorite “Ask Mary Q+As” about metabolism and food. (more…)

Posted on November 13, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Exotic Superfruits Provide Energy and Health Benefits

We’ve all heard that superfruits are good for you, but what exactly are superfruits? Superfruits are exotic fruits found around the world that have been known to have the highest concentration of antioxidants and nutrients of any other food or beverage.

“Superfruits are great because they multi-task,” said fit-living expert Laurel House. “Not only do they give you more energy throughout the day, but they are filled with antioxidants that help prevent disease.”

While nutrition experts are always searching for the “next big thing” in the diet and health industry, some of the most popular superfruits are available in most supermarkets, usually in the form of juices and extracts. (more…)

Posted on October 28, 2023 by Maris

Antioxidant Packed Fruits to Add to Your Diet

The human body is made up of over 100 trillion cells, and every hour at least one billion need to be replaced. Most cells are replaced because they are damaged by free radicals, which are atoms that have lost an electron due to metabolism, the immune system, which neutralizes viruses or bacteria, and environmental factors, such as: polution, radiation, smoke, or herbicides.

These free radicals attack normal cells just like the game “Pacman”. Free radicals search out an extra electron, thus damaging the perfectly healthy cells. This where antioxidants come into play. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by donating an electron, which ends the electron “stealing” reaction. They act as scavengers by helping prevent cell and tissue damage that could lead to possible disease.  Antioxidants are stable in either form (with or without electron), so they do not transform into free radicals. They are like your own little cell protectors. (more…)

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Matt

Edy’s New Super Fruit Bars

This new frozen food find will cool you off during this summer’s heat wave.

Gone are the days of additive-laden purple Popsicles that stain your tongue and tank top. Edy’s, the queen of frozen indulgences, has just about perfected the art of transforming the mere Popsicle into a sophisticated treat while still preserving the nostalgic feeling of eating sweetened ice on a stick.

This summer, they unveiled a new line of Super Fruit Bars: Acai Blueberry and Pomegranate flavors. Each flavor contains real fruit from real Super Foods.

Edy’s new Acai Blueberry Fruit Bars are an all-natural, fat-free, frozen fruit bar rich in antioxidants made with real acai berries and blueberries.

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Posted on July 14, 2023 by heather

How to Drop 5 Pounds Fast!

Have you been training hard and can’t seem to drop that last five measly pounds? Are you constantly hungry or starving yourself? Well, it’s time to stop that nonsense. The key to dropping weight is changing your way of life by either adding something or taking it away. By following the five tips below you will not only be successful with weight loss, you will feel better and have more energy.

Minimize Alcohol – Alcohol is one of the main causes of weight problems. Avoiding it will bring dramatic results. Not only will you feel better, you will be more productive with your daily routine. Alcohol has seven calories per gram, and your body processes alcohol first (before fat, carbohydrate, or protein), thus slowing down fat burning.

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Posted on April 22, 2023 by Matt

Thinking of Acai for Weight Loss? Think Again.

So when acai was making the rounds as a super fruit, I needed to find out more. As it turns out, yep, it’s a berry! It is different from some of the other wonderful berries like raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and strawberries because it does not have natural sugars and it is higher in omega-9 fat (which unlike omega-3, it is not essential). As a result, pure acai berry (if you are in Brazil) or the pulp (if you’re at a store that sells it) tastes like dirt. In order to use it, you need to add sugar. So, sure, try the berry if you want, but mix it with other fruits that naturally contain sugar. If your acai is sweet, read the label… I bet there is added sugar. (more…)

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Rebecca

Acai Berry is the Most Absorbed Fruit

Recent research has added another gold medal to the already lauded acai berry. Researchers have shown that this tiny purple Brazilian berry is, to date, the fruit that is better absorbed by the body than any other fruit because of its superior antioxidant content. The data shows that similar to Vitamin C, more is not always better. When consumed in excess, the disease-fighting compounds of the acai berry will be excreted once the body absorbs and uses what it actually needs. Since the acai berry is still a relatively new phenomenon in the U.S., health experts have not yet determined the appropriate acai consumption required to get the most powerful punch of antioxidants.

If you’re wondering if the pulp or juice version of acai is working better for you, don’t worry. According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, both forms have been shown to be absorbed by your body in equal porportions. So go ahead and sip your smoothie or acai juice with gusto, but don’t go overboard.

Posted on December 12, 2023 by heather