If you haven’t heard of the Acai berry by now, then you haven’t been paying too much attention to the latest in health news. Dubbed as a Superfood from everyone from Dr. Oz to skin guru Dr. Perricone, this tiny purple berry (pronounced like ah-sigh-ee) comes from the Amazon rain forest and packs tons of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids into its small compact package. In fact, the Acai berry has more than ten times the anthocyanins (or antioxidants) of red grapes and more than 10-30 times that in red wine.
Antioxidants are so important because they help to prevent the risk of certain diseases like cardiovascular diseases and degenerative conditions like Alzheimers. In addition, antioxidants help slow down the aging process making our skin look and feel better. Amino acids are vital for muscle growth and the Acai berry’s near perfect combination of essential fatty acids help promote heart health. It also contains fiber, which helps to keep your digestive tract healthy and regular. But because of the popularity of this berry, which tastes like a mixture of chocolate and berries (yum!), supplement manufacturers are producing enough Acaiproducts to feed every living creature in the Amazon rain forest. So, if you’re in the market for a convenient way to get the benefits of Acai without traveling to Brazil, here is a summary of some of the most popular products on the market.
1) MonaVie: MonaVie is part business, part health product. Rather than a capsule supplement, MonaVie is a liquid blend of 19 juices and herbs, with the Acai berry being the primary ingredient. Because of its multi-level business design, you must purchase MonaVie through a licensed distributor. It also comes in gel form.
2) Sambozan Acai: Lauded for using only the pure form of Acai Berry, Sambozan Acai includes a number of signature products that contain Acai. Juices, smoothies, sorbets, and supplement forms are all intended to bring you the benefits of the Acai in a convenient way that suits your lifestyle.
3) Acai Berry Power 500: Another capsule form of the Acai berry that is supposed to flush out excess pounds, reduce water bloat, slim your stomach, reduce water retention and jumpstart any weight loss plan. This specific supplement is one of the more popular Acai supplements on the market.
4) PureAcai: This capsule form of Acai includes a long list of the potential benefits from using this product. From weight loss to reduced water retention and to the regulation of cholesterol levels, it promises a lot! No scientific studies have seen a link between weight loss and the Acai berry, despite many claims made by supplement makers.
5) Acai Berry Boom: This supplement is supposed to contain theenormous health benefits of pure Acai berry. A one-month’s supply costs about $60, but the manufacturer offers scant information making it hard to tell exactly which ingredients are in Acai Berry Boom.
Just remember- some supplements’ “free trial” offers automatically enroll you in their auto-shipment program. Be sure to read the terms before purchasing. Also, make sure you read the “Terms and Conditions” before you hit the “Purchase” button. Also, as with any dietary supplement, if the claims made by the product seem to be a bit too-good-to-be-true, they probably are. Your best bet it to look for products that contain pure Acai berry in either a pulp or freeze-dried form. Capsule forms can also contain the Acai fruit in these pure forms so just make sure you read the product label before making a commitment to buy.
