by Dr. Mark Wiley

Weight loss supplementation is a billion-dollar industry. Every supplement known to man has come and gone, from laxatives, to metabolic boosters, to fat trappers. Some work and others only drain the wallet. The new kid on the block is Açaí berry, and Oprah and Rachel Ray are its biggest fans.

The açaí “berry” is actually a fruit. But its shape, size and color remind people of grapes. Unlike grapes, however, it doesn’t contain very much pulp. Also, like the pit of a plumb, açaí contains a single large seed. The fruit grows on trees, with approx. 800 units per panicle (which is something like a branch). Açaí are harvested and are a staple food in under-developed regions of the world. In fact, in a 1999 study of three ethnic groups in the Brazilian Amazon, açaí palm was found to be such a major part of their diet, that more than 40% of their meals contained this fruit.

Acai juice, extract, and pulp are consumed today in various blended drinks, smoothies, ice cream, liqueurs, and even in sodas. In the south of Brazil it is consumed in a bowl mixed with granola. In addition to the above-named popular talk show hosts, respected physicians such as Dr. Nicholas Perricone have publicly called it one of Earth’s superfoods.

It’s true that Acai is nutritionally dense, but does taking açaí supplements or enhanced juice beverages actually lead to weight loss? To be honest, the claim doesn’t seem to be true. As of today, there have been no controlled studies carried out to support its weight-loss miracle claim!

In fact, according to ABCNews.com, “Companies used the fact that Oprah and Memhet Oz talked about the acai berries on their shows to create the impression that Oprah and Oz were selling these products — and endorsing them,” said David Schardt, from the Center for Science and Public Interest. The Center for Science and the Public Interest says there is no evidence acai actually helps you lose weight.

However, research has found (to varying degrees) that açaí does contain high levels of antioxidants. It is touted and marketed in the United States as being able to simultaneously decrease appetite, increase energy, remove excess waste from the body, cure constipation, decrease bloating and water retention, relieve muscle cramps, aches and pain, lower cholesterol, reverse diabetes, improve heart and digestive health while cleansing the system. Wow!

So if açaí can’t shed those pounds like the natural miracle berry it’s been hailed to be, at least consuming it can help you remain healthy and strong by virtue of its antioxidant power!