The Truth about Açaí Products

Açaí is all the rage. From Dr. Perricone to Oprah, it seems that every celebrity is suddenly endorsing this new "miracle" food.

But does açaí really work? And if so, which açaí product is best for your health?

The Problem with Açaí

Açaí comes from the Açaí Palm which grows in the Amazon rainforest. It is known to possess a high content of antioxidants and beneficial fatty acids. In fact it is one of the most nutritionally dense foods in the world.

However, because of its chemical make-up (from which come its beneficial nutrients and antioxidants) the açaí berry degrades quickly after harvesting. Only the inhabitants of the Amazon rainforest have access to açaí in its natural form. Until recently, the rest of the world only had access to the less-potent, freeze-dried (powdered) form of the berry.

But the powdered form of açaí is unlikely to provide anything like the benefits of the whole berry. When three powdered mixes containing açaí were compared against a variety of other antioxidants, "the average antioxidant capacity was ranked lower than that of the antioxidant enhanced pomegranate juice, Concord grape juice, blueberry juice, and red wine. The average was roughly equivalent to that of black cherry or cranberry juice."¹

That doesn't sound too "miraculous", does it?

The Process is the Problem

The problem isn't the açaí berry. It's the processing. Açaí contains dense contents of polyphenols such as procyanidin oligmers and vanillic acid, syringic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid, and ferulic acid which have been shown to degrade significantly during storage or exposure to heat.

Producing a powder isn't a gentle process. Many of the beneficial properties are lost when açaí is powdered.

There is another potential processing problem. The açaí fruit is 80% seed, which is not typically consumed by the indigenous people. While the seed does have some beneficial properties, it is not nearly as nutritionally dense as the pulp and the skin. However, powdered açaí can claim to be the "whole fruit" and still contain 80% or more seed content! This greatly reduces the beneficial effect of the powder compared to a pure fruit puree.

To sum it up, there are two processes that can dramatically lower the effectiveness of an açaí product: freeze-drying, and including the seed in the product.

Not All Açaí Products Are Created Equal

There are a few products that do use pure açaí in its natural form. But even among those products, there remain several hidden pitfalls that consumers should be aware of:

Products that have far too much sugar (high glycemic index) because they contain sugary fruit "fillers" like banana, pear, and grape juice
Products that include chemical preservatives
Products that include stimulants like guarana and caffiene
Products that include intestinal irritants that can cause diarrhea (laxatives)
Products that just taste bad

Filler Fruit Sugars: Look out for products that contain bananas, grapes, or pears: these juices have a high glycemic index, leading to releases of insulin and an energy rush, followed by an energy crash. Just like eating candy. Bananas, pears, and grapes are really just empty sugary fillers that are cheap to add and taste great, but which may negate the health benefits of the açaí we're trying to consume. Instead, the product should be blended with other low-glycemic superfood fruits (like goji berry, cupuacu, and camu-camu) that augment the benefits of the açaí berry juice.

Preservatives: Not only are preservatives undesirable from a consumer's point of view, they may mask an underlying problem with the product. The beneficial chemicals in açaí juice will break down during a long shelf life. So while preservatives may keep the product from growing mold or becoming rancid, they don't ensure that the antioxidants are preserved. The best way to ensure a healthy beverage is by reducing the cycle time from rainforest to your refrigerator.

Stimulants: Anything that includes a stimulant is likely to make you "feel better", but that's a false euphoria that quickly wears off. Instead look for a healthy product that makes you feel better from the inside out, and stick to energy drinks or green tea for stimulants.

Laxatives: Some products include ingredients like cascara sagrada, which is an extremely harsh and addictive laxative that irritates the bowels, producing diarrhea. Yes, that's correct: there are laxatives in these beverages. Of course, this will result in what appears to be weight loss, leading to outrageous claims on product testimonials. If you want to lose weight like that, you might as well get dysentery or eat a tapeworm. It isn't healthy, and the advertising claims by such products are untrustworthy.

Taste: Açaí in its natural form is an exotic-tasting fruit that is slightly sweet with a hint of chocolate and red wine. Açaí should be palatable - if it isn't, there might be something wrong with it. In fact, bad tasting açaí may indicate that it contains powdered seed.

Selecting an Açaí Product

Here's what to look for when selecting an açaí product:

Made from freshly-picked Amazon açaí berries
Includes the skin and pulp of the berry, but not its seeds
Blended with no preservatives
Includes no laxatives or bowel irritants
Includes no empty fillers
Has a low glycemic index
Offers a delicious, natural taste

We know of only one product that meets all of these criteria. That product is VaNu.

Click here to learn more about VaNu >>

¹ Wikipedia, Açaí Palm