Acai Side Effects to Look For
The Reality of Acai Berry Weight Loss Pills and Products
Do you know what the possible acai side effects are? Many acai fruit drink and pill products contain unhealthy ingredients and less antioxidants even than regular fruit.
Acai products and the berries in general have come under a lot of scrutiny by potential buyers who wonder whether or not these products are safe and effective.
When dietary supplements from a newly discovered plant, often one that has been a huge native secret holed up in a desert or rainforest somewhere, suddenty appears on the scene, people get extremely excited. And then, they worry about side effects.
Courtesy of Marilane Borges
This was a common phenomenon when researchers discovered the Kalahari desert plant Hoodia Gordonii, a cactus that produces a natural appetite suppressant and has helped tens of thousands of people lose weight since its discovery.
Acai Berry Information
Now with powerful antioxidant fruits having been found in the Brazilian rainforests, manufacturers and consumers alike have jumped on the bandwagon.
Many people, often those who are on medications, have to be careful of side effects. This is especially true when mixing any new dietary supplement with medications.
So what are the acai side effects you should be aware of?
There are two answers here. One deals with straight up acai berry juice or fruit, and the other with processed and manufactured acai berry products. Let's look at the first.
The acai berry, much like an apple or a banana, is just a simple fruit. It is very unlikely to hurt you and only provides good things to your body. You wouldn't ask if eating an orange has side effects, would you? Of course not. There are no worries here about eating the pure fruit or juice.
Lets
Manufacturers' dietary supplements and weight loss aides are another matter. More often than not, companies mix the primary ingredient with a whole slew of other chemicals and extracts.
Guarana, for example, is a prime candidate for weight loss pills in conjunction with acai.
Like the acai berry plant, Guarana is natural and comes from the rainforest region. However, it also has significant amounts of caffeine, which explains why it can be found in almost every energy drink imagineable.
Products with Acai Side Effects and Chemical Fillers
If you are worried about acai side effects, you're best bet is to steer clear of anything that is not 100% pure acai berry product. Weight loss pills and supplements almost always contain loads of other chemicals, so read the label and only buy from a reputable company.
Another thing to keep in mind is the potency of the fruit. When natural foods are processed, they lose a lot of their vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
In fact, a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry by Navindra P. Seeram has shown that processed acai pills and tablets have about the same antioxidant level as that of a cranberry, and even less than a blueberry.
In that particular study, fresh pomegranate juice outweighed the antioxidant levels of the average acai juice blend.
One can conclude from this study that perhaps the acai berry does contain more antioxidants than other fruits and berries, but the processed and packaged forms available are sub par.
On the other hand, there is research to show that dried acai pulp may still be quite beneficial to one's health.
A study published in Nutrition by Oliveira de Souza showed that rats that were fed acai pulp received more antioxidants into their livers and had reduced cholesterol in the blood.
Courtesy of Terri, Boston MA
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