This summer when I was at the beach, I saw a little shop on the boardwalk advertising acai. Since I heard so many of my friends say such good things about it, I was curious to try it. The way the store made it for me was blending the acai with honey and strawberries into a thick, smoothie like substance. They then put bananas, raspberries, granola, and raspberries on it. It was absolutely delicious. I went back every day for the rest of vacation. I couldn’t believe what I was eating. It tasted like frozen yogurt and satisfied by sweet tooth, yet it was healthy for me?! Not only was it healthy, but my friends were telling me that it would actually help me lose weight. No wonder why people were calling it the “miracle fruit”. Since this sounded too good to be true, I decided to do a little research on it. Is acai a super food? A super food is defined as “mostly plant-based food, but also some fish and dairy, thought to be nutritionally dense and thus good for one’s health. Some other foods dubbed this are salmon, kale, and blueberries. The results were not as clear cut.

What is acai?

Before I move on, many people are probably wondering what exactly this “acai” thing is. Acai is a purple berry that tastes like a mixture of wild berries and chocolate. It is found in the Amazon River basin in Brazil in clusters at the top of skinny palm trees. It contains lots of anthocyanin, which is an antioxidant that could possibly prevent cancer, inflammation, diabetes, aging, and many other things. The high level of antioxidants is comparable to cranberries. It is low in sugar and has high amounts of iron, calcium, fiber, and Vitamin A. Natives in the Amazon used acai for many different treatments, such as parasitic infections, hemorrhages, and ulcers. Now in popular culture in developed countries, acai is used as natural food coloring, cosmetics, anti-aging skin creams, shampoos, and food loss supplements. What made it really rise in popularity was the promise that it helps with significant weight loss. This all seemed promising.

So what’s the problem?

At first, I whole-heartedly agreed with the notion that it’s a super food. A lot of my initial research seemed to point to that. However, it quickly became evident that the problem with acai is not the fruit itself, but the media attention around it. The craze around acai started when Oprah Winfrey hosted Dr. Mehmet Oz, a heart surgeon from Columbia University. Once they promoted it on air, acai exploded in the United States. All of a sudden it became a cure for weight less, sexual dysfunction, and long life. The biggest aspect marketers promoted about acai is that it helps people lose weight. Manufactures tout it as the main product in “miracle diet pills” because it boosts your energy and lowers your cholesterol. There are absolutely no studies to prove this. In fact, in January of 2009 the Better Business Bureau warned consumers about customers about drugs claiming to use acai as their main weight loss ingredient. Since it is extremely hard to keep acai fresh during its transport from Brazil, people in America almost never eat the fresh form. It is mainly grounded up in a liquid and then added into things, like the acai bowl I mentioned earlier. Most acai products sold have lots of added sugars to it that negate the nutritional value. Some companies are completely deceiving people, like BORBA’s Age Defying Advanced Recovery Cream. It advertises acai, but it is missing from the ingredients list. The case for acai isn’t looking as clear cut.

So what does this mean?

There is nothing wrong with acai itself. It is a very good fruit rich in antioxidants and does have many health benefits. With a balanced diet, it can be part of a weight loss plan. Realistically though, acai is just another fruit. The problem is how manufacturers sell it. They advertise it has a miracle weight loss solution, so when this doesn’t happen people understandably get disappointed. Steve Talcolt, a biochemist and Susan Talcot, a food chemist, have done extensive research on acai. Steve Talcott explained, “There is some really unique chemistry to the fruit. But it’s not a drug. It’s not a miracle, cure-all fruit.” So how did this perception happen? I think we can relate it back to the concept we learned in class: what happens when we don’t use the scientific method. Dr. Benjamin Spock meant well when he told parents to put their kids on their stomach, but this led to tens of thousands of cribs deaths. Since he was a well-known expert, the theory flew and quickly got adapted in popular culture. He just didn’t go through with the scientific method to actually test this. Obviously a fruit is nowhere as serious, but it is the same concept. Someone assumed that acai helped with weight loss and after the approval of Oprah and other doctors, it exploded. Once something like this gets out, it is vary hard to dispel it. Verdict: Go ahead and eat as much acai as you want. It is delicious, healthy, and does help your body fight many things. Just don’t expect to lose weight just by eating it and be very cautious of the products you buy advertising it.