Monday, January 19, 2009

Acai berries as an effective weight loss supplement?

By Alex Stern

Many things in this world are short in supply, but one thing is for sure " there will never be a shortage of dieting methods and weight loss techniques. A large percentage of the techniques known today were unheard of ten years ago and the same will be true ten years from now. One of the weight loss methods sure to be forgotten is the acai berry diet.

The acai berry is the fruit of the Brazilian palm tree. Its properties are really quite similar to other berries such as blueberries and blackberries. There reason many fall for the claims made by the marketers is that Oprah mentioned the health benefits of the berries on her show near the end of 2008. After that, people began searching wildly for acai berry products in the hope that consuming them would facilitate weight loss. All the while the fact remains there is not much truth to all of this.

The reality is that acai berries are very high in antioxidants which do have anti aging properties and may actually be beneficial in that regard. Most of the acai berry supplements sold come in the form of an extract. To get the maximum benefits from the acai berry, the whole fruit must be consumed fresh or frozen. It is just not possible to receive the full nutritional value of a fruit after it has been processed in such a way. Acai juice also retains more nutrients than a dried extract.

When consumed as a whole fruit acai berry makes a great snack. In Brazil it is commonly consumed in puree form, as part of a mix of berries and fruits or blended. Acai juice is also common. Both the fruit and the juice contain more beneficial properties than the extract form it is commonly sold as in North America.

The acai berry can be a great addition to anyones diet, but in regards to weight loss, mere consumption of them is wholly ineffective. As with anything its best to do independent research rather than follow the crowd lest you be misled. Researching the effectiveness of a diet or weight loss plan is especially important considering your time and health is at stake.

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