What's the Deal with Acai?

Question: I know Acai Juice is a new flavor trend, but I'm now seeing it marketed as a health food and for weight loss. So, I'm wondering.... is it just a trend or does it have real benefits?

Answer: Both. Yes, acai, often used in various juice blends, smoothies, sodas and other beverages, is definitely trendy. However, it has also been dubbed a "superfood" because of it's antioxidant and flavonoid properties. Antioxidants may help prevent diseases caused by oxidative stress such as heart disease and cancer. However, while it has been proven that acai contains antioxidant properties and has been named as a superfood (a food that confers a health benefit), it's important to note that LOTS of foods (such as concord grapes and grape juice, pomegranates, cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and others) also contain antioxidants, so this does not make acai unique. Furthermore, according to an article published earlier this year (Feb. 2008 J Agric Food Chem), it was found that that acai juice may in fact have less antioxidants than concord grapes or pomegranates. Admittedly, it can be challenging making the comparison since acai comes in many different forms (juice mixes, freeze-dried powder, etc.) Furthermore, while it has been dubbed a "superfood," there isn't a legal definition of the word "superfood" so it may be abused as a marketing tool.

Bottom line: Acai DOES have health benefits, but so far it has not been shown that these health benefits are any different or greater than that of similar berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries).