Acai
The acai fruit has become a very popular fruit beverage with the promise of many health benefits. The list of nutritional properties possessed by acai (pronounced a-sigh-ee) seems to grow regularly. Like other exotic fruits, such as goji or mangosteen, acai is very much a part of the juice industry. Many companies have centered health-geared juices around the touted benefits of acai. What are these benefits, and are they worth the often extra cost?
I am regularly asked in the clinic by patients if they should try this new drink with the funny sounding berry, acai. Typically, a friend has given them a bottle and has suggested that they take it for their given condition. I have been told that dosing may be up to thirty dollars a week, and this is followed by the question, is this worth it? Various companies have rolled out nearly a dozen different juice-based beverages geared as health beverages. Generally, the equation calls for a fruit that comes from a different part of the world and is then sold as a potent antioxidant juice commonly through a multilevel marketing platform. This does not mean that the acai fruit is a bad thing, but what about the acai fruit juice?
Human trials for acai are actually quite limited. There has been one study on twelve healthy individuals, with the conclusion that acai has the ability to work as an antioxidant and possible anti-inflammatory [1,2]. This basically summarizes the human research available. There is further research on acai, including human blood samples, but not in living humans. Acai may be able to act like an antioxidant. Antioxidants like vitamin C and E scavenge the body looking to put out any small “fires” or tissue injury that may turn in chronic illness. Multiple studies document this antioxidant effect with acai [3,4]. One study showed that acai limited leukemia cell growth [5]. This was not a study of patients with leukemia, but of leukemia cells in the lab. It should be noted that research also demonstrated a tropical illness called Chagas’ disease was thought to be transmitted through the acai fruit [6,7]. Chagas’ disease is typically transmitted by insects in South or Central America. Its symptoms include fever and malaise, and may evolve into abdominal pain, digestive issues and irregular heart rhythms. This problem is probably eliminated through pasteurization of the acai juice, but this may also waste some of the antioxidant benefit.
Another study suggested that pomegranate is actually the best of the best as far as antioxidant properties among the fruit juices. Red wine, Concord grape juice, blueberry juice and black cherry juice were also all ahead of acai juice [8]. Pomegranate has more human studies to support its use, but this study did appear to have some funding from a pomegranate company. Nonetheless, many other juices came ahead of acai besides pomegranate. Blueberries are a known powerhouse of nutrients and are no surprise a part of this list. The grape skins house many nutrients like resveratrol, which is another nutrient that is being seen as a powerful nutrient to the body. Blueberries and grapes lack the exotic flare of acai but still pack the powerful vitamin punch.
The question remains for many consumers, whether or not to try acai berry juice. A fair answer would be that human studies looking at basically any disease with acai are really nonexistent or very small. Acai does have antioxidant and potential anti-inflammatory properties. If one feels better drinking the juice and the benefits outweigh the cost of the product, I would certainly not stop them from doing so. But for those wanting to know all of their options, pomegranate juice at five dollars a bottle holds a lot of promise with its antioxidant benefits. Perhaps just as good, if not better, are a large handful of blueberries and pomegranates each day to provide a solid source of antioxidants with proven benefits for body and little damage to wallet.
References:
1. Jensen GS, Wu X, et al, In Vitro and in Vivo Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Capacities of an Antioxidant-Rich Fruit and Berry Juice Blend. Results of a Pilot and Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study. J Agric Food Chem, 2008; 24(56): 8326-33.
2. Honzel D, et al. Comparison of chemical and cell-based antioxidant methods for evaluation of foods and natural products: generating multifaceted data by parallel testing using erythrocytes and polymorphonuclear cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Sep 24;56(18):8319-25.
3. Mertens-Talcott SU, et al. Pharmacokinetics of anthocyanins and antioxidant effects after the consumption of anthocyanin-rich acai juice and pulp (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) in human healthy volunteers. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Sep 10;56(17):7796-802.
4. Schauss AG, et al. Antioxidant capacity and other bioactivities of the freeze-dried Amazonian palm berry, Euterpe oleraceae mart. (acai). J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Nov 1;54(22):8604-10.
5. Del Pozo-Insfran D, et al. Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) polyphenolics in their glycoside and aglycone forms induce apoptosis of HL-60 leukemia cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Feb 22;54(4):1222-9.
6. Pereira KS, et al. Chagas' disease as a foodborne illness. J Food Prot. 2009 Feb;72(2):441-6.
7. Nobrega AA, et al. Oral transmission of Chagas disease by consumption of açaí palm fruit, Brazil. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 Apr;15(4):653-5.
8. Navindra P, et al. Comparison of Antioxidant Potency of Commonly Consumed Polyphenol Rich Beverages in the United States. J Agri Food Chem. 2008, 56 (4), pp 1415-1422.
