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Friday, January 23, 2009

Acai berry diet: a trend with no substance

By Alex Stern

It seems as though every day a new weight loss method is developed. From slimming belts to miracle fruits, nothing is surprising anymore. A decade ago, some of the products and techniques being marketed today would have seemed ridiculous. One of the techniques which would surely be most scrutinized 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.

Those antioxidants which acai berry contains could be very effective at combating oxidative stress on the body. In other words, acai berry could legitimately be used as a type of anti aging supplement. There is some truth to the claims when the berry is marketed in this way.

One aspect of the acai berry diet which is particularly interesting is the idea that one can increase their metabolism and lose weight solely by consuming a fruit. Fruits, no matter which type, all contain fructose which is one of the most fattening of all carbohydrates. It is surprising that so many are unaware of this contradiction.

Acai berries make a good dietary supplement and surely the antioxidants they contain have some anti aging benefits, but there is no truth to the idea they will facilitate weight loss. It would be smart to consume them while exercising regularly and take advantage of their antioxidant properties to slow down the oxidative stress such exercise causes. A healthy diet in combination with regular exercise will always provide the best results for weight loss.

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