You may have recently heard about acai berry, the fruit of the Brazilian acai palm. Since it has been so heavily marketed as a diet product, many individuals are wondering if supplementation involves the same risk of a regular diet supplement such as ephedrine or a pharmaceutical. Perhaps this thinking is due to the extract form it often comes in. Often times people must assume that eating the extract of a berry somehow makes it more conducive to side effects.
Have you ever heard of someone having a negative reaction to a blueberry? Probably not. Considering that an acai berry is not too different from a blueberry, you most likely do not need to worry about any side effects. Similarly, no study has ever proven that acai berry causes side effects in non-allergic individuals. Even if the extract form of acai you're taking is more potent than a puree or the whole berry, you should only experience positive effects.
If you are currently taking a statin drug, you may be wondering if acai berries could interact with it. The answer is probably not. While no studies have proven that acai berries interact with any specific pharmaceutical, anything is certainly possible. Although it possible, it is highly unlikely since the only fruit known to cause interactions with a wide array of drugs is grapefruit. Acai berry does not contain the substances which make grapefruit interact with certain drugs.
You will find the potential benefits outweigh the risk of any unlikely side effects. The acai berry contains the highest levels of antioxidants found in almost any fruit. The most common purple variety contains the highest concentration while the white variety contains the lowest. It is unlikely that you will find the white variety in North America however. Acai berries contain more free radical-scavenging antioxidants than either cranberries or black cherries.
A recent study has shown that acai berries may actually be able to decrease inflammation.[1] During the study it was determined that acai berry is a potential COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitor. COX-1 and COX-2 are the enzymes responsible for pain and inflammation. This should be welcome news to anyone who suffers from the pain caused by inflammation. Inflammation is the cause of a number of conditions, so even if you're not currently affected by it, supplementing with acai may be good for prevention if acai is indeed a COX inhibitor.
Acai berry has recently been marketed as a weight loss and diet supplement, so it would be natural to assume it may have potential side effects. No scientific studies have found that supplementation with acai berry causes any side effects in people who are not allergic. You may not enjoy the flavor of the acai berry, which could be a side effect, but that is also highly unlikely since acai is quite delicious.
Reference:
1. Schauss A, Xianli W, Prior R, Ou B, Huang D, Owens J, Agarwal A, Jensen G, Hart A, Shanbrom E. 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. PMID: 17061840
Have you ever heard of someone having a negative reaction to a blueberry? Probably not. Considering that an acai berry is not too different from a blueberry, you most likely do not need to worry about any side effects. Similarly, no study has ever proven that acai berry causes side effects in non-allergic individuals. Even if the extract form of acai you're taking is more potent than a puree or the whole berry, you should only experience positive effects.
If you are currently taking a statin drug, you may be wondering if acai berries could interact with it. The answer is probably not. While no studies have proven that acai berries interact with any specific pharmaceutical, anything is certainly possible. Although it possible, it is highly unlikely since the only fruit known to cause interactions with a wide array of drugs is grapefruit. Acai berry does not contain the substances which make grapefruit interact with certain drugs.
You will find the potential benefits outweigh the risk of any unlikely side effects. The acai berry contains the highest levels of antioxidants found in almost any fruit. The most common purple variety contains the highest concentration while the white variety contains the lowest. It is unlikely that you will find the white variety in North America however. Acai berries contain more free radical-scavenging antioxidants than either cranberries or black cherries.
A recent study has shown that acai berries may actually be able to decrease inflammation.[1] During the study it was determined that acai berry is a potential COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitor. COX-1 and COX-2 are the enzymes responsible for pain and inflammation. This should be welcome news to anyone who suffers from the pain caused by inflammation. Inflammation is the cause of a number of conditions, so even if you're not currently affected by it, supplementing with acai may be good for prevention if acai is indeed a COX inhibitor.
Acai berry has recently been marketed as a weight loss and diet supplement, so it would be natural to assume it may have potential side effects. No scientific studies have found that supplementation with acai berry causes any side effects in people who are not allergic. You may not enjoy the flavor of the acai berry, which could be a side effect, but that is also highly unlikely since acai is quite delicious.
Reference:
1. Schauss A, Xianli W, Prior R, Ou B, Huang D, Owens J, Agarwal A, Jensen G, Hart A, Shanbrom E. 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. PMID: 17061840
About the Author:
Mark Goodman is an acai berry lover and nutrition expert who has written several articles on the subject. Contact Mark if you need any more information about acai berry side effects.
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