Does Acai Berry Help You Lose Weight and Feel Great?
Acai berries are virtually everywhere today. The big talk show hosts are talking about them. Top doctors and authors are writing about them in their best selling diet books. Even news programs are getting in on the act and having segments about acai berry health benefits on the local news. What you want to know is will this super food help you.
So, does acai berry help you lose weight? The answer is definitely maybe. I know that isn’t real helpful, but stick with me for a minute and I will give you some good information. There are two different things that people refer to as acai berries. You have pure acai berries and acai berry related weight loss supplements.
Let’s start by talking about acai berries and why they are good for you. These berries grow primarily in the rain forests of South America. They are harvested twice a year and have been eaten by the local people for hundreds of years. They are full of antioxidants, dietary fiber, and omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids. The antioxidants can help you feel better and have more energy. The fiber helps keep your digestive system regular and can promote weight loss. Omega fatty acids have been shown to have tons of health benefits (that is why fish is supposed to be so good for you). With all that said, there is no guarantee that acai berries will help you lose weight, but a lot of people think they do.
What most people refer to when talking about acai berries and weight loss is the popular acai berry weight loss supplements on the market. These supplements have some of the benefits of acai berries listed above as well as other weight loss ingredients. Some include hoodia which is an appetite suppressant. Others include green tea which can be a metabolism booster. Some include both, neither, or other ingredients that may help you lose weight. Some people experience great results, some people don’t. As above, there just aren’t any guarantees and you are going to have to try it for yourself to see if it works.
So does acai berry help you lose weight or not? As I said above, the answer is definitely maybe. If you eat a healthy diet, do a little exercise and take a health supplement like acai berries, you should lose weight. If you take a diet pill but continue to eat fast food 3 times a day while watching TV 8 hours a day, you probably won’t lose any weight. A weight loss supplement like acai berries will help you, but you also have to help yourself.
Acai Berry Side Effects and Benefits
There are tons of reported health benefits for consuming acai berry supplements. I want to go over a few quick benefits of this antioxidant food and then share the only negative I have been able to find. There is science behind this article and I do quote the sources so you can verify what I say.
Let’s start by talking about the benefits of antioxidants like those found in acai berries. Antioxidants in our bodies help neutralize free radicals which can damage our cells and cause tons of other problems. Unfortunately, in the process of neutralizing the free radical, the antioxidant is consumed as well. This means that we need to continually replenish our supply of antioxidants.
If you are going to take an antioxidant supplement, doesn’t it make sense to try to find the one that has the highest levels of antioxidants and take that one? According to separate, independent studies, acai berries have been shown to have the highest level of antioxidants and have been shown to be absorbable by people. There is more research that needs to be done since this super-food has only been in the spotlight for the last few years, but initial tests have verified that it can be very beneficial.
The antioxidant boost of acai berry supplements is the main benefit. This should help you have more energy and feel healthier over all. The acai berry is also high in fiber so you should also get the health benefits that go along with having a high fiber diet like regularity and possibly weight loss. If you combine this with a healthy diet and exercise program, you should see really good results when you step on the scale.
As far as acai berry side effects, the main thing I have been able to find is reported cases of loss of appetite. If you are looking for a weight loss supplement, this would make it ideal. If, however, you want to gain weight, this may not be a good thing for you. The biggest thing is to make sure you are aware of this potential so you can be prepared if it happens to you. There could also be an issue of food allergy, but this can be said for virtually any food or supplement so you should always try new things in a controlled way. I verified on WebMD that there aren’t any known side effects except for the possibility of allergy. For me, I can live with these side effects.
The information shared above was primarily gathered from Science Daily website at sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006112053.htm which indicates that the antioxidants in acai are absorbable by humans and the Orac Values website at oracvalues.com/sort/orac-value which indicates the acai berry is surpassed only by 5 spices and grasses which are not really consumable as a dietary supplement.
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