Acai Berry weight loss sites are the latest internet craze. Some of you might be looking for diet programs for a 2010 New Years Resolution so I really concerned some of you might get caught up in the the hype surrounding Acai Berry products. You may be familiar with the Acai fruit when it was featured on Oprah with Dr Oz or with Rachel Ray. It's also been talked about on The Today Show, The CBS Early Show, in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Below we examine what to look for when buying Acai Berry supplements.
Is the Acai Berry effective for weight loss?
What is the Acai Berry?
It's harvested from the Amazon Rain Forest and looks almost like a blueberry but actually tastes like a mix of berries and chocolate. Acai Berry comes in many forms including the whole berry, juices, powders, pills, food items and more. The Acai berry itself is not a hoax. There's no question about it's high nutritional value. It has similar health benefits to other berries. Studies have shown that Acai is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids. The only problem with fresh Acai berry is that it is highly perishable. The good news is that Acai berries can be freeze dried and turned into a powder which has all the health benefits of the fresh Acai berry. The bad news is that the majority of Acai powders being sold today aren't even legitimate or have very low antioxidant effects or nutrients. What it does not do is help you lose weight without diet and exercise.
Acai Berry Weight Loss Scams to Avoid
- I hate to use the word "scam" but that's really what some of these Acai Berry sites are. Stay away from sites that claim that their Acai Berry weight loss supplement will help you lose a certain number of pounds a day. No company can honestly promise these things. Acai Berries don't hold a "magic key" that will help you lose weight, but it will help make your body healthier. To a certain extent a healthy, well-balanced body may help you lose more weight. Changing the way your body looks takes time and effort. Supplements can help you get better results, but they won't work on their own.
- Beware of sites that offer you a “free trial". They aren't really free. You'll at least have to pay the shipping and handling and often there are many secondary charges. Make sure you read the fine print on the site. If it mentions anything about recurring billing or a free trial, I would avoid it. It more than likely will be a recurring monthly fee and you'll be billed if you don't cancel with 14 days. It get's worse on other sites. You put in an order for a free trial and you try to cancel the monthly billing and they still keep billing you every month! Other companies phone numbers are disconnected and they keep billing you. I would avoid these sites all together because you don't know if the company is legit or not.
- Look for an Acai Product that is backed by a Consumer Bill of Rights. You want to know in writing, exactly what you are getting and what you are going to be charged.
- Look for contact information and call the company and ask questions. You have the right to know what you are putting into your body.
- Make sure you only buy 100% Organic Freeze Dried Acai or Acai product from a reputable health food store. I enjoy the Acai juice from my local health food store but it's $60 a bottle and I know and trust the owner of this store. Other forms of Acai may not have the same nutritional punch.
- Acai Berry Weight Loss companies that claim that their product is endorsed by Oprah, Dr Oz or Rachel Ray. They have all talked highly of the health benefits of the natural fruit itself, NOT the Acai Berry products that these companies are trying to sell. In fact, Oprah and Dr Oz have 40 trademark infringement suits against internet marketers of Acai berry products. I like drinking Acai Berry juice for the overall health benefits as opposed to using it just for weight loss. Here is a actual link from the MSNBC.com site for that segment on the Today Show's Acai Berry benefits. By the way, there are many companies using a Today Show video to promote their own Acai Berry product. Just be careful!
Acai Berry for weight loss is not proven by any scientific evidence, explains Christine Marquette, a registered and licensed dietitian.
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