acai berry

[kitkatz]

Anybody know anything about this berry? Good or bad for dialysis patients?

[okarol]

It is advertised a lot lately as a wonder substance, usually in powder form, or as joice, for nutritional value and antioxidants. But here's something from Wikipedia:

When three commercially available juice mixes containing unspecified percentages of açaí juice were compared for in vitro antioxidant capacity against red wine, tea, six types of pure fruit juice, and pomegranate juice (provided by Pom Wonderful, the sponsor of the study), the average antioxidant capacity was ranked lower than that of pomegranate juice, Concord grape juice, blueberry juice, and red wine. The average was roughly equivalent to that of black cherry or cranberry juice, and was higher than that of orange juice, apple juice, and tea.[11]
Studies have demonstrated that blood antioxidant capacity increases within two hours of consuming a commercial açaí juice.[12]

[paul.karen]

Just read a long article on this super berry.
have you heard of it?
I quess it has been on all the major news stations and talk shows.
It seems to be the superberry to rid people of many skin ailments, medical problems, and so on.

Just curious if you know about it?  Or better yet take it.
Also suppose to be an all natural weight loss solution that as well gives energy to those who take it.
Wonder if it is good or bad for kidneys??

Topic Merged - okarol/admin

[paul.karen]

:-)
Thx Okarol 

[monrein]

"How much potassium is in Mona Vie Original and Mona Vie Active?
For customers concerned about potassium levels for reasons relating to dialysis, please consult a physician before taking Mona Vie products. The potassium level in Mona Vie Original and Mona Vie Active is approximately 62–66 mg/oz. Mona Vie Original and Mona Vie Active contain no potassium additives, grapefruit, or cantaloupe."

http://acai-wellness.com/



My main worry would be the potassium.  I tried to find the info for straight acai juice but all I could find was this, from a site selling Mona Vie which is a blend of juices.  I prefer to eat the whole fruit rather than juices because of the fluid and also because I want the fibre.  I'd ask a renal dietician before starting to take much of it.

[paul.karen]

What is the Acai Berry?
What Is The Acai Berry And What Does It Offer?The acai berry has been gaining popularity over the past several years. Once whispered amongst those lucky enough to have experienced the affects of consuming this mysterious fruit, the acai berry has enjoyed a mounting wave of interest that has slowly penetrated our popular culture. As we become more aware of our health and its importance along with the ever-rising cost of health care, many people have begun actively searching for effective alternatives.

Some have turned to the acai berry, hearing stories from those around them of its positive impact on their health. But, what is the acai berry? Where does it come from? Most importantly, what can the acai berry do for those of us who want to live long, healthy, fulfilling lives? Let’s look briefly at each of these questions.

Where Does The Acai Berry Come From?

To understand fully what the acai berry offers, it’s important to know from where it came. The berry was discovered years ago in the Amazon rainforests in the northern area of Brazil. Since that time, explorers have also found the berry growing in Panama, Trinidad, Ecuador and in French Guyana. The acai berry is smaller in size than a grape and is produced in clusters by the Acai palm trees called Euterpe oleracea. It was many years after the initial finding of the acai berry that we discovered the ingredients held within.

What Ingredients Are Contained In The Acai Berry?

Reseach has shown that the acai berry contains a massive amount of antioxidants as well as Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Acai has also proven to be one of the richest natural sources of anthocyanins. The berry is packed with several other ingredients including fiber, protein, vitamins B, C and E, potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron. The berry is also a natural source of high amounts of amino acids including praline, tryptophan, theorine and lysine. These ingredients work together to provide a powerful health boost to those who consume the berry.

What Are The Benefits Of Acai?

Once the ingredients contained within the acai berry were revealed, nutritional experts began to wonder about the health benefits the fruit could offer. They began experimenting, using the fruit as a supplement to other vitamins. In the years since, we’ve discovered that acai provides an enormous boost of stamina and energy. The fiber in the fruit aids our digestive processes while the vitamins improve our immune system. The acai berry also has phytosterols which have been known to help our cardiovascular systems function properly. The richness of ingredients within acai offers benefits far beyond those mentioned above. But, in the relatively short time we have known about the fruit, it has already yielded astonishing results.

Should You Use Acai?

In the end, the only question that matters is whether you should use acai to take advantage of the health benefits it offers. Most people have grown accustomed to relying on doctors and the medications they prescribe to remain healthy. It’s a custom that has grown from decades of indoctrination. It may be time to seek alternative measures. Some will be open to the idea of using acai and they’ll reap the health benefits. Others will choose to avoid it. If your health is important to you, take the time to explore what acai can offer you.

Acai Information
What is the Acai Berry?
Acai Health Benefits
* Acai and Weight Loss
* What are Antioxidants?
* What are Anthocyanins?
* Acai and Healthy Fat
* Acai and Cancer
* Acai Sleep Benefits
10 Reasons For Acai
Acai Berry News
Acai Berry History

[monrein]

The issue for ESRD patients is that our bodies aren't capable of excreting excess vitamins or electrolytes like potassium, magnesium or even the B vitamins  that build up and can cause us problems.  In the same way that whole grains and seeds are good for the average person but bad for us due to our inability to deal with phosphorus, we need to be very cautious around foods and supplements. 

I also find that most of the information on Acai or Noni, comes from people selling (read hyping) the stuff and so I find it difficult to evaluate since sales pitches usually sound great. 

[paul.karen]

Yes all that, and if it sounds to good to be true.
And the sites i found did all seem to sell the juice or pill forms. 

[nursewratchet]

I just started taking it.  It's supposed to help with sleep\wake cycles, among other things.  I asked our dietician to look at it, as we have had several pts. ask about it.  He gave it the renal blessing, so we do have some patients taking it.  He could find no renal  "nono's" in it. 

[G-Ma]

My son and a friend tried it and put their BP through the roof, we thought Ron was having a heart attack so he stopped it right there.
Ann

[nursewratchet]

Good to know.  I haven't heard of any BP problems.  My BP is ALWAYS low (100's/50's), so not an issue for me.  I'll ask around with the patients. 

[Restorer]

It's been a while since I've looked at acai, but as I recall, the traditional preparation involves mixing acai pulp with considerable amounts of guarana, and I believe up until recently, this was the only way acai was exported. Guarana contains a good amount of caffeine.

[Zach]

I think anything like these products should be taken with caution (and skepticism) by people on dialysis.

[Wallyz]

But if you take the Acai juice while wearing the anti toxin footpads, you can use magents to align the molecules to that your kidneys start working again.

[G-Ma]

Oh Thanks Wally..let me just run right out and buy some...got to align those molecules and any other little things....    

[monrein]

But if you take the Acai juice while wearing the anti toxin footpads, you can use magents to align the molecules to that your kidneys start working again.

[Romona]

But if you take the Acai juice while wearing the anti toxin footpads, you can use magents to align the molecules to that your kidneys start working again.

Is that before or after you work out on the total gym?

[kitkatz]

But if you take the Acai juice while wearing the anti toxin footpads, you can use magents to align the molecules to that your kidneys start working again.

Is that before or after you work out on the total gym?

 
After of course that way you can get all of the toxins exercising brings into the blood stream.   

[Zach]

Pressing Açaí for Answers

By ABBY ELLIN
New York Times

IT’S hard to ignore the hype over açaí, the purple berry that dangles from 60-foot trees in the Brazilian rain forest and has found its way into “detox” beverages and anti-aging creams. Just browse through your e-mail messages or advertisements on Facebook and you’ll get the gist of the claims: “Lose weight with Oprah’s favorite diet secret!” “Eat the berry that Dr. Oz calls the ‘No. 1’ superfood!”

Fifty-three new food and drink products containing açaí (pronounced ah-cye-EE) were introduced in the United States in 2008, up from four in 2004. Sales of products with açaí as the main ingredient exceeded $106 million in the year ending Jan. 24, according to Spins, a market researcher specializing in natural products.

Naked (which is owned by Pepsi) and 180 Blue (Anheuser-Busch) offer açaí beverages. Dr. Nicholas Perricone, the celebrity dermatologist, sells an açaí supplement, and the cosmetics maker Fresh has a Sugar Açaí Age-Delay Body Cream for $65.

The virtues of an açaí-based beverage from a company called MonaVie have been extolled by the media mogul Sumner Redstone, who told Fortune magazine in 2007 that he hoped the juice, at about $40 a bottle, would help him live another 50 years. (He’s now 85.)

Despite the attention, there is little to back up the extravagant claims made on behalf of açaí. While the berry does contain antioxidants — molecules that can slow damage caused by the oxidation of other substances in the body — there are no long-term studies proving that açaí removes wrinkles or, as the various detoxification products claim, cleanses the body of toxins. Nor is there evidence to support dieters’ hopes for a magic fruit.

“There is currently no scientific research to support a weight loss claim for açai fruit,” said Stephen T. Talcott, associate professor of food chemistry at Texas A&M University, who has published several studies on the berry. “Some companies are capitalizing on the fact that the açai berry is still mostly unknown to the broader public, and is sold as a miracle curative fruit from the deep, dark Amazonian jungle. It is doing nothing more than playing on consumer ignorance.”

While most of the companies are careful about how they market their products, others are employing questionable means. Oprah Winfrey, who has information on her Web site about açaí attributed to Dr. Perricone and Dr. Mehmet Oz, is so concerned that her name has been misused to promote products across the Internet that a disclaimer was added to her Web site last month: “Consumers should be aware that Oprah Winfrey is not associated with nor does she endorse any açaí berry product or online solicitation of such products.”

Consumers apparently misled by the use of Ms. Winfrey’s name complained to her representatives, who handed them off to the Attorney General of Illinois, Lisa Madigan. A spokeswoman for Ms. Madigan said the office is looking into whether any companies have engaged in deceptive marketing.

The Web site of Rachael Ray, whose name also pops up on Internet advertisements, includes this disclaimer: “The use of her name or photo in connection with these solicitations is unauthorized.”

And Dr. Perricone said his lawyer is looking into claims made by companies using his image to market products he does not endorse. “I certainly think açaí, the fruit, has great health benefits,” he said in an interview. “I would call it a superfood, but I’ve always spoken generically.”

Many customers are also annoyed. According to Alison Southwick, a spokeswoman for the Council of Better Business Bureaus in Arlington, Va., said it has received more than 2,000 complaints from consumers who thought they were signing up for a free trial of açai weight loss products; in the end, the free trial cost them, month after month. In January, the bureau issued a warning telling consumers to be wary of online ads relying on celebrity endorsements of açaí-related weight loss products. FX Supplements.com, a business in Arlington, Tex., that sells things like Açaí Berry Maxx, and Central Coast Nutraceuticals, which is in Phoenix, are two of those companies. Both offer what they call risk-free trials of their products. But if consumers don’t cancel within the trial period, they receive additional bottles every month and are billed as much as $85.90. This reporter tried three times to contact both companies and was unsuccessful.

In December, Jamie Nelson, of Wylie, Tex., filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau of Utah against a company there that was promoting what it called a free trial of açaí weight-loss products online. Ms. Nelson said the supplement did not help her lose weight and that she was charged after she had canceled her order.

“They have a third-party company handling their ‘customer service calls’ so they do not have to answer to anyone,” she said. After the Better Business Bureau intervened, the company eventually refunded $78, half of what she said she was owed.

Açaí was little known in the United States until 2001. Two Americans, Ryan Black and Ed Nichols, learned about the berry while traveling in Brazil. They recruited Ryan’s brother, Jeremy, mixed açaí pulp and guarana syrup into a juice, bottled it and called their new company Sambazon. Today they offer 20 products, including juices, energy drinks and supplements that are sold in about 15,000 stores across the United States.

MonaVie, another successful açaí venture, sells a juice through distributors that contains açaí and “18 other body-beneficial fruits.”

“Four ounces of MonaVie feature an antioxidant capacity equivalent to 13 servings of common fruits and vegetables,” the marketing materials claim.

They do not mention, however, that the company has received more than three dozen complaints, mostly from customers and distributors requesting a refund, said Jane Driggs, the president of the Better Business Bureau in Salt Lake City, where MonaVie is located. The bureau asked for substantiation on MonaVie’s claims that its products are rich in “antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins, phytonutrients, trace minerals” and that it contains “glucosamine to help maintain healthy joints.”

Julie Jenkins, a spokeswoman for MonaVie, said: “We are working with the Better Business Bureau to provide the requested substantiation.” (Ms. Driggs acknowledged that MonaVie is “good” about refunding money and said the company has responded to every complaint.)

To date, though, there have only been a few small studies of the berry on humans, two of which were published in the September 2008 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The first involved 12 volunteers who consumed a single serving of açaí juice or pulp. The study showed a short-term increase in the antioxidant capacity of the volunteers’ blood.

“It’s got good antioxidants,” said Dr. Talcott, one of the researchers on the study. “We know antioxidants are probably good for us. But we need more studies.”

In the other report, Dr. Alexander Schauss, a senior director at Aibmr Life Sciences, a nutraceutical research firm in Puyallup, Wash., wrote that MonaVie demonstrated “significant antioxidant protection” in 12 healthy adults.

Dr. Schauss conceded that the sample size in the study was small but said he believed it was significant. Others are skeptical. While the former study shows that the antioxidants in açaí can be absorbed, “it only looked at the immediate effects of consuming açaí pulp and juice,” said Lilian Cheung, a lecturer in nutrition at the School of Public Health at Harvard University. “Its results did not demonstrate that consuming açaí pulp lead to any health outcomes, let alone weight loss.”

But some people swear by it. About a year ago, Sarah Taylor, 32, a massage therapist in Portland, Ore., began using Sambazon’s açaí powder. After the first day, she said she noticed a spike in her energy level and has been using it ever since. She even suggested her older clients drink it. “It is so exciting to watch people react to something so well,” she said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/fashion/12skin.html?scp=1&sq=Acai%20Berries&st=cse

[jbeany]

One of the studies I read said that yes, it is high in antioxidants.  But you can get nearly the same dose of them with a serving of blueberries, for a fraction of the price.

[Zach]

One of the studies I read said that yes, it is high in antioxidants.  But you can get nearly the same dose of them with a serving of blueberries, for a fraction of the price.

Plus, many of these açaí drinks are diluted with other juices that may lower it's effectiveness.

[dwcrawford]

I forget where the berry comes from but it is very good.  I like it better than pommegranite juice.  I was making martinis with it before this diet things came into my life.  Of course what I bought at Central Market was problem diluted with something.

Aside:  I was joking around about e-bay selling kidneys.  I  did a search just for fun and the search resulted in Acai tea, etc.  No, I didn't buy it.

[Bub]

   I once tried to align my molecules and they were sore for a week.

[Romona]

  I once tried to align my molecules and they were sore for a week.

Is that legal?