Does consuming acai berry cause bad side effects?
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 supplement, many individuals are wondering if consumption 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. Some people must assume that consuming 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 negative effects. Similarly, no study has ever proven that acai berry causes side effects in non-allergic individuals. No matter if the extract form of acai you're taking is more potent than a puree or the whole berry, you should only experience beneficial effects.
Many who wonder about the potential for side effects may also be wondering if acai berry supplementation could cause an interaction with a drug they are taking. The answer is most likely no. The only fruit which has frequently been shown to cause interactions with certain drugs, namely statins, is grapefruit. If you're worried about drug interactions, consider that an acai berry is essentially about the same as a blueberry, so consider if you would be similarly worried about blueberries causing an interaction or side effects.
Consuming acai berries may actually have many benefits which outweighs any possible, yet improbable risk of side effects. One of the benefits is their extremely high levels of antioxidants which help to protect the body from free radical damage. The antioxidant concentration depends on the species of acai berry with the purple variety having the highest and the white variety having the lowest. It is unlikely that you will find the white variety however.
A very interesting benefit of acai berry supplementation is the potential for reduced inflammation. Inflammation has many negative effects on the body, so this potential is very interesting. A study done by AIMBR Life Sciences has shown that acai berry is a potential COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitor.[1] COX-1 and COX-2 are enzymes which are responsible for inflammation and pain, so anything which can inhibit it's activity is good news for those suffering from pain and inflammation.
There are many other benefits of consuming acai berry, but the objective of this article is to clarify that no study has yet proven any risks of eating acai. With all of the hyper surrounding this supplement, one could easily assume that eating it could cause side effects, but that is not the case. Acai berry truly has no negatives unless you happen to not like the taste which is also unlikely!
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 - 17268
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 negative effects. Similarly, no study has ever proven that acai berry causes side effects in non-allergic individuals. No matter if the extract form of acai you're taking is more potent than a puree or the whole berry, you should only experience beneficial effects.
Many who wonder about the potential for side effects may also be wondering if acai berry supplementation could cause an interaction with a drug they are taking. The answer is most likely no. The only fruit which has frequently been shown to cause interactions with certain drugs, namely statins, is grapefruit. If you're worried about drug interactions, consider that an acai berry is essentially about the same as a blueberry, so consider if you would be similarly worried about blueberries causing an interaction or side effects.
Consuming acai berries may actually have many benefits which outweighs any possible, yet improbable risk of side effects. One of the benefits is their extremely high levels of antioxidants which help to protect the body from free radical damage. The antioxidant concentration depends on the species of acai berry with the purple variety having the highest and the white variety having the lowest. It is unlikely that you will find the white variety however.
A very interesting benefit of acai berry supplementation is the potential for reduced inflammation. Inflammation has many negative effects on the body, so this potential is very interesting. A study done by AIMBR Life Sciences has shown that acai berry is a potential COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitor.[1] COX-1 and COX-2 are enzymes which are responsible for inflammation and pain, so anything which can inhibit it's activity is good news for those suffering from pain and inflammation.
There are many other benefits of consuming acai berry, but the objective of this article is to clarify that no study has yet proven any risks of eating acai. With all of the hyper surrounding this supplement, one could easily assume that eating it could cause side effects, but that is not the case. Acai berry truly has no negatives unless you happen to not like the taste which is also unlikely!
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 - 17268
About the Author:
Mark Goodman is a nutrition expert and acai berry lover who has written several articles on the subject. Contact Mark if you need any more information about acai berry side effects.
posted by X - Men at
6:36 AM
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