by Janet on April 14, 2009
It’s getting ugly. The insanely popular berry from the Amazon rainforest known as acai (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) appears to be hitting new lows. Involved in everything from bogus blogs and fake ads to pyramid schemes, the acai berry has become the Bernie Madoff of nutrition. Maybe you read my earlier rant about the sly allure of super juices that included MonaVie, the $40 bottle of acai juice and 18 other fruits that is sold by enthusiastic distributors. But this pyramid scheme is only the tip of the iceberg.
Earlier this year, the Better Business Bureau warned consumers about dozens of online companies that operate scams for acai berry weight loss supplements. Some owners of acai Web sites have even been indicted for consumer fraud by a federal grand jury and are slated to go on trial, according to Nutrition Action, which has done an excellent job reviewing the full scope of the acai Internet scams.
The tactics of these unscrupulous marketers were revealed by a tremendous blog called waffesatnoon (It’s time to wake up”), which is written by an ad guy who is dedicated to exposing Internet scams and questionable advertising practices.
If you have a Facebook account or simply go online to shop, there is no way you’ve missed the ads touting the purported weight loss benefits of acai — many of them featuring Oprah and Rachael Ray. But rest assured, neither is associated with these products or have authorized the use of their name. Learn more at ABC News.
Contrary to the aggressive testimonials, there is no evidence to suggest acai supplements have any weight loss benefits — despite the claims “flush pounds of waste and toxins from your body.” No studies have looked at the weight loss potential of acai and there’s no good reason to think the berry might help.
A few of the fraudulent tactics:
- “Free” trials. Companies are trying to entice people with “free” trials of acai products in Internet ads and emails. After sharing credit card information to cover shipping and handling, people are being hit by surprise monthly charges, often before they even receive their trial shipment. For many, it’s been difficult to get the charges to stop.
- Product reviews. Don’t trust Web sites that claim to review acai products or warn against acai berry scams. They may try to instill confidence with names like Acai Berry Report and Consumer Best Deals, but they’re simply trying to sell products. All of these acai supplements are basically the same, and none of them are worth the money.
- Bogus blogs. Beyond the fake celebrity endorsements, the acai marketers have set up more than 75 different diet blogs that feature women documenting their weight loss success with acai. Trouble is, they’re all fake. You can see the same woman with a dozen different names and the same “before” and “after” photos. The blog scam was uncovered by waffesatnoon,
Yes, acai berries are high in antioxidants, but so are other less expensive “local” berries. Higher is not necessarily better. The actual number in a test tube is not a true indication of the health benefits. You’re better off eating whole fruits…and it’s tough to do with acai. Nearly all acai is shipped as pulp and turned into pills, juice or added as flavorings.
I’m not sure why acai has captured America’s imagination the way it did, but I’m hoping the frenzy will soon be over and the fraudulent Web sites shut down. And I hope people will be just as enthusiastic in discovering the array of fruits found in their own backyard in produce aisles and farmers’ markets.
Tagged as:
acai,
fruits,
MonaVie,
superjuices
by Janet on February 19, 2009
One of the fruits that I grew to love this summer in Lebanon was the prickly pear — known as cactus fruit or subbair. These seed-studded fruits grow wild on my father-in-law’s property around his house. And I would love to eat these succulent fruits for breakfast. I was amazed at the markets near his house where the cactus fruit would be stacked high on display…and the peeling of this thorny, desert fruit was turned into an art form.
Prickly pear cactus has a long history in Mexico and Rick Bayless writes lovingly about the fruit (tunas) in his cookbook Mexican Kitchen, which features Crimson Prickly Pear Sauce.
Now it seems this ancient fruit Opuntia ficus indica (eaten for 9,000 years) may be the next big thing. One of the trendiest drinks in the Southwest is the Prickly Pear Margarita and the flavor is showing up in a range of new-age beverages, 
including energy drinks, juices, flavored teas (including Snapple) and functional beverages. Prickly pear is gaining popularity in the alternative medicine world and dietary supplements of the fruit in powder or pill are now stocked in health food stores and marketed online.
One prickly pear-flavored drink called Urban Detox claims the beverage can help with a hangover. Curiously, there does seem to be a study from Tulane that attempts to support this claim, however, the research was conducted with an extract from prickly pear, not with this drink. The company claims benefits from the anti-inflammatory properties of the fruit. An animal study from the University of Arizona found that the pectin isolated from the fruit helped bring down LDL cholesterol levels.
One company is beginning to market a line of prickly pear extracts for use in foods and beverages to “support healthy glucose levels.” Some preliminary research suggests that fiber-rich prickly pear fruit may help reduce blood sugar levels, but it’s too early to draw major conclusions.
Plus, you won’t be helping your blood sugar all that much if you indulge in the most popular forms of prickly pear — candy, jellies, syrups and sweet beverages. You’re better off with the whole fruit — which is widely available in the Southwest, but increasingly found in supermarkets and farmer’s markets throughout the country.
It’s overkill to put prickly pear too high on a health pedestal, but this is a nutritious fruit — high in vitamin C, fiber and phytonutrients known as flavonoids. So if you can find prickly pears near you, check them out. They have a devoted following, including Carolyn Niethammer who has assembled a collection of recipes in the Prickly Pear Cookbook. But if you’re new to prickly pear, you may find the pebble-like seeds in the fruit a little hard to get used to — but stick with the fruit instead of the pills or “functional” drinks. Although, the margarita sounds like it’s worth a try.
Tagged as:
fruits,
Lebanon,
nutrition research,
nutrition trends,
prickly pear
by Janet on February 19, 2009
No doubt, kids need to eat more fruits and vegetables. All too often french fries dominate the plate and juice is the only form of fruit many children consume. So it’s great to see companies develop innovative new products with kid appeal.
However, must we have squirtable fruit?
Smashies is a new line of squeezy applesauce for kids that I happened to stumble upon when grocery shopping last week. I give the company credit for not adding sugar to the fruit, but I’m struggling with the squirt-in-your-mouth approach. Don’t think that’s how I want to encourage my kids to eat. Sure, it’s great the product is portable and ideal for lunch boxes or on-the-go snacks…but remember apples?
The puree in the pouch contains “organic apple flavor” (what is that?) and 0 grams of fiber — a significant disadvantage over real apples. I’d much rather encourage the whole fruit, or look at other options on occasion to add variety and interest.
Rather than sucking on pulverized apples, I like the idea of freeze-dried apples better (all natural, no added ingredients) and mini-bags of sliced apples. But, of course, real apples are the best of all.
What do you think?
Tagged as:
applesauce,
Children's Nutrition,
fruits,
new food products,
Smashies
