Nutritional Supplement Tested: Acai

About the supplement

After a lot of media attention in recent years, I started to read about superfruits and how they could be beneficial to my health – now and in the future. As a 22-year-old female in good health I don’t have too much to worry about; I’m not overweight, but like many people, I do have a few stubborn pounds I’d like to shift.

During my reading I found out that Acai was supposed to be good for stimulating weight loss, and it was only after I had started taking Acai nutritional supplements that I found out about the other nutritional benefits.

Some are naming Acai, Brazil’s latest export, the ‘wonder berry’ and ‘nature’s perfect food’ due to its nutritional content (via). For clarification, the berry is pronounced ‘as-eye-ee’ and it is gaining popularity here in the Western World.

This is probably due to the anthocyanins – powerful antioxidants that protect many body systems from the damaging effects of free radicals and oxidative stress – which are abundant in Acai. In fact, Acai has thirty times more anthocyanins than red wine. Free radicals have been linked to cancer, damaging diseases and premature aging (via)

Acai also contains the essential fatty acids Omega 3, 6 and 9, which are said to help lower cholesterol in the body, whilst containing zero cholesterol itself (via). It also has the other bonus of containing a range of other nutrients which can boost health, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and phytosterols.

The testing experience:

Dosage taken: two to three, three times a day

It took a couple of days before I started to feel the effects of the supplement. Whilst they did not have a hugely noticeable effect on my weight, I did feel that it helped with my digestion, making my toilet visits more regular. This is probably due to the fibre content in Acai.

I don’t always manage to get the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, so Acai is a good way for me to ensure I’m getting all the nutrients my body needs. I will certainly continue to take it after the test to support the healthy function of my body.