Acai products have now become big business as the pharmaceutical companies picked up on the spectacular and varied uses it could be put to. There are now many types of acai berry supplements on the market; tablets, dried berries, powders and even juices are sold. The acai berry is so popular due to it’s reputation as a weight loss aid. According to various studies, acai berries can help you quickly lose weight when combined with regular exercise and a healthy diet. Acai has now become so prominent in Western culture that it was even featured on the Oprah Winfrey show!

Acai is a small round berry, purple in colour and about 1 inch in diameter. The seed takes up most of the berry and they are harvested mainly in Brazil where the acai Palm is a major food source. The acai palm is hugely valuable to the Brazilians and provides a large amount of cash into their economy.

So what are the health benefits of the acai berry? Well, combined with a well structured exercise plan and diet it can help you lose weight. The acai has a unique combination of amino acids, healthy fatty acids, carbohydrates and many more substances that give you a boost to your metabolism. The fibre content of the acai can also speed up digestion and aids bowel movements. Effectively acai behaves as a colon cleanser which sends waste that your body has accumulated directly to the colon.

Some people are confused as to how to take the acai berry. The answer really depends on what type of acai product you have purchased. For the juices and blends it is a simple case of drinking the juice you have. It can be taken in tablet form, just swallow with a glass of water. If you have fresh or dried acai berries you can either eat it as is, or cook with it! It’s really a very versatile berry and can be consumed in so many ways that it may surprise you. The Brazilians eat it either salty or sweet depending on what mood they are in at the time, so don’t despair if you have a sweet tooth and want to use it!

Acai has now been studied scientifically and I think it’s fair to say that it does seem to be a promising diet aid. The way that I see it, the acai berry can provide excellent antioxidant properties like most fruit maybe even more so than most. Due to its ‘high in fibre’ status it makes you feel full much quicker than normal leaving less room for sweeter snack foods. I would recommend trying it even as an experiment to see if it will help you out with your dieting. Many natural remedies do have a positive effect on losing weight but acai could improve your health as well.