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Berkeley Wellness Alerts
January 5, 2010 | Comments: 8
Açaí: The Ponzi Berry
Offers for açaí juice and supplements have flooded the nation’s email boxes and airwaves. Don’t get hoodwinked by the claims and "free trials."
Açaí berries are a dietary staple in Brazil and have also been used medicinally by Amazonian tribes. Açaí juice was introduced in the U.S. in 2001, and there are now dozens of food and drink products containing açaí. As a juice, pulp, powder, or capsule, açaí is marketed as a magic path to weight loss, a wrinkle remover, a way to cleanse the body of "toxins," and indeed just a plain old miracle cure.
On the Internet you’ll find a bouquet of endorsements for açaí from such celebrities as Oprah and Rachael Ray (the TV chef), plus statements by these same celebrities denying any such endorsement. You will also find a war of words among makers of açaí products, each one claiming safety and effectiveness for its particular formulation, and warning of scams by others.
Since açaí came on the market there have been a few studies pointing to potential benefits. Like many other fruits, açaí berries are high in antioxidants and other interesting compounds. But these were lab studies, and the results may not apply to humans. There is no scientific basis for weight-loss claims or any other health claims for açaí.
Consumer protection groups and the Better Business Bureau have now come out against açaí marketers. "If Bernard Madoff were in the food business," said one nutritionist, "he’d be offering 'free' trials of açaí-based weight-loss products." Online ads regularly promise a free trial of açaí, saying that all you have to pay is shipping and handling. The catch is that you must supply your credit card number, and you’ll automatically be signed up for $50 monthly shipments that will prove hard to cancel.
We urge you not to give your credit card number to anybody selling açaí products. Hundreds of complaints have been registered, and you may never get your money back.
There is no magic berry for weight loss or good health. Açaí berries are no doubt a good food, like other berries, but why pay a fortune for them or supplements containing them?
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Wasn't there recently a recall of acai products in Canada?
Posted by: michaelg | January 5, 2010 2:24 PM
Is anyone else having trouble getting to "more information on this topic". I am logged in as a registered user, but I never get past the original blurb--when I go for "more information", there is nothing. I am not having any computer problems, so I am guessing, they don't have any information in any of these links. Anyone else noticed this??? There seems to be no way to contact the web people to ask them.
Posted by: Unknown | January 28, 2010 5:11 PM
We're still working on the site. Where it says "read more on this topic" it should say "read more on Dietary Supplements"--and we will change that. Meanwhile, since the site is new, there aren't many other articles posted, but gradually this will become an archive of previous Alerts in that topic.
Posted by: Michael Goldman | January 29, 2010 7:14 AM
why the FDA doesn't make mandatory for the natural drug maker to put warning like some of them have high does of vitamin K which is not good for the person who is taking medication for blood thiner. Nautral product manufacture write to consult doctor but modern medication doctor does not know about natural things or medications. Like muscle milk mostly people think it is good for every one but it is not good for people who has hurrt surgery or bypass surgery. There is no warning form manufacturer of muscle milk that is not good for the people who have hurt surgery or bypass surgery.
Lot of multiple vitamins have K inside which is also not good for the people who are taking blood thinner medication but there is no indication on the bottle of multiple vitamin that is not good for who are taking blood thinner.
Now some natural manufacturers are marketing EDTA for benefits of blocked artieries. There is no indication that person who has high blood pressure or has by pass surgery should take it because it has sodium inside.
There should be strict policy from FDA to list warning sign on natural medications or herbs before they come to market and country in which they manufacture and its purity strength.
kumar
Posted by: Unknown | February 12, 2010 10:56 AM
The read more does not exist.
Posted by: Unknown | March 3, 2010 6:11 PM
This is just another example for why we need to be more diligent in researching info before believing it. Read ingredients, do your own homework, google a new product and see what you find out, research all of your prescriptions, read the inserts that come with the prescription. It may take time to do all of this, but when you are talking about your own health or that of loved ones, the time is worth it. And this should be done with every aspect of your daily life. Be a skeptic of new claims and products, and I don't mean just food and drugs. Check out all claims. I just saw an infomercial for a "new food juicer" claiming it is so much better, easier for healthy foods. What most people don't notice is how the container is loaded. The "new" one was loaded with soft foods first. The standard blender was loaded with ice first. Plus, the standard one was smaller and less densely packed. Of course you won't have as much juice from it. Be diligent and alert when there are new claims. Acai is a good berry, but so are all of the other berries. Many people don't think about supplements and foods as interfering with prescriptions. Grapefruit interfers with some prescriptions. St.John's Wort (an natural herb) should Not be taken with certain medications. Do your research on all of your meds, supplements, and foods. I have always believe there is no such thing as too much information when it comes to a person's health.
Posted by: ariesvicki | November 30, 2010 10:38 AM
Yes, those online ads are often fraudulent. Why hasn't the appropriate agency responded by calling for legislation ? Oh,right, it might harm business. All they need to do is REQUIRE every web advertiser to place an established text in each ad that is PROMINENTLY displayed that PLAINLY outlines the fact that you will be debited each month. Or,even better, just require any ad with a subscription to issue a standard email offer of withdrawl from the program within thirty days. I'm not holding my breath.
Posted by: Dr. Know | January 29, 2011 10:07 AM
You are right about the "free trials " for example for EZ slim , associated with Colo thin, if you ask for a free trial you'll be charged monthly for a quite large sum of $ 69 for one and I believe $ 89 for the other , before you know. Check your credit card statements if you did request free trials. I does take some effort to make sure they cancell the shipments and refund the charges. Not a very pleasant experience.
Posted by: Laura | February 1, 2011 10:46 PM