I have been bombarded for quite some time now with spam emails and ads on social network sites touting the benefits of the Acai (ah-sigh-ee) Berry so recently I decided to do some research on the subject.
Here is a little of what the Better Business Bureau has to say:
Arlington, VA – January 5, 2009 - Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be wary of online ads relying on celebrity endorsements to sell acai-berry related weight loss products. BBB has received thousands of complaints from consumers nationwide who thought they were signing up for a free-trial offer of acai berry weight loss products that were supposedly endorsed by Oprah, Rachel Ray and other celebrities; in the end, the free trial cost them, month after month.
Read more of what the BBB has to say
Consumer Reports says this:
Health benefits?
In January, Consumer Reports said that evidence on the health benefits of acai berries is scant. In 2008, we blogged about promising study findings on the heart-healthy benefits of red and white wine; however, it was not clear that resveratrol was the beneficial component. In 2007, we reported on research findings that resveratrol helped mice live longer. It is not clear whether concentrated resveratrol is effective and safe in humans.
But even if these substances are beneficial, there’s no guarantee that they’re in any of the products being marketed as containing resveratrol, especially from Web sites using misleading and annoying tactics. Dietary supplements aren’t subjected to the same government scrutiny as prescription drugs, even though some promoters insinuate curative properties.
Read more of what Consumer Reports has to say.
Here is a little of what the Better Business Bureau has to say:
Arlington, VA – January 5, 2009 - Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be wary of online ads relying on celebrity endorsements to sell acai-berry related weight loss products. BBB has received thousands of complaints from consumers nationwide who thought they were signing up for a free-trial offer of acai berry weight loss products that were supposedly endorsed by Oprah, Rachel Ray and other celebrities; in the end, the free trial cost them, month after month.
Read more of what the BBB has to say
Consumer Reports says this:
Health benefits?
In January, Consumer Reports said that evidence on the health benefits of acai berries is scant. In 2008, we blogged about promising study findings on the heart-healthy benefits of red and white wine; however, it was not clear that resveratrol was the beneficial component. In 2007, we reported on research findings that resveratrol helped mice live longer. It is not clear whether concentrated resveratrol is effective and safe in humans.
But even if these substances are beneficial, there’s no guarantee that they’re in any of the products being marketed as containing resveratrol, especially from Web sites using misleading and annoying tactics. Dietary supplements aren’t subjected to the same government scrutiny as prescription drugs, even though some promoters insinuate curative properties.
Read more of what Consumer Reports has to say.
I became aware that there is a website called U. S. Consumer Reports touting the benefits of Acai Berry BUT it is NOT affiliated with the Consumer Reports publication.
Please be very careful about purchasing any of these products.
We DO NOT neccesarily endorse any of the articles below our posts chosen for You Might Like.
Jana,
ReplyDeleteThere will always be some new diet fad or get rich quick scheme. So many want the easy fix, and there are plenty who take advantage of that. I eat healthy, and cook at home most of the time, but should exercise more. It sounds like this berry should be removed from the market, hopefully sooner then later.
Cathy