Acai

Acai has been eaten for hundreds of years for its abundance of antioxidants, cancer prevention, promotion of heart health and as a means of boosting the immune system (1, 2).

Many foods contain antioxidants, but even among those with the highest antioxidant levels, the acai berry is still superior with an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) value of 102700 (3).

Best Acai Berry

1. Organifi Red Juice

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Organifi Red Juice superfood powder is non-GMO and USDA certified organic. It is also vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy-free. It serves up antioxidants, endurance boosters, and metabolic boosters.

The powder combines acai, raspberry, and cranberry help to boost energy and increase metabolism. Thanks to the addition of beets, cordyceps, and Rhodiola, even your memory can get a boost.

The antioxidants remove free radicals, fighting the lethargy they can often create. Allowing you to clear your thoughts for better memory retention. It’s also easy to use: Mix a single scoop into your water, or sparkling water to create the superfood juice. Of all the açai powders on our list, this is the best.

2. Puritans Pride Triple Strength Acai 3000 mg

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This super-strength açai supplement offers a high dose of natural antioxidants and flavonoids for healthy living. Puritans Pride super-concentrated formula contains three times more strength than most of the other acai products on the market, with 3000 mg of acai berry in each serving, or 1500 mg per soft gel capsule.

It’s also manufactured in the USA and conforms to industry-standard third-party testing for purity. These capsules do not contain any artificial flavor or sweeteners. They have no sugar, no preservatives, no dairy, no wheat, and no yeast. They are gluten-free, sodium-free, and free of any fish.

3. Nature’s Craft Acai Berry Antioxidant Support

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Nature’s Craft Antioxidant Support is made from high-quality ingredients and is made in the USA. The berry contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, and E. It also offers calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and zinc, and a healthy dose of fiber. This makes it the perfect superfood for balancing your body’s health.

This healthy, natural supplement can also help with brain function, liver and kidney regulation, and colon cleansing. It may also help support your cardiovascular system.

4. Pure Encapsulations Acai 600

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Pure Encapsulation offers a gluten-free, non-GMO acai supplement that is also hypoallergenic to support your immune and metabolic systems. The acai berry extract has a ton of different vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber, fatty acids, amino acids, and anthocyanins. 

Their capsules do not contain any wheat, gluten, eggs, peanuts, magnesium stearate, hydrogenated fat, artificial sweeteners or colors, or any unnecessary ingredients. They combine the acai berries with blueberries, pomegranates, cranberries, and raspberries for even more of an antioxidant benefit.

5. Now Foods Freeze Dried Acai Super Fruit Supplement

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These supplements contain 500 mg of acai and plenty of polyphenols, ellagic acid, rutin, anthocyanins, and catechins for a superfood blend. This product is vegan and it’s also made from whole foods only. It is gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free. It’s also kosher and contains no eggs or dairy.

The product contains only freeze-dried berries that are free of any solvents, so the nutrients are preserved and as fresh as when they were picked.

This acai supplement was manufactured in an NPA facility that received an A rating on their GMP (good manufacturing practices) certification. The supplement is made in the USA and distributed by a family-owned company that was established in the 60s.

6. Natrol Acai Berry Antioxidant Protection 1000 mg Capsules

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Natrol capsules use antioxidants to protect you against oxidation and damage that results from aging. They are vegetarian and contain no milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, or yeast. They are gluten-free and contain no artificial colors or flavors and no preservatives or added sugar. 

They go through more than the industry standard testing requirements and voluntarily participate in additional third-party laboratory testing. They also abide by good manufacturing practices (GMP) certified facilities.

7. Healths Harmony Super Antioxidants Supplement

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Healths Harmony products are manufactured in the USA using GMP (good manufacturing process) standards. Their ingredients are completely natural, including acai berries, goji berries, pomegranates, resveratrol, and Hawaiian noni.

8. Now Acai Liquid Super Fruit Concentrate

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For those who don’t like dried fruit, there is also an acai liquid concentrate by Now Foods. 

Each dose of the liquid concentrate offers the same amount of benefits as 35,000 mg of fresh acai per serving. Now Foods always uses solvent-free acai berries that are freeze-dried on the spot, preserving the nutrients and keeping the berry as fresh as possible. Their product contains polyphenols like rutin, anthocyanins, and catechins for total body support.

9. Pure Organic Ingredients Acai berry Powder

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This vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO acai powder is packed full of antioxidants to boost your energy and immune system. With omega fatty acids, amino acids, polyphenols, and dietary fiber, Pure Organic Acai powder is beneficial to your body’s health.

This powder also contains no soy, dairy, wheat, yeast, chemicals, preservatives, or artificial colors and flavors. It is spray dried to ensure the nutritional content remains optimal. The product is made in the USA and comes with a satisfaction guarantee, so if you don’t like it you will receive a full refund.

10. Navitas Organics Acai Powder

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Navitas acai powder is certified USDA organic, on-GMO, and Kosher. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan as a plant-based product. Use this supplement for additional fiber and anthocyanin in your diet to increase your vitality and keep you healthy.

How We Ranked

The first thing, we looked at, when ranking the best açai supplements, was manufacturing standards. All of the products on our list, like Navitas Organics Acai, undergo stringent testing, ensuring a high level of purity. Some brands, like Pure Encapsulations, are so clean, it’s possible to trace the berries back to the farm. All products that made the rankings are manufactured in the USA, where the regulations and requirements are much stricter than many other countries. On top of that, all the products follow GMP procedures.

Secondly, we looked at supporting ingredients. When we considered acai supplements, we decided to allow blends on our list because they are often a better quality product with higher potency. Adding goji berries, raspberries, blueberries, and other superfoods to the acai berry blend served to improve the taste, increase the amount of antioxidant power, and introduce even more powerful and effective nutrients to the system. This is why Organifi Red Juice was ranked so highly.

Finally, we considered the various dietary restrictions that a lot of people have. All of these products that made the list, like Natrue’s Craft Açai, are non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, fish and shellfish-free, and nut-free. Most of them are also soy-free, and many of them are vegan and kosher. If a product contained any artificial ingredients, it was immediately axed.

Benefits

1. Acai has been shown to prevent cancer (4). Specifically, acai berry consumption has been shown to potentially be beneficial in reducing the risk of cancer (5, 6, 7, 8).

A 2017 study with mice showed that acai pulp reduced the incidence of colon cancer. The researchers concluded suggested that “suggests that the intake of açaí may be beneficial for the prevention of human colon cancer (9).” 

2. Acai berries stop cancer cell growth. Two 2010 studies showed that acai berries could block up to 95% of bad cell growth. This is because the anthocyanins and polyphenols found in acai berries have strong anti-proliferative properties – which means they stop bad cells from growing out of control (10, 11).

It seems that acai could have a role in treating cancer in the future, yet more research is needed in humans to confirm.

3. Acai berries can boost brain function. A 2013 and 2015 study showed that acai might improve short and long-term memory due to the neurologically active plant compounds it contains (12, 13)

A 2014 study showed that those same plant compounds in acai could also protect your brain from damage as you age. It does this by stimulating autophagy. Autophagy is the brain’s way to clean up toxic or broken cells before they become cancerous. As you age, autophagy stops working as well – but acai has been shown to improve it so that your brain is protected longer (14). 

4. Acai berries can improve cholesterol levels. Regular acai consumption has been shown to lower total cholesterol (15, 16).  One study in obese patients found that acai berries lowered the bad (LDL) cholesterol specifically (17). As well as lowering cholesterol, acai may also prevent cholesterol build up in the first place (18).

A 2011 open-label pilot study published in Nutrition Journal had 10 overweight adults consume acai smoothies for 4 weeks, two times per day. By the end of the study, they had lower total and “bad” LDL cholesterol demonstrating the effectiveness of acai (19).

Another 2012 study showed that acai could also block cholesterol being absorbed by your body (20).

Trials in humans are limited, but all current research shows promising results for cholesterol management.

5. Acai berries can help you lose weight. One 2015 study involving overweight women found that eating 200 grams of acai pulp increased insulin sensitivity and reduced skinfold measurements and total body fat (21).

6. Acai berries can help digestion. Acai berries have traditionally been used to aid with digestion after large meals. The seeds of the berries have very high concentrations of fiber and an unusual ability to absorb and digest dietary fat (22). 

7. Acai berries can improve lung health. Acai seed extract has properties that may prevent irritation in the lungs typically associated with respiratory distress and swelling from smoke inhalation (23).

Acai’s antioxidant properties may reduce smoke-induced swelling inside of your lungs.

8. Acai berries can boost your immune system. Acai berries have traditionally been used by indigenous peoples as a means to boost the immune system and avoid disease. Modern science has evaluated these claims and found some positive results.

One study found that acai berries were successful in reducing oxidative damage due to infection (24).

There are many different cells and functions involved in a healthy immune system. Acai was noted to increase the phagocytic capacity of immune cells which leads to faster recovery (25).

When given directly to people, acai also boosted the production of interleukin 12 (IL-12) as well as myeloid cells, a type of white blood cells which ensure your immune system is healthy (26).

9. Acai berries can help fight off aging. Cellular health is a fairly general concept but plays a large role in overall health, specifically with aging (27).

Free radical cells are known to cause poor cellular health throughout the body (28).

The large amount of antioxidants found in acai berries is useful in combating the effects of free radicals (29).

10. Acai berries help improve skin health. Native Brazilians have used acai berries as a means of promoting skin health for many years. Specifically, the pulp of the berry has been shown to aid in skin health (30).

Extremely high in many forms of phytochemicals, acai berries may slow or reverse aging processes as they relate to oxidative damage (31).

In fact, the berries are one of the best sources of antioxidants; acai berries have ten times as many antioxidants as grapes and twice as many as blueberries.The Acai berry was found to be one of the most beneficial ingredients to treat hyperpigmentation (32).

11. Acai berries can help libido in men. Although not an aphrodisiac per se, this famous purple berry is linked to overall increased blood circulation in the human body, a phenomenon that may contribute to a boost in sex drive, especially for men.

When overweight men consumed an acai smoothie, it led to improved vascular function, which is a characteristic of how blood flows through the body’s blood vessels (33).

12. Acai berries can help improve physical performance. Many athletes from Brazil have consumed acai berries for many years and reported performance-enhancing benefits. A study using high-level athletes who drank an acai smoothie before a bout of exercise found that those who drank the smoothie took longer to reach exhaustion, had a lower perceived level of effort and enhanced cardiorespiratory responses (34).

Only one study to date has examined these claims but the effects are prominent, and further research is warranted.

13. Acai berries can improve cardiovascular function. Acai berries may play a role in improving overall cardiovascular function even in unhealthy people. Obese men who were given acai berry drinks were observed to have increased vascular health and thus lower risks of heart attacks or other cardiovascular events (35).

Like red wine, acai berries are extremely high in anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that supports balanced cholesterol levels (36)

They are also rich in plant sterols that provide cardioprotective benefits, including supporting circulation, improving overall blood composition, and relaxing the blood vessels. (37, 38).

14. Acai berries can speed up wound healing. Acai berries have significant wound-healing properties, owing to their anti-inflammatory nature. A 2017 study showed that a scratch wound healed faster after 24 hours of using acai berry water extracts (39).

15. Acai berries can promote scalp health. Folic acid improves blood circulation in the scalp, aids the regeneration of the cells that contribute to hair growth, and prevents graying of hair. Acai berries contain a significant amount of zinc and folic acid. Zinc is known to greatly benefit scalp health and prevent hair loss by making the hair roots stronger (40).

16. Acai can help reduce post workout soreness. A six-week study, involving teen hurdlers from Poland, found that participants who supplemented with açai berry juice had less post workout muscle soreness compared to the placebo group (41).

Blood levels of antioxidants also increased. However, more research is required to confirm these findings.

Side Effects

1. Very large doses of acai might affect the results of MRI scans. If you are going to have an MRI test, it is important to let the doctor know if you have been eating acai berries.

2. Eating too many acai berries can increase bleeding and blood pressure.

3. The safety of acai berries during pregnancy or breastfeeding is unknown. Acai might not be suitable for cancer patients. The powerful antioxidant activity of acai compounds can interfere with chemotherapy drug actions and, therefore cancer patients should avoid acai berry products if you’re taking these medications.

4. Acai berry can also cause IBS like symptoms in certain individuals. It’s important to be wary of the quality of the acai berry or acai product you are consuming, as many acai drinks have large amounts of added sugar.

5. Acai berry supplements may not actually contain açai. Due to the popular nature of açai, many supplement companies are coming out with açai products. However, some shady marketers have found it cheaper to simply use a lot of fillers with a minimal amount of açai. It’s important to check the nutrition label for information regarding the amount as well as look up the reputation of the manufacturer. You can also just look at the companies we recommend and choose from there.

Recommended Dosage

Typical servings are between 100-200g. However, since acai is a natural food product, there is no real recommended dosage.

Outside of South America, it can be difficult to find authentic, fresh acai berries. They are available in smoothie or powder forms.

To date, no studies have evaluated any dose-dependent relationships with acai.

FAQ

Can too much acai berry be harmful? Eating too many acai berries can increase bleeding and blood pressure.

What are açai berries? Acai berries are an ancient superfood used by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Rainforest for hundreds of years. Studies show the benefits of immune system boosting, cancer prevention, cellular health, heart health, and cognitive function have all been validated by modern science. Acai may even play a role in enhanced athletic performance.

What is the best way to consume acai? The best way is to eat the whole fruit, as nature intended. If you can’t do that, extracts and juices are fine – just be aware of the sugar content.

Is acai berry good for your skin? One of the main skin and hair benefits of acai berries is the antioxidants which are known to be an aging beauty’s partner in crime. It’s rich in vitamins A, B, C, and E, so it’s going to revive your skin, heal damaged skin cells, and restore moisture.

Is acai good for hair growth? To prevent hair from falling out, we need to have a healthy scalp. Moreover, to have a healthy scalp, we need a sufficient amount of essential fatty acids, proteins, and vitamins in our system. Acai berries have these and more. Rich in Omega 3, 6, and 9 as well as vitamins B, C, and E

Is acai good for acne? Packed with Vitamins A, B, C, and E, acai berries are a great food to help prevent wrinkles, fine lines, and dryness on the face. They are also brimming with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that are perfect for fighting acne.

Do acai berries make you poop? Acai berries are also bursting with fiber, and fiber gets your system rocking and rolling. The more fiber you eat, the more your bowels move.

Are acai berries and blueberries the same? No, they are different fruits.

Do acai berries have sugar? Acai berries themselves resemble grapes and are actually quite low in sugar, containing close to 0 grams per 100-gram serving.

Is acai a protein? Fruit is an unlikely source of protein, but this berry may just make the perfect post-workout meal combination. Acai berries contain a generous amount of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.

Is an acai bowl healthy? The average acai bowl is filled with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, and healthy fats. However, many of the ingredients in an acai bowl share the same issue—they’re high in sugar.

How many carbs are in acai? The acai berry offers approximately 247 calories per 100-gram serving. A 50-gram serving of powdered, freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp and skin provides about 265 calories, 26 g of carbohydrates, 4 g of protein and 16 g of fat (mostly oleic acid or monounsaturated fat).

How long do acai berry supplements last? If you prefer to consume berries in the natural form, simply refrigerate them and consume within a week. Supplements have a shelf life of about 1 year, so that they can be stored in a cool and dry place. Acai berry juice, however, should be consumed almost immediately after juicing the berries.

Can acai fight off cancer? Early research even suggests that they might halt the growth of esophageal cancer. However, according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, it’s important to note that the anti-cancerous effects have yet to be proven in humans.

Do acai berries contain fat? Yes, the berries contain healthy fats like omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9, which help power your brain, stabilize your blood sugar levels, and keep you fuller, longer.

What does ellagic acid from acai berries do? While heading into flu season, you can help stave off colds and flu with the help of acai. The combination of vitamin C and ellagic acid in acai berries can fight off many invaders to the body, including parasites, viruses, and bacteria.

Is acai berry safe during pregnancy? The answer to this question is a bit unclear, so to be safe you should probably avoid taking concentrated supplements while pregnant or breastfeeding. This doesn’t necessarily mean it presents a danger, so if you’ve already taken some then don’t stress out too much. It simply means that there haven’t been enough studies done to gather any conclusive evidence one way or another. Right now, the data is insufficient to determine whether or not it is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Does acai make you gassy? Acai may make you a little gassy, but not necessarily. Negative side effects of acai are pretty rare, but it’s still possible that you may experience them. The acai supplements have plenty of fiber along with the nutrients, so you may experience gassiness when you take them. Often, the negative results go away as your body gets used to having them in its system.

Can I get acai berries from the grocery store? Unfortunately, you are not likely to have acai berries available at your local supermarket. These berries only grow in 1 region of the Amazonian rainforest. They also go bad very quickly. If they are not frozen or consumed within 24 hours of being harvested, they will go bad. This means that it is impossible to get fresh acai berries from anywhere local if you are not indigenous to the Amazon rainforest.

The good news is that freeze drying the berries has become quite common. You can find freeze dried acai berries and all types of acai juice and powder, along with acai supplements, juices, and liquid concentrates online and at your local shops.

How much açai should I eat? Typical servings are between 100-200g. However, since acai is a natural food product, there is no real recommended dosage. Outside of South America, it can be difficult to find authentic, fresh acai berries. They are available in smoothie or powder forms. To date, no studies have evaluated any dose-dependent relationships with acai.

Does açai help reduce post workout soreness? Yes, açai can help reduce post workout muscle soreness by increasing the levels of antioxidants in the blood stream.

Does IBS cause an upset stomach? Yes in certain individuals, açai can cause IBS like symptoms, including an upset stomach.

Where is açai grown? The acai berry is a berry grown in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil and other parts of South America. Acai is considered a “superfood” for its nutrient density, bioavailability, and wide-ranging health benefits.

Recap 

Acai berries are an ancient superfood used by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Rainforest for hundreds of years. Studies show the benefits of immune system boosting, cancer prevention, cellular health, heart health, and cognitive function have all been validated by modern science. Acai may even play a role in enhanced athletic performance.

When used properly, acai berries don’t tend to cause side effects.

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