The Acai Berry is the small dark purple berry of the Amazon Palm that grows in the rain forests of Brazil. Used by the local indigenous population of the Amazon forests for hundreds of years as an aid to well being and weight control, the Acai Berry is now being hailed as one of the worlds new super foods.

The reason for the accolade as the new number one super food is because it is so rich in antioxidants. Up until recently Blueberries held the crown as the worlds number one super food, but pound for pound, Acai actually has many more times the antioxidant content than Blueberries.

Moreover, the acai berry is a super food not only because of its high concentration of antioxidants, but also because of its huge range and variety of different vitamins and minerals. It has more than any other naturally growing plant or extract in the world.

Though the acai berry has a huge concentration of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, it also has within it anthocyanins, which preserve the antioxidant content of food once it has been eaten. It was once thought that red wine has the largest number of anthocyanins, but we now know that the acai berry hold the title with 30 to 40% more than red wine.

In addition, the acai berry is rich in Omega oils (Omega 3, 6, and 9), and it is also rich in fiber with 45 grams out 100 grams of Acai. Moreover, it has 19 different amino acids and proteins which promote the growth and health of body tissues. The list goes on with revelations that it contains three various plant sterols that encourage heart health and aid digestion, plus amounts of vitamins B1, B2, B3, C and E. And to top it all, it also contains levels of the minerals potassium, calcium, copper, magnesium and zinc.

So it is plain to see just why Acai is being prized so highly.

Due to the fact that the acai berry is so nutritionally rich, richer than many other single food sources, it has been said to do many things, most of which are overstated truths made up by companies who desire to sell more products and increase profits.

The following is a list of the supposed benefits of the acai berry:

Increased energy Improved digestion Sharpened mental focus Sleep assistant Body detoxification Immune system support Heighten sexuality Slows aging Support clear healthy skin tissue Relieve diabetic symptoms Regulate cholesterol levels Support healthy heart function Boosts circulation Improved vision

Oprah Winfrey recently mention the acai berry on her talk show, which has given the fruit a lot o attention and a lot of activity in terms of marketing by gurus who want to promote and make money off of the fruit.

The truth of the matter is that there is no such thing. Good as Acai is in some areas and colon and digestive cleansing is one of them, whilst this may aid weight loss, it does nothing to stimulate it. The only effective way of losing weight is go on a weight loss program like Medifast.

Medifast is a clinically proven weight loss system that has been designed by the medical profession. It consists of 70 specially constructed meals that have been carefully crafted in terms of calorie and carbohydrate content, as well as being low in fat.

It is designed specifically to burn fat and lose your weight at the rate of between 2 and 5 pounds per week.

This is exactly the sort of thing that Acai can work with, but cannot replace. Programs like Medifast are hugely necessary to stimulate weight loss in the first place. Acai may help, but only psychologically by increasing general well being.