Hi, Acai!

Time to weigh in on something that seems to be discussed everywhere lately: the acai berry.

Well, it is a dark blue/purple berry from the acai palm of Central and South America. For a fruit, they are fairly high in protein (though still not a complete source like poulty/beef/fish/game or quinoa). Acai berries are known to be extremely high in resveratrol and anthocyanins. These are probably the chemicals responsible for the purported health benefits of the acai.

Those compounds may or may not sound familiar to you. Resveratrol is the much discussed compound present in grape seeds and grape skins. It is likely responsible for the cardioprotective abilities of red wine.

Anthocyanins are a class of compounds that are, well, blue. From the greek for blue flower or plant, fruits known to be high in anthocyanins are cherries, blueberries, acai, blackberries, and currants. Anthocyanins are thought to be a highly active class of antioxidants.

What's my point here? I cannot say whether or not Acai is "THE ANSWER" to health. But I do know that the berry's use as a nutraceutical is still relatively new and, therefore, expensive. Just as CoQ10 and high EPA Fish Oil were outlandishly expensive when they were new and in limited supply, you may want to wait out the acai rush if money is a little tight.

Again, nothing against the acai berry. But considering it costs dozens of times more than the seemingly comparable blueberry, blackberry, red grape, dark red cherry, et al, I cannot justify telling my patients that it belongs on their "must eat" list.

So if you just got your Goldman Sachs bonus and you don't know where to spend the money, buy some acai berries and live forever!

Otherwise, have a glass of red wine tonight and sprinkle some blueberries on your yogurt tomorrow morning. And remember me if your bonus shows up in the mail.