Acai berry fruit is harvested deep in the Brazilian rain forest, growing on the top of the lofty acai palm in bunches of between 500 and 900 fruits. The berry itself very similar in appearance to a grape, but contains a large seed that makes up a proportion of the middle of the fruit. The locals eat a lot of acai (in fact it makes up 42% of their food intake, according to reports); combine this local reliance on the berry with the fact that the worldwide demand for acai is soaring, and you’ve suddenly got a very valuable crop growing right in the Amazon Basin.
The acai berry fruit sits at the top of its acai palm in very much the same way as it sits on top of the metaphorical tree of health foods and supplements. The feature of acai on prime time shows like Oprah have pushed the berry to the very forefront of the minds of millions of viewers. Oprah has since claimed that she didn’t endorse the product in the way that many acai sellers have claimed she did, but the damage – or the massive help, depending on which way you look at it – has already been done.
Acai berry fruit has benefited from people other than Oprah Winfrey, of course, and it would be unfair to rest all of the credit for the berry’s ascension with her. In fact that would take away some of the credit that the berry itself so richly deserves. Acai is an excellent supplement, full of nutrition, antioxidants, amino acids and other goodness, so most of the work in marketing such a product is done already. The berry sells itself.
Acai berry fruit may sell itself, but it is its appearance on Oprah et al that lent it much needed credibility. Without this apparent endorsement the so-called Acai Berry Free Trial Scam would not have got as far as it has. Quickly put, this scam works by asking people for their credit card details for a ‘free trial’. The free trial quickly changes into a full-blown monthly subscription which is either very difficult or impossible to cancel. Read the small print, folks! People are so eager to rush out and buy the acai berry that commonsense is lost somewhat, and many thousands of people have been stung with charges they could not afford.
This scam – along with some choice lawsuits and some rather unfortunate marketing decisions by a small minority of acai sellers – has turned the wheel on acai. It is now becoming seen as something of a sham, with people doubting all the claims they have heard, and disregarding acai products across the board.
When you assess the facts, though, this wholly negative attitude towards the innocent acai berry fruit is unfair and unwarranted. Acai is still the wonderful nutritionally rich fruit it was before some people took advantage; it still gets more antioxidants into your system than any other fruit, and it is still a great addition to your diet. Sure, it’s not the miracle cure or the panacea that it is claimed to be, but it is still well worth a place in your kitchen.

