Acai Berry Side Effects

Those who have an interest in the field of nutrition have certainly heard about acai supplements. These berries have been attracting a lot of interest, yet are unavailable in grocery stores.

The fruit of a palm tree which grows in Brazil and other countries in the Amazon River basin, the acai berry is a popular fruit in South America and has been enjoyed for its taste and its health benefits for millennia.

It may not have even occurred to you to wonder whether about acai berry side effects. There are a few things about the berry which could be termed “side effects”, however I think you’ll like them.

This is a fruit which is exceptionally perishable – the acai berry begins to spoil only hours after being picked! This means that exporting the whole berry is an impossibility. Instead, it is pulped and processed or frozen for export. Acai products which we can find in the US are made from powdered, frozen or dried acai.

Let us discuss a bit regarding the side effects of these berries. There has been a solitary case of the Chagas disease that occurred on eating contaminated Acai berries. Those berries bore traces of the feces of a certain Brazilian parasitic animal. This particular disease has only affected the residents of South America and nowhere else. The symptoms that were reported by ailing patients were mainly vomiting, fever, muscle pain and in rare cases, swelling.

The natives of the green Amazon rainforests consider the Acai berry a major source of food. And today, this berry is being rated as one of the major fruits in the field of nutrition. What are the benefits, then, you ask. Well, it has been reported to have improved a person’s energy level, health conditions, as well as sex drive. It is no wonder that this berry is being termed as the ‘Amazon Viagra’ and is being sold widely in Rio De Janeiro.

If you are familiar with the health benefits of red wine, you already know about anthocynanin, which is an antioxidant compound present in red wine and is good for the heart. The acai berry happens to have ten times as much of this compound as does red wine.

Before buying any kind of nutritional supplement, including acai berry products, you should examine the health claims made by the manufacturers and look closely at the ingredients. If you are unsure what these ingredients are, ask your doctor for his or her advice.

Now don’t get nervous about the acai berry – it is not known to pose any sort of health risk, but it’s always good to be in the habit of being careful about what you eat. Look into what this incredible little berry can do for you!