Is Acai Berry Juice Helpful for Cancer Patients?

Up until very recently, the acai berry, which is something of a cross between a blueberry and a grape, wasn't a popular fruit outside of Brazil. It was unavailable in the United States and virtually unknown to Americans. But the health benefits of this Brazilian berry are now in the spotlight, and the consumption of acai, particularly in juice form, is gaining popularity. One of the purported benefits of acai is its ability to fight cancer. But is there any truth to this claim?

Antioxidants in Cancer Prevention

• It has been postulated that foods rich in antioxidants (which are most commonly found in fruits and vegetables, and include the nutrients beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and vitamins A, C, and E, among others) are able to fight cancer. Antioxidants protect cells from becoming damaged by stabilizing molecules that may cause cancer. How or why antioxidants perform this function remains unclear and is still being studied by scientists.

Antioxidants in Acai Berries

• Acai berries contain a significant amount of antioxidants, even greater in quantity than those in grapes or blueberries. So, if you assume that antioxidants fight cancer, consuming acai berries would seem to work against the disease.

Clinical Trial Results

• Large-scale clinical trials have yielded mixed results. Because scientists have only recently focused on antioxidants as a cancer fighter, there haven't been enough clinical trials to confirm that consuming acai berries or juice can help mitigate the disease.

Selling Acai to the Public

• In the meantime, many businesses have decided to take advantage of the preliminary laboratory tests on acai, and sell the Brazilian berry in a variety of forms, from acai juice to acai pills. The thing to keep in mind is that these companies don't have any conclusive information on whether or not consuming acai is effective against cancer. In the end, the decision rests with you: if you already consume antioxidant-rich foods as a method to fight or prevent cancer, you could, theoretically, add acai to the list. But know that there's no proof of acai being a silver bullet against cancer.