The Acai Berry may be an innocent fruit growing on a palm tree some where in Brazil, but the Amazon Rain forest import is sure getting a lot of media coverage. This time it is not because some people consider it to be a super food which is highly nutritious. This time it is because Oprah is mad at the Acai berry product sellers who are brandying her name in their advertisements to increase their sales.
Here’s what her website has to say :
“On August 19, 2009, Harpo, Inc., producers of The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Dr.Oz Show, along with Dr. Mehmet Oz, filed a trademark infringement complaint against 40 Internet marketers of dietary supplements, including acai berry products among others. Neither Ms. Winfrey nor Dr. Oz has ever sponsored or endorsed any acai berry, resveratrol, colon cleanse or dietary supplement product.”
The court case is to draw attention to these false claims of Acai Product Advertisers that Oprah sponsors or endorses their products in particular. After all the only thing Oprah endorsed was the real Acai Berry, which is really a super food in all respects. That does not mean that Oprah would naturally endorse any odd product which claims to have acai extract in its ingredients. And its not just Oprah who is upset.
Here’s what Dr. Oz has to say :
“The companies that are using my name to hawk these products are duping the public. I do not endorse any of these products. By falsely presenting products as ‘scientifically proven’ and endorsed by well-known figures, these companies do a gross disservice to the public health and could even pose a danger to those who believe their false and unproven claims. I am taking this step in the interest of public safety. I feel compelled to stand up against these companies and their deceitful practices.”
There will always be some unscrupulous agents who would like to cash in on the current craze for Acai, or any other food fad that gains approval of celebrities. After all what better advertisement for your product than a celebrity user who swears by its benefits? So when you set out to buy the best Acai Berry health supplement, be it a juice, a pill or dried powder, make sure that it really does perform as its advertisers claim it does. And remember Oprah does not endorse any brand of acai berry products in particular.
So do your own research before you decide to buy anything related to the Acai Berry. Take a look at the list of ingredients and see what percentage of the product is really acai berry extract? Is it being used in powder or pulp form? What about the nutritional value of other ingredients in the product? The Acai Seed is also crushed and added to some products, and that does not necessarily improve its nutritive value. After all the real goodness of the berry is in the pulp and the skin, which makes up just about ten percent of the whole Acai Berry Fruit.