Acai Berry Nutrient Claims for Protein, etc.

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Created on 01, August, 2005

An online news article for food retailers describes the acai berry (grown in Brazil) as having “more protein than an average egg” in addition to a host of “vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids busting from each berry.” 

Nowhere is a quantity of acai berry mentioned for this comparison with eggs, so the comparison has no meaning or validity. If we compare them by weight (100 g acai berry puree and 100 g raw chicken egg), eggs are actually much higher in protein – 13 g versus 2 g (the figure given for protein by a company that markets acai berry products). As for all the vitamins, minerals, etc. claimed, the acai berry may indeed contain these nutrients, but “contain” only means there is a measurable amount – not a large or significant amount. All berries contain some vitamins and minerals, and many are high in antioxidants, but acai is no better a source than many other berries. What acai does seem to be an unusually significant source of (for a fruit) is fatty acids – but mostly the omega 6 and omega 9 fatty acids that are not lacking in our diets.