ACAI Berry......????

[Nova]

I'm not sure where to post this, but have any of you heard of a product made with the ACAI berry?

I was a little upset a few days ago when one of Harry's "buddies" (who we haven't seen or heard from in over a year), came over and actually tried to sell us some sort of drink made with this berry... He gave us the whole speel (sp?) about how it good it is for you, how it's shown to kill off cancer cells, how many anti-oxidents it has in it, etc.

We didn't buy it, of course, and I told him that Harry wouldn't be taking anything without his doctor's consent. It took all of my self control to not march over to him, pick him up by the back of his shirt collar, and boot him out of the front door! What nerve!

Anyway, I looked it up on the Internet, and I actually can't find any "bad" reports about it....(Maybe that's because it's the "herbal/all natural" cure of the day though-- everyone starts taking it, and a year later, they find out it's potentially deadly!).

Have any of you heard anything about this product? I have no plans on purchasing it--no way, no how, but am curious about it now.

Thanks, Hope you're all feeling well.

Nova

[dscherer]

Nova,

I would say he had nerve!! Anyway, yes I do know about it and I have tried it. A friend of my mom brought it over for her. Since she doesn't take anything without talking to her doctor, I gave it a swig. Not bad.(This women did get it through her DR)

Now, we did talk to her Dr, who is very open to supplements and such, but he told us not during treatment. Once treatment is over we do plan on using supplements. (You have to be careful about where you get them from.)

Ernie has been posting all the supplements he takes and what they do. Very informative. He may be a person to PM to see if he knows more!!

NOt much help. My prayers are with you and Harry everyday.

Keep fighting,

Dana

[Snoopyfn]

I have heard of it and actually a friend of ours gave us a bottle of it...she apparently started getting it for her daughter who has lupus and from what I understand it was helpful...but currently it is sitting on my refrigerator..we havent used it...so sorry I cant be of too much help....

[ernrol]

I have heard of it. You can buy it in most supermarkets. There is no need to purchase it from a multilevel sales plan. I drink Pomegranate juice and Noni juice. Sometimes you see Acai juice mixed with Pomegranate juice. I have tried it. I think it is just one more antioxidant that you can take. You should check anything that you are going to take on a regular basis with your doctor.

Stay positive,

Ernie

[Nova]

Thanks.

I think I'll stop by the Health Food store tomorrow and pick up some Pomegranate juice. (I guess that's okay since Harry isn't getting any treatments right now, right?)

I'm really leary of things that haven't been proven, so would rather stick with something that's been around for a long while.

Thanks for responding.

Take care,

Nova

[RandyW]

I used to blend yogurt with Various juices for deb and fresh strawberries at times for smoothies. A shot of pomegranite and Oj and some berries and yogurt. Was great!!

If you give some Respect to a University of Florida in Gaines ville read this report about this product. Only really credible piece I could find!!

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A Brazilian berry popular in health food contains antioxidants that destroyed cultured human cancer cells in a recent University of Florida study, one of the first to investigate the fruit’s purported benefits.

Published today in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study showed extracts from acai (ah-SAH’-ee) berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested, said Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“Acai berries are already considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants,” Talcott said. “This study was an important step toward learning what people may gain from using beverages, dietary supplements or other products made with the berries.”

He cautioned that the study, funded by UF sources, was not intended to show whether compounds found in acai berries could prevent leukemia in people.

“This was only a cell-culture model and we don’t want to give anyone false hope,” Talcott said. “We are encouraged by the findings, however. Compounds that show good activity against cancer cells in a model system are most likely to have beneficial effects in our bodies.”

Other fruits, including grapes, guavas and mangoes, contain antioxidants shown to kill cancer cells in similar studies, he said. Experts are uncertain how much effect antioxidants have on cancer cells in the human body, because factors such as nutrient absorption, metabolism and the influence of other biochemical processes may influence the antioxidants’ chemical activity.

Another UF study, slated to conclude in 2006, will investigate the effects of acai’s antioxidants on healthy human subjects, Talcott said. The study will determine how well the compounds are absorbed into the blood, and how they may affect blood pressure, cholesterol levels and related health indicators. So far, only fundamental research has been done on acai berries, which contain at least 50 to 75 as-yet unidentified compounds.

“One reason so little is known about acai berries is that they’re perishable and are traditionally used immediately after picking,” he said. “Products made with processed acai berries have only been available for about five years, so researchers in many parts of the world have had little or no opportunity to study them.”

Talcott said UF is one of the first institutions outside Brazil with personnel studying acai berries. Besides Talcott, UF’s acai research team includes Susan Percival, a professor with the food science and human nutrition department, David Del Pozo-Insfran, a doctoral student with the department and Susanne Mertens-Talcott, a postdoctoral associate with the pharmaceutics department of UF’s College of Pharmacy.

Acai berries are produced by a palm tree known scientifically as Euterpe oleracea, common in floodplain areas of the Amazon River, Talcott said. When ripe, the berries are dark purple and about the size of a blueberry. They contain a thin layer of edible pulp surrounding a large seed.

Historically, Brazilians have used acai berries to treat digestive disorders and skin conditions, he said. Current marketing efforts by retail merchants and Internet businesses suggest acai products can help consumers lose weight, lower cholesterol and gain energy.

“A lot of claims are being made, but most of them haven’t been tested scientifically,” Talcott said. “We are just beginning to understand the complexity of the acai berry and its health-promoting effects.”

In the current UF study, six different chemical extracts were made from acai fruit pulp, and each extract was prepared in seven concentrations.

Four of the extracts were shown to kill significant numbers of leukemia cells when applied for 24 hours. Depending on the extract and concentration, anywhere from about 35 percent to 86 percent of the cells died.

The UF study demonstrates that research on foods not commonly consumed in the United States is important, because it may lead to unexpected discoveries, said Joshua Bomser, an assistant professor of molecular nutrition and functional foods at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

But familiar produce items have plenty of health-giving qualities, he said.

“Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk for many diseases, including heart disease and cancer,” said Bomser, who researches the effects of diet on chronic diseases. “Getting at least five servings a day of these items is still a good recommendation for promoting optimal health.”

[Nova]

Thank you for posting that. That's what I like to read--articles not trying to promote or demote, just the facts!

Sounds like it might hold some hope for leukemia, which is good, but it's still "too new", in my opinion, to try out on someone as ill as Harry has been lately.

Thanks again. I appreciate the research.

Take care,

Nova

[Cindy RN]

In 1993 my mom found this shark cartiledge powder. She had nsclc. I had to mix it in her oj everyday!! It stunk so bad. She had a friend who gave it to her, very expensive at that time I believe. Anyway-sharks are not supposed to get cancer-get the idea??

In 2003 when I was diag with sclc a friend gave me this green powder stuff-can not recall the name. I went home and mixed it as directed and thought I would gag!!! before I ever got it to my mouth. I took it back and told him if there was a choice of the cancer spreading or drinking that stuff I guess I would have to go with the cancer!

His wife said the same thing!

Oh well, there are new things all the time, hopefully someday there will be an herbal cure.

Cindy

[RandyW]

Kinda odd that recent studies shpow that Shark Cartilage does not work. Oh well Heres to finding a workable cure!!!

[Nova]

Thank you.

I bought some organic Pomegranate and cranberry juice for Harry. That's about as brave as I'll get when it comes to unproven concoctions!!

I remember when St. John's Wart was the "cure-all" of the century, and loads of people were taking it for depresssion. Come to find out, it wasn't such a good idea, as it had more "bad" effects then good.

Thanks,

Nova

[wendyr]

MD Anderson in Houston completed a study on shark cartiledge that showed zero, zilch, nada effect on cancer, any cancer.

wendyr

[Alisa]

I take the Acai Berry extract after reading many reports about the berry and anti-cancer.

If anyone wants to know where I get mine, you can PM me.