Açaí
Summary
Açaí is an anthocyanin-rich palm fruit from the Amazon. NCCIH says there is not enough reliable evidence that it helps any health purpose, and no peer-reviewed human study supports weight-loss claims. Small trials of pulp or juice found changes in oxidative-stress markers, but no lipid or glucose benefit versus placebo (grade D). Pulp has been used safely for up to 3 months.
Key facts
How it works
ProposedAçaí pulp is rich in anthocyanins such as cyanidin-3-glucoside. After a large serving, blood antioxidant capacity rose in volunteers, and laboratory studies suggest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Whether these marker changes lead to health benefits in people has not been shown.[11][1]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome
| Outcome | Grade | Effect | Strongest evidence | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood sugar & lipids | Grade D | No effect | RCT · n = 69 · 2020 | 4 rows |
| Tinnitus | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 30 · 2022 | 1 row |
| Blood vessels | Grade D | Improved | Crossover RCT · n = 23 · 2016 | 1 row |
| Prostate (PSA) | Grade D | No effect | Open-label · n = 21 · 2018 | 1 row |
| Exercise | Grade D | Improved | Crossover RCT · n = 14 · 2015 | 2 rows |
Every graded row
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood lipids and glucose during a calorie-reduced diet (açaí pulp) | No effect | Grade D | RCT · n = 69 · 2020 Overweight adults with dyslipidemia Form: Açaí pulp · Dose: 200 g/day added to a calorie-reduced diet · Duration: 60 days (after a 30-day diet run-in) Lipid profile and blood glucose did not change in either group. Plasma 8-isoprostane fell more than with placebo (P=0.037); IL-6 fell within the açaí group only. | 31307842 (opens PubMed)Source [3] |
| Glucose and lipid markers in metabolic syndrome (açaí beverage) | No effect | Grade D | RCT · n = 37 · 2018 Adults with metabolic syndrome (mean BMI 33.5) Form: Açaí beverage (1,139 mg/L total polyphenols) · Dose: 325 mL twice daily · Duration: 12 weeks No significant change in lipid or glucose markers versus placebo. Two inflammation and oxidative-stress markers (plasma interferon-gamma, urinary 8-isoprostane) fell versus placebo. | 29850709 (opens PubMed)Source [2] |
| HDL cholesterol in healthy adults (açaí juice) | Mixed | Grade D | Crossover RCT · n = 30 · 2020 Healthy adults Form: Açaí juice (compared with juçara juice, no placebo) · Dose: 200 mL/day · Duration: 4 weeks per juice, 4-week washout HDL rose 7.7% from baseline with açaí juice, and antioxidant enzyme activity rose, but there were no significant differences between the açaí and juçara periods. | 32349893 (opens PubMed)Source [4] |
| Tinnitus discomfort (açaí extract capsules) | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 30 · 2022 Adults with chronic tinnitus and normal hearing or mild hearing loss Form: Açaí extract · Dose: 100 mg/day · Duration: 3 months Tinnitus Handicap Inventory scores improved in the açaí group (P=0.006); oxidative-stress markers did not differ. | 35107519 (opens PubMed)Source [9] |
| Blood vessel function after a high-fat breakfast (açaí smoothie) | Improved | Grade D | Crossover RCT · n = 23 · 2016 Healthy overweight men aged 30–65 Form: Açaí smoothie with 694 mg total phenolics · Dose: Single serving with a high-fat breakfast · Duration: Acute (measured over 6 hours) Flow-mediated dilation rose 1.4% at 2 hours versus 0.4% with a matched control smoothie (P=0.001) and stayed higher at 6 hours. Blood pressure and glucose did not change; the insulin response was higher. | 27680990 (opens PubMed)Source [5] |
| PSA response in biochemically recurrent prostate cancer (açaí juice product) | No effect | Grade D | Open-label trial · n = 21 · 2018 Men with rising PSA after prostate cancer therapy Form: Açaí juice product · Dose: Twice daily until PSA progression · Duration: Until PSA progression The trial missed its primary endpoint: 1 of 21 men had a PSA response. PSA doubling time lengthened in 71%. | 30289005 (opens PubMed)Source [10] |
| Time to exhaustion in high-intensity running (açaí beverage) | Improved | Grade D | Crossover RCT · n = 14 · 2015 Elite athletes Form: Açaí functional beverage with 27.6 mg anthocyanins per dose · Dose: One dose before a test (dosing schedule not detailed in the abstract) · Duration: Acute Time to exhaustion at 90% VO2max was 69 seconds longer than in the control condition (P=0.045), with lower perceived exertion. | 26140415 (opens PubMed)Source [7] |
| Blood lactate and aerobic threshold in cyclists (açaí pulp) | Improved | Grade D | Crossover RCT · n = 10 · 2020 Trained male cyclists Form: Pasteurized açaí pulp · Dose: 400 g/day · Duration: 15 days per period, 30-day washout Blood lactate during exercise fell 29% (P=0.025) and the anaerobic threshold intensity rose after açaí pulp versus placebo; antioxidant capacity rose and lipid peroxidation fell. DNA damage did not change. | 31724083 (opens PubMed)Source [6] |
| Fasting glucose, insulin and cholesterol in overweight adults (açaí pulp) | Improved | Grade D | Open-label trial · n = 10 · 2011 Overweight adults (BMI 25–30, USA) Form: Açaí fruit pulp · Dose: 100 g twice daily · Duration: 1 month Fasting glucose, insulin and total cholesterol fell from baseline (P<0.05); blood pressure, hs-CRP and exhaled nitric oxide did not change. | 21569436 (opens PubMed)Source [8] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen or pasteurized açaí pulp | Varies[11] | Anthocyanins from pulp peaked in blood about 2.2 hours after a 7 mL/kg serving, with roughly double the blood exposure of clarified juice.[11] | NCCIH notes pulp has been used safely for up to 3 months in clinical research.[1] | Lipid, glucose, vascular and exercise trials (100–400 g/day) |
| Açaí juice or beverage | Varies[11] | Clarified juice anthocyanins peaked at about 2 hours, with lower blood levels than pulp at the same volume.[11] | No adverse-effect differences were reported in the juice trial abstracts. NCCIH warns raw, unpasteurized juice has been linked to rare Chagas disease outbreaks.[1][2][4] | Metabolic syndrome, HDL and prostate trials (200–650 mL/day) |
| Açaí extract capsules or freeze-dried powder | Varies[1] | No human absorption study of capsule extracts was found for this page.[1] | The tinnitus trial abstract reports no tolerability problems; capsule safety data are otherwise sparse.[9][1] | Tinnitus (100 mg/day extract) |
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from 100 mg/day of açaí extract in capsules to 200–400 g/day of frozen pulp or 200–650 mL/day of juice, from a single serving up to 3 months.[9][3][6][8][4][2][5]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
Medicines
- Diabetes medicinesNIH fact sheetPreliminary research found açaí may raise or lower fasting blood glucose, so NCCIH says it could interfere with glycemic control alongside antidiabetes drugs.[1]
Who should be careful
- Raw or unpasteurized juice
- Raw açaí fruit and juice can carry parasites; drinking raw juice has been linked to rare outbreaks of Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis).[1]
- Açaí-branded weight-loss pills
- FDA lab tests found hidden sibutramine, a drug removed from the US market in 2010 for safety reasons, in açaí weight-loss products; one also contained fluoxetine and sildenafil.[12][13]
- Before an MRI
- Açaí may affect MRI results of the gastrointestinal tract, so NCCIH advises telling the care team before a scan.[1]
- People on diabetes medicines
- Açaí may shift fasting blood glucose in either direction.[1]
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Little is known about açaí safety during pregnancy or breastfeeding.[1]
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
How to read the label
- Pulp vs capsulesTrials that measured lipids, blood sugar and exercise used 100–400 g of pulp a day. Capsule products hold a few hundred milligrams, far below those food-sized amounts.[3][6][8]
- Pasteurized, not rawChoose pasteurized pulp or juice; raw juice has been linked to Chagas disease outbreaks.[1]
- Weight-loss claimsBe cautious about weight-loss claims on açaí labels: NCCIH found no peer-reviewed human support, and the FTC has acted against deceptive marketing. FDA has also found hidden prescription drugs such as sibutramine in açaí-branded weight-loss products.[1][12][13]
Frequently asked questions
Does açaí help with weight loss?
There is no good evidence. NCCIH found no peer-reviewed human study supporting weight-loss claims, and the FTC has taken action against companies that marketed açaí weight-loss products deceptively.[1]
Does açaí lower cholesterol or blood sugar?
Two placebo-controlled trials in 37 and 69 adults found no change in lipids or blood glucose. A juice study saw HDL rise 7.7% from baseline but had no placebo group.[2][3][4]
Is açaí safe?
Pasteurized pulp has been used safely for up to 3 months in trials. Raw juice has been linked to rare Chagas disease outbreaks, and açaí may affect gut MRI results.[1]
Sources
- [1]Acai: Usefulness and Safety. NCCIH, 2024. fact-sheet
- [2]Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) beverage consumption improves biomarkers for inflammation but not glucose- or lipid-metabolism in individuals with metabolic syndrome in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.. Food Funct, 2018. RCT
- [3]Effects of a hypoenergetic diet associated with açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) pulp consumption on antioxidant status, oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in overweight, dyslipidemic individuals.. Clin Nutr, 2020. RCT
- [4]Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) and juçara (Euterpe edulis Mart.) juices improved HDL-c levels and antioxidant defense of healthy adults in a 4-week randomized cross-over study.. Clin Nutr, 2020. crossover-RCT
- [5]Consumption of a flavonoid-rich açai meal is associated with acute improvements in vascular function and a reduction in total oxidative status in healthy overweight men.. Am J Clin Nutr, 2016. crossover-RCT
- [6]Açai pulp supplementation as a nutritional strategy to prevent oxidative damage, improve oxidative status, and modulate blood lactate of male cyclists.. Eur J Nutr, 2020. crossover-RCT
- [7]Consumption of açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) functional beverage reduces muscle stress and improves effort tolerance in elite athletes: a randomized controlled intervention study.. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2015. crossover-RCT
- [8]Effects of Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) berry preparation on metabolic parameters in a healthy overweight population: a pilot study.. Nutr J, 2011. open-label
- [9]Supplementation with açaí (Euterpe Oleracea Martius) for the treatment of chronic tinnitus: effects on perception, anxiety levels and oxidative metabolism biomarkers.. Codas, 2022. RCT
- [10]Phase II Trial of Acai Juice Product in Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer.. Integr Cancer Ther, 2018. open-label
- [11]Pharmacokinetics of anthocyanins and antioxidant effects after the consumption of anthocyanin-rich acai juice and pulp (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) in human healthy volunteers.. J Agric Food Chem, 2008. PK-study
- [12]Public Notification: Extra Slim Plus Acai Berry Weight Loss Formula contains hidden drug ingredient (sibutramine). US Food and Drug Administration, 2016. safety-communication
- [13]Public Notification: Dream Body Advanced + Acai Weight Loss & Cleanse contains hidden drug ingredients (sibutramine, fluoxetine, sildenafil). US Food and Drug Administration, 2016. safety-communication
What changed
- Independent adversarial review: added FDA notifications of açaí weight-loss products adulterated with sibutramine (and fluoxetine and sildenafil) to who should avoid and the label guide.
- Adversarial review pass: every evidence row's numbers re-checked against its abstract (Europe PMC for abstracts PubMed truncates, PMC full text where open), grades checked against the grading rubric, and safety and overclaim wording re-read. No changes needed.
- First draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title and year taken from the record) and abstracts read for the cited rows.
- Strict second-pass self review (no separate reviewer agent was available for this batch): every PMID re-fetched via esummary and every evidence row, dose and safety line re-read against its abstract or fact sheet. NCCIH acai fact sheet (updated November 2024) re-read for safety lines. The 2015 athlete trial is flagged for the inconsistent confidence interval in its abstract, and within-group-only or uncontrolled results are labelled as such. Retraction and erratum flags checked on all PMIDs: none.