Real Life Diet Questions Answered

Acai berries and colon cleanse. Fad??

Hi, I keep noticing a lot of advertisement for acai berries and colon cleanse supplements to aid weight loss. A few friends of mine have tried the supplements and claim to have lost weight on it. Not sure if they changed their diets or exercise regimes. What would you advise about taking them? Are they just another faddy diet supplement? Thanks

Our expert says...

Thanks for your query. Yes on balance I do think the acai berries / colon cleanse thing is a fad, and when you look at the internet sites on this combo, you’ll find they are very commercially driven - i.e. there’s obviously money to be had.

I’m sure people do lose weight fat on this regimen because the colon “cleanse” side of things is mainly about a laxative effect which will obviously clear water and gut bacteria from the system and allow you to lose a few pounds quickly.

Acai berries are a very good source of antioxidants, but are no substitute for a diet that’s packed with fruit and vegetables. So I think, as with all these things, the true effect is that you reduce calories quite drastically, but because it’s so regimented and the promises are so good (and it’s for a finite time) your psychology is positively affected in a way that makes you manage it without succumbing hunger pangs.

However it’s all very short term and the weight loss is unlikely to last, so if you can resist, I’d really advise you to save your money and stick to something more sustainable – like a moderately reduced calorie diet and a sensible healthy eating regimen (e.g. Nutracheck!) you can stick to long term! Sorry to be a bore, but that’s really how it is!