There is something about this Acai Berry craze that has a lot of people searching the internet for whether or not the hype is true. Does the Acai Berry actually help with weight loss, or is it yet another scam from Oprah Winfrey?

What is an Acai Berry?

If you didn’t know, the Acai berry is a small reddish-purple fruit. It is about an inch long, and naturally the product of the Acai palm tree. The acai tree grows in rain forests in South and Central America.

What is in the Acai Berry?

The Acai berry contains anthocyanins and flavonoids, which according to eFitnessNow has many of health benefits. The website says that the two substances are anti-oxidants that help protect the body and the body’s cells. The myth is that Anthocyanins and flavnoids may also grind the aging and disease process to a halt. This is radical.

What else is in the Acai Berry?

You may be surprised to hear that the Acai Berry contains the Omega-6 and Omega-9 fatty acids. Those if you are not aware are believed to protect the cardiovascular system and help lower cholesterol.

This is such an interesting question every honest person needs to ask themselves. When you see celebrity endorsements for a product, and then that product is suddenly hotcakes, is there a motivation there? Are they doing it because they really believe in the product or do they receive some sort of kick back to making the Acai Berry so big.

Like I previously wrote about Acai was the most search food term of 2009, yes beating out Pizza! Shocking I know. The Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado told KRDO.com that Acai might be on the the Top Ten Scams or Rip-Offs of 2009.

Katie Carrol says that scammers are smart and play on the fears and dreams of people.

Here is the entire list:

1. H1N1 Scams- Promises of swine flu vaccines or preventative medicine for a seemingly reasonable price.
2. Memorabilia- Collectibles commemorating historic events sold at inflated prices with no actual value.
3. Weight Loss Pill Free Trail Offers- Like the Acai and Resveratrol displayed on trusted web sites and said to be endorsed by celebrities.
4. Phising E-mails- Appear to be sent from government agencies meant to trick victims into divulging sensitive information or infect a victim’s computer.
5. Mystery Shopping- Many victims asked to wire money to scammers to check wiring service. Victims are sent an authentic looking, but worthless check as payment.
6. Lottery Scam- Mail or e-mails from Publisher’s Clearing House asking victims to send scammers money to cover taxes before they receive their winnings.
7. Loved One in Distress- aka The Grandma Scam. A scammer, pretending to be a loved one, asks victim to send money to a foreign country to cover lawyer’s fees or bail.
8. Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue/ Debt Assistance: Scammers offer struggling families help if victims pay hundreds of dollars for help they never receive.
9. Job Hunter Scams: Prey’s on the unemployed. One of the most  popular is a supposed job seeker service that requests victims pay a fee before they are evaluated  for possible jobs.
10. Robocalls- Thousands of people across the USA are receiving automated telephone calls claiming a person’s auto warranty is about to expire or that a bank was offering to lower the interest rate on their credit card. These calls violate federal telemarketing laws.

Every year Google releases interesting stats regarding the most sought for terms on the internet. This year Michael Jackson topped the overall list, which is no surprise since his passing was the news story of the year – for sure.

What is interesting that my blog readers should know that Acai topped the list in the Health and Food list.

Did you search for Acai this year on google? What sort of results did you find? I would like to know what my readers have seen on google.

CNNMoney has the great news coming from the Heathrow Natural Food & Beverage Incorporation, Acai plus’ anti-oxidant gum will be distributed at the FIFA 2010 World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa beginning in June 2010. As you very know, the World Cup, like Presidential elections in the United States, is only held once every four years. It’s a very large event. So large that thirty-two countries, representing every continent compete for the World Cup.

"This is a major milestone for the Heathrow Natural Super Food Brand and the exposure to be gained at the 2010 World Cup is priceless. The monetary value of the order is insignificant compared to the brand awareness for ACAI Plus, which will be used by consumers from every part of the world at the event. We are delighted that the African Aid Network has chosen ACAI Plus based on its nutritional value and unique delivery system to provide players and fans alike with super functional nutrients," said Michael Pagnano, CEO Heathrow Natural Food & Beverage, Inc.

You can read more about this at CNNMoney.com: Heathrow Natural Food & Beverage, Inc. receives $1.5 million order for ACAI Plus to Be Distributed at the FIFA World Cup

According to WHEC.com Michael Joseph created an energy drink as a “pick-me-up” and what the baby would between Red Bull and Vitamin Water. The drink? The company is called Enertia Beverage. He claims that the drink has the “same caffeine jolt as two cups of coffee but tastes like Gatorade or Vitamin Water.

The drink was concocted in a plant near Pittsburg. The owners go door to door selling Vital Energy in it’s two flavors, Acai Blueberry and Tangerine. They said they hope to come out with a third flavor, Rasberry Apple, in January.

You can read more about this story on WHEC.com: Pittsford startup making a splash in the energy drink biz.