"Superfruit" A Day Keep The Doctor Away?

Dietian Keri Glassman Talks About "Superfruits" That Claim To Have Huge Health Benefits, But At Huge Costs

(CBS)  With names like acai, noni and mangosteen, so-called "superfruits" certainly are exotic, but how "super" are they? Keri Glassman, registered dietitian and Early Show contributor offered a superfruit reality check.

According to Glassman, a superfruit is "actually a marketing term for fruits that have high in antioxidants, high in nutritional value. So hence the word 'superfruit.' It comes from the word 'superfood.' It's not a scientific word. Some of them you may have heard of. They come from all different exotic places. Some of them you may have heard of are acai, noni, mangosteen or goji berry."

Acai, noni, goji berry and mangosteen are actual fruits that claim to have health benefits.

"Acai is known to be the 'beauty berry' because it's known to be good for your skin, hair and nails," Glassman told Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez. "Then we have noni, which is supposed to support a good digestive system. Then we have the mangosteen. Mangosteen is supposed to combat fatigue and help fight infection. And then finally, we have the goji berry. And the goji is supposed to support a healthy libido and make you happy. It's known as the 'happy berry.' Who wouldn't want that?"

Although there is no conclusive scientific evidence to support the superfruits' health claims, Glassman points out that they are high in antioxidants, in which she is a huge advocate.

"Goji is about 10 times higher in antioxidants than blueberries," she said. "I love antioxidants. I talk about that all the time.

"We know that there's a lot of scientific evidence supporting the fact that -- or claiming, supporting that antioxidant fruits such as all -- we know blueberries and raspberries that they may prevent disease and help prevent aging as well. However, the specifics to these fruits are not at this moment proven."

The downside of these superfruits is their cost. The noni goes for about $39 for a bottle of juice and at least two ounces a day is suggested, Glassman explained.

Acai can also be found as a powder. Glassman points out that a lot of people are adding the superfruits into other juices now, but the first ingredient might be another juice and sugar.

"How much of the real goji or real acai are you going to actually absorb?" Glassman asked. "So if you are going to spend that money, spend it on the real thing and get that 100 percent juice."

Glassman stresses getting in two cups a day of real fruits.

"We know blueberries are good for us, raspberries are good for us, and they are high in vitamins and minerals, which is so important," she said. "So if you want to add on the expense, you want to up your nutrition a little bit, and you want to spend the money, do it. If you can afford it, do it. First, make sure you get your fruits in every day."

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[VitalagySuperJuice]

Hi, I'm Tami Chandler with DrinkJuiceForLife.com and I agree with much of the story. I do agree that typically the "Super Fruits" and "Super Juices" are expensive. Our Juice, Vitalagy has all of the "Super Fruits" in the formulation. Not sure you could find a more Super Juice out there (wholesale pricing besides). This article will not affect the success of one's business. People are fairly educated these days because of the internet and all the competition. I'm sure we can make a smart choice when it comes to Super anything! :)

[chmartinjr]

Dear, CBS, The early show,
If you want to report on the, SUPER FRUIT industry. You need to first tell how and who started the SUPER FRUIT market. For the answers go to ( tni.com/martins) then click on opportunity.
Thanks,
Clayton H. Martin Jr.
IPC 1498355

[fitnut]

It's unfortunate that CBS/The Early Show chose to interview a nutrition professional that obviously is not educated in the latest nutritional and medical research.

Dietitian Keri Glassman indicated there is no conclusive scientific evidence to support the superfruits' health claims. Yet a database search of research at www.pubmed.org (provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health) shows there are now 107 published studies on the goji berry (lycium barbarum).

Here's one of them:
Journal of Alternative & Complementary Med. 2008 May;14(4):403-12
This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial examined the general effects of the orally consumed goji berry, Lycium barbarum, as a standardized juice (GoChi; FreeLife International LLC). RESULTS: Significant differences between day 1 and day 15 were found in the GoChi group (N = 16) in increased ratings for energy level, athletic performance, quality of sleep, ease of awakening, ability to focus on activities, mental acuity, calmness, and feelings of health, contentment, and happiness. GoChi also significantly reduced fatigue and stress, and improved regularity of gastrointestinal function. CONCLUSIONS: These results clearly indicate that daily consumption of GoChi for 14 days increases subjective feelings of general well-being, and improves neurologic/psychologic performance and gastrointestinal functions. The data strongly suggest that further research is indicated to confirm and extend knowledge of the potential effects of Lycium barbarum upon human health.

As consumers, my wife and I have been using goji juice for five years now. During that time neither of us has been sick. We both sleep better and wake up feeling more rested. As a nutritionist I frequently recommend it to clients, witnessing extraordinary health benefits personally and professionally.

Jeff Johnson, MS - Nutritionist

[drtimsjuices]

Hi, this is Dr. Tim of Dr. Tim's Exotic Juices. It would have been great to have had our products included in Keri Glassmans spot on superfruits. You can see our products at www.brazilbotanicals.com. I am retired surgeon and have developed our exotic juices to be 100% juice with each bottle containing 85% of the respective main juice and the remaining 15% a mix of just a couple of other juices to support the flavor profile. I developed this specific formula to be a ready to drink format. In the begining so many of our customers were mixing our juice with other juices. So, after more market research and experimentation we found our formula to be optimal in providing high cncentration, high quality juice to our consumers. In addtition to that we are also reasonabley priced at just $16.95/bottle. It even gets better when you order 5 or 10 because then you get free shipping. We work very hard to provide outstanding quality at a great value. Once you open one of our bottles of juice you immeditely sense the high quality of our juice through flavor, color and thickness. I would love the opportunity to come on and explain just how different we are. Really, there is no other company in this industry founded and run by a real doctor, nor are there products that match ours in quality and value. We are growing rapidly because of this. We believe that we aren't just selling juice but really trust!