Antioxidants and the Growth of a Scam
By: Keith
If you live on planet Earth you’ve heard of antioxidants. They can be found in just about everything you eat in varying quantities and have become the selling point in acai and other similarly scammy products. It’s not that the antioxidants themselves are a scam. It’s that some of the highest concentrations of them can be found in everyday foods that don’t come from a goat farmer’s backyard in Nepal or some poor native village from the Amazon. The scam is in the marketing of antioxidants as something exotic and mystical; they aren’t.
The Nation Cancer Institute (cancer.gov) explains antioxidants in an unconfused way.
“Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radical damage may lead to cancer. Antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals and may prevent some of the damage free radicals might otherwise cause. Examples of antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins C, E, and A, and other substances.”
Antioxidants are in just about everything (except maybe a Big Mac) – oranges, carrots, peas, beans, leaves of every variety and even meats. They’re everywhere, and different kinds help prevent different cancers and conditions. The big catch with antioxidants is that not all foods hold them in the same quantities. You might be surprised when I tell you that oregano and cinnamon have more antioxidant power than all that acai and goji berry stuff you see advertised as miracle foods in your google side bar. Here is a quote from a 2000 paper entitled The Effects of Plant Flavonoids on Mammilian Cells: Implications for Inflammation, Heart Disease, and Cancer. It’s from the Chebeague Island Institute of Natural Product Research:
“Flavonoids are nearly ubiquitous in plants and are recognized as the pigments responsible for the colors of leaves, especially in autumn. They are rich in seeds, citrus fruits, olive oil, tea, and red wine.”
Flavonoids are known for their antioxidant activity (antioxidant is a generic term referring to a multitude of vitamins and chemicals that all act to repair DNA damage). Like I said before, there is no mystery behind their abundance. Our own bodies produce antioxidants to control free radical damage (which is basically the process of aging). The problem is that our bodies do not do a perfect job. Thus, eating a diet rich in anti-oxidants is recommended. You may ask, “How do scientists measure antioxidant value?” They use a measure called Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity (ORAC). The higher the ORAC value the more antioxidants are in that food. Here’s a list, from WebMD.com of some of the highest ORAC value foods:
| Top 20 Food Sources of Antioxidants | |||
| Rank | Food item | Serving size | Total antioxidant capacity per serving size |
| 1 | Small Red Bean (dried) | Half cup | 13727 |
| 2 | Wild blueberry | 1 cup | 13427 |
| 3 | Red kidney bean (dried) | Half cup | 13259 |
| 4 | Pinto bean | Half cup | 11864 |
| 5 | Blueberry (cultivated) | 1 cup | 9019 |
| 6 | Cranberry | 1 cup (whole) | 8983 |
| 7 | Artichoke (cooked) | 1 cup (hearts) | 7904 |
| 8 | Blackberry | 1 cup | 7701 |
| 9 | Dried Prune | Half cup | 7291 |
| 10 | Raspberry | 1 cup | 6058 |
| 11 | Strawberry | 1 cup | 5938 |
| 12 | Red Delicious apple | One | 5900 |
| 13 | Granny Smith apple | One | 5381 |
| 14 | Pecan | 1 ounce | 5095 |
| 15 | Sweet cherry | 1 cup | 4873 |
| 16 | Black plum | One | 4844 |
| 17 | Russet potato (cooked) | One | 4649 |
| 18 | Black bean (dried) | Half cup | 4181 |
| 19 | Plum | One | 4118 |
| 20 | Gala apple | One | 3903 |
The Lure of Exoticism:
If you lived in China you wouldn’t each Chinese food; you’d just eat food. If you lived in Thailand you’d probably practice Buddhism not Christianity. And, you wouldn’t be considered exotic in any way. We live in a shrinking world so it’s confusing to me why people still find things and ideas from across the globe as somehow more valuable than those found right in our back yards. Health products are just one example of this phenomenon. Goji berries for instance are really nothing more than wolfberries. The health food scammers changed the name to make them sound more exotic. The truth is that they’re quite common through India and China. The kicker is that the Chinese have never used them as an important part of their medicinal practice. Don’t you think if there was this miracle plant sitting right in their backyard that they would have figured it out sometime in the last 5 thousand years?
The Acai Business is Starving Native Populations:
Before stupid Oprah got on the band wagon of acai it was still a niche market. Then she opened her mouth about it and everybody wanted some. But, acai is a staple crop in parts of the Amazon, and there isn’t enough now to feed the natives who rely on it. It’s being harvested and shipped to the US instead. Again, if it was a miracle plant don’t you think the people who eat it in mass quantities every day would be living to 300 years old or something? They aren’t. They’re just a bunch of native people trying to get by on a crop which happens to be available nearby. It might be exotic to get health foods from far and wide but there is hardly anything mystical or miraculous about it. It’s nothing but greed.
Tea Doesn’t Grow Here:
Tea does not grow in the US (except one plantation in South Carolina). But, it does grow all over the world and in huge quantities. It’s been recognized for thousands of years as a healthful beverage, and there is real scientific research into its chemical compounds. Tea is an example of something that seems exotic, but actually has real science behind it. It is an established crop like corn or rice. It has real benefits that have been measured. If you want to find out about tea then you can. If you want to find out about acai you’ll just get page after page of miraculous scam blogs and web pages. It is not a sustainable crop in the quantities in which it’s being imported. My suggestion is to wait for the science and to wait for proper and sustainable harvesting methods to catch up to demand. In the mean time, let the natives have their crop back.
Notice that some of the highest ORAC values from the above chart are also some of the most common ingredients in your kitchen? I looked high and low for reliable numbers for acai berries and goji berries, but the fact is that none of the internet sources I found are even remotely believable. In fact, type acai into google and you’re going to find millions of results that have absolutely no credible science attached to it. Oprah touted it once, it got popular and people went stupid about it. That’s what happens with anything related to health. Fools are a dime a dozen. I’d like to believe there is a miracle plant somewhere in the world, but there just isn’t. Notice that every few years there’s something else en vogue? That should tell you something right there. Be smart with your health, keep up on recent research and live judiciously. That’s how to make it through life. Not by latching onto fads.
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Cinnamon is amazing, especially for diabetics. I make a spice rub for chicken with cinnamon, chili powder, cumin and dried mint, among other things, which is amazing. And my favorite snack these days are a serving of craisins with a handful of cocoa roasted almonds. They’re made by Emerald and are stupid good.
.-= PJ Mullen´s last blog ..The one with real estate agents and Roadhouse =-.
PJ: Chicken with cinnamon sounds delicious. Emerald nuts are addictive, I agree. I try to avoid the salted varieties but sometimes it’s hard
Keith,
I thought it was funny the Adsense ad at the bottom of this article was HealthMagNews.com/Acai_Berry
Which takes you to
drmdreview.com/zx037/2010-Diet-Trends.php?t202id=4324&t202kw=acai%20berry%20juice%20benefits
Selling an Acai free trial with Colon Cleanse upsell! haha
Otherwise, good article!
Jason
.-= Jason Dalrymple´s last blog ..Internet Wisdom =-.
Jason: No kidding! I’m writing an article against acai and I still get the damn adsense stuff popping up. That’s a testament to it’s success I suppose
Wow, great article, again. Yup, I fell for the whole acai thing, and a friend has been trying to hook me onto Monavie, but I did research that first and decide not to go there. But I bought the one at Costco. The thing bothering most is what you wrote about the natives. That has me sold on not buying it! I agree with PJ I love cinammon, and never thought of using the way he just wrote, and would LOVE the recipe!!!!
Mitzi: You are certainly not the only one to fall for it. The marketing on it is incredibly sophisticated so I wouldn’t feel ashamed about it. The deception is deep with all those products. Oh, and PJ is the ultimate in the kitchen. Click on his url and browse some of his recipes. I made his rissoto spinach and shrimp pasta dish. It was great!
What? You mean that I’m not going to lose 30 pounds in 10 days from Mega Acai 3000 that I got for “free” on the Internet or read about in some affiliate marketers blog? Speaking of, there is an AdSense unit above this comment box– guess what kind of ad is popping up there?
Dennis: I should have known that was going to happen!
I swear I had nothing to do with it folks. Do yourself a favor and don’t click on any ad that says acai! I don’t want to make money off that stuff. Thanks dennis!
great article!!
I’m pretty up on nutrition, but I totally missed that red kidney beans were so high in antioxidants. Not surprising, however. I basically subscribe to the belief that you simply look to old world traditional cooking (those recipes that have stood the test of time) and you’ll find the greatest sources of nutrition available. And the cool thing is that science is backing that up on a daily basis! I, myself, grew up on an ethnic diet that was loaded with cinnamon and other antioxident-rich spices – not to mention probiotic-rich homemade yogurt, and a slew of other old world ingredients that science is now saying are jam-packed with anti-cancer and health promoting properties.
Brian: I had no idea about the beans either until I saw that. Kinda makes you think how people on the other side of the world view our foods. Maybe they think Kidney beans are some sort of miracle!
I’ve noticed some companies do the same thing with omega 3. They put it on the label, but a lot of the products also have a lot of trans fat.
.-= Daddy Forever´s last blog ..Chinese New Year 2010 =-.
Good Point, Ken. I’ve noticed the same thing. Seems omega 3 is another catch phrase these days that’s used as an excuse to charge more for common items.
Umm. Sir. Correction: as a semi skeptical but recent subscriber to an antioxidant formula, I found your article interesting in parts. Though I’m very displeased with your inclusion of the WebMD nutrient facts. They state clearly in the article that they DID NOT TEST these exotic fruits and vegetables you are attempting to disclaim. Actually, they made a point out of testing only the vegetables and fruits that most people have in their kitchens because there was not as large a breadth of information about their antioxidant contents.
Josh: You can’t correct what isn’t wrong. I said “some” of the highest antioxidant foods. Did you know that goji berries are nothing but wolf berries (and wolf berries have a very average level of antioxidants?) There is nothing magical about exotic berries and fruits. Go ahead and waste your money, you won’t be any healthier for it. I’m not sure why you feel you need to yell “DID NOT TEST” at me. I didn’t say they did. In fact, if they had, I would have included them. But, you won’t be surprised to find that there does not exist antioxidant information for goji berries and acai anywhere on the internet? Why? Well, the information would be uninspiring, and whoever sold you your antioxidant brew is laughing all the way to the bank. Eat a good diet with lots of different colored fruits and veggies and you’ll be fine. No need for anything exotic unless you have too much money and no idea what to do with it.
It isn’t Oprah, it’s Dopera. How a mediocre, overweight actress can rise to become one of the most influential people on the planet is jaw-dropping. But in a culture where Survivor skills and being a Bachelor are the keys to success… or being a homeless crack addict/alcoholic named Ted, with a “golden throat,” (Linda Lovelace is probably turning in her grave), what else can one expect?
One can only hope that reincarnation exists, and that in her next life, Oprah Winfrey will come back as some tropical bird that cries out, “Acai, acai, acai” as the last tree in the Amazon meets the feller’s axe.