Q. Is acai healthier for me than other fruits?

A. A purple berry called acai (pronounced "ah-sah-ee") is being touted as the latest superfood. The Internet is full of claims that acai can help you lose weight, fight cancer, slow aging, lower cholesterol, increase energy, improve sleep, alleviate joint pain and more.

Research shows acai is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that are well absorbed by the human body. These studies are a good start, but should not be the basis for some of the outrageous claims being made. It is unknown whether acai provides a greater health benefit than other high-antioxidant foods such as blueberries, concord grapes, pomegranates and dark chocolate.

Some claims about acai may prove to be true. To find out, a large group of people need to be given a daily dose of acai, while another group takes a placebo. These people should be monitored for disease over several years. Nobody has done this, therefore health claims for acai are only speculation. The hype is getting way ahead of the science.

In a recent study, acai extracts destroyed a large amount of leukemia cells in culture dishes. Mango and grape extracts do the same thing. This is far from showing these extracts have any effect on leukemia cells in the body. Acai has not yet been proven to be effective for cancer in humans. In fact it may actually interfere with the actions of certain chemotherapy drugs.

You can't find fresh acai berries in a store or farmers market. They are only grown in the Amazon rainforest. The berries spoil very quickly, making it impossible to ship them long distances.

Acai is sold as a frozen pulp, juice, powder or capsules. There's a huge difference between eating the berries or pulp and using acai capsules. It's difficult to package all of the beneficial substances in foods into a capsule.

Acai products are often promoted on the Internet for weight loss. There's no research proving they work. It's easy to find complaints from disappointed consumers who didn't get results when using acai to lose weight.

Bottom line: Acai is a highly nutritious fruit that can be consumed as part of a healthy diet. Just don't expect it to cure all your ills. If you smoke, eat unhealthy foods, and don't exercise, taking a daily dose of acai will not keep you healthy.

Amy Tousman is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with Nutrition Unlimited in Kailua. Hawai'i experts in traditional medicine, naturopathic medicine and diet take turns writing the Prescriptions column. Send your questions to: Prescriptions, Island Life, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; islandlife@honoluluadvertiser.com; or fax 535-8170. This column is not intended to provide medical advice.