Acai Berry Tablets – Better Than Juice?

No doubt you’ve heard the buzz surrounding acai berry tablets and acai berry juice. This popular “superfood” called acai has been featured on Oprah, the Today Show, and several other programs. Acai berries contain a host of nutrients such as antioxidants, fiber, and omega-3, -6, and -9 fatty acids. But which is more beneficial, the capsules or the juice?

From a health standpoint, the pills are probably more beneficial than the juices. Like most fruit juice products, acai berry juice is often sold as a juice blend. MonaVie, for example, is actually a blend of nineteen different fruit juices. Consequently, you don’t really know how much acai you’re getting. Juices also tend to be watered down and may contain added sugar or other undesired ingredients. Be sure to read the labels on all fruit juices, as many of them surprisingly contain very little juice.

By contrast, acai berry tablets are created through a much more precise process that results in a purer product. The acai berries are freeze-dried and then processed into a fine powder that can be encapsulated or compressed into a tablet. However, this powder is not the same as “acai berry powder” that is yet another form of acai. The loose powders that you can buy in bags are made from acai berry extract, not the freeze-dried berries. So if you want to get the most acai for your money, the tablets are the way to go.

Other reasons for choosing tablets over juice include personal preference, budget, and lifestyle. Some people do not like the taste of acai berries, while others just prefer the convenience of taking a pill. Last but not least, acai berry juice is not cheap. A bottle of MonaVie costs almost $40, and it has only enough servings for about one week. At $40 per week, that’s about $173 per month or $2080 per year. Bottles of acai berry tablets vary greatly depending on the manufacturer (be careful — cheaper brands may not contain authentic acai), but the average price per one-month supply is only about $58.  If sparing $2 a day to look and feel great is too much, then acai may not be for you.