Air date: October 25, 2009

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Every now and again some new, exotic food emerges as almost miraculously healthy. Right now, it's the acai berry -- a purple fruit from Central and South America.

You've definitely heard about acai. And you've probably seen breathless news reports, like this one;

"Why is it all the rage? New York Times bestselling author Dr. Nicholas Perricone rates it the #1 super-fruit in The Perricone Promise: Helping You Look Younger and Live Longer. And a university of Florida study says it can even blast cancer cells ..."

Or maybe you've come across ads pitching acai berries as a weigh loss supplement:

"If you're like me you've probably heard about this amazing super-fruit that's taken the country by storm. And with so many products on the net you just don't know what to believe. This website was set up to provide information, views and advice about acai weight loss products ..."

Super-fruit? Cancer blaster? To be honest, I still don't know what to believe.

The Florida study mentioned in the first clip seems legit -- sort of. It showed that acai berry extracts are good at shutting down leukemia cells. But that's in the lab under controlled conditions. There's no evidence that drinking an acai potion cures cancer.

The most reliable information I found about the purportedly wondrous healing powers of acai was a report on WebMD.com. It explains that acai berries are believed to be healthy because they're full of antioxidants -- molecules thought to fight disease and delay aging.

But here's the thing: there's no concrete proof that antioxidants make you healthier. And, even if they do, there's really no reason to believe that acai berries provide more health benefits than any other antioxidant-rich food. And there's certainly no hard evidence that acai in juice or pill form helps you lose weight.

So, bottom line, the hype around acai berries is probably just that: hype. Eating the berries won't hurt, but they probably won't help in any special way, either.

I'm Jeremy Shere.

Additional Resources:

• WebMD provides the basic facts on acai berry.

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