This article appeared on MSNBC local news site on Jan 14th 2009 and talks about one company scamming people out of their money over the Acai Berry Supplement Scam.

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The acai berry has been hailed as a cure-all, capable of fighting cancer and promoting weight loss. But the Better Business Bureau is advising consumers to stay away from one South Florida supplier.

Boca Raton-based SFL Nutrition makes grand claims about the acai berry supplement it markets on the Internet.

“They’re alleging that it’s curing cancer and that it’ll prevent cancer,” Better Business Bureau spokesman Mike Galvin said. “It’s alleging that you’ll have a high-energy level and weight loss. All these things are not documented with any type of research whatsoever.”

But it’s not those claims that earned the company an F grade with the Better Business Bureau. Most of the 2,000-plus unanswered complaints against SFL Nutrition accuse the company of cheating customers.

“They’re indicating that it’s a free trial for 14 days,” Galvin said. “But on their Web site, they ask that you provide the credit card number, and once they receive the credit card number, they start sending you the supplies.”

One customer wrote on the Better Business Bureau Web site of having to cancel a credit card instead of waiting eight hours on hold to get hundreds of dollars refunded.

“In today’s world, in these desperate times, people will not tolerate that and they try to get their money back and there’s no response whatsoever,” Galvin said.

WPBF News 25’s Brian Albert called SFL Nutrition and got no response. No one answered the door at the company’s Boca Raton address either.

“My partner tells me he thinks they may have moved out,” Debbie Wexler, co-owner of the Two Fat Cookies bakery next door, said.

Wexler said she’s been hounded on the telephone and in person by angry SFL Nutrition customers.

“People have been calling looking for the company at this address and people are telling me that they’re being overcharged on their credit cards for merchandise that they did not order,” Wexler said.

The Better Business Bureau claims that another company in the same business park is part of the alleged scheme.

GlobalNet Pharmacies deflected questions about its sister company, even though it shares the same owner as SFL Nutrition. Now, the Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to stay away from both companies.

“Consumer beware: If it looks too good and sounds too good to be true, it normally is,” Galvin said.

Read the entire article below.

Better Business Bureau Warns Of Acai Berry Supplement Scam – News- msnbc.com.

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We have access to more information about our health now than any time in history. It seems like everyday there is a new miracle, a new cure for the things that ail us, another pill or potion that will make us feel better. Green tea is the “now” nutritional supplement. It has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years, but is it worth all the hype? What exactly are the benefits and are they effective enough to consider? The Food and Drug Administration has not officially approved green tea or endorsed any of its properties, but believers swear by them.

One of the pros (or cons, depending on your side of the fence on the issue) of green tea is its caffeine content. The tea contains about have the caffeine as a regular cup of coffee. There are several schools of thought on caffeine’s effect on the body. It’s definitely a stimulant, and some choose to avoid it for that reason. Some dieters say going decaf helps them curb their sweet tooth. Others say the little caffeine boost helps rev them up for their workout.

Another unsubstantiated perk of this beverage is its ability to delay and sometimes alleviate the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Most such diseases involve the build up of a certain kind of plaque in the brain, which restricts blood flow and leads to the nerve damage that is characteristic of such illnesses. In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the antioxidant EGCG has been shown to positively affect the amount of harmful beta-amyloid protein plaque in lab mice. The animals that were treated with a daily injection of EGCG exhibited a whopping 54 percent less of the harmful plaque than the animals that weren’t treated.

If green tea is what it takes to stave off such dreadful diseases, why isn’t everyone drinking it? Simple, it’s just not enough. Other antioxidants found in the tea water down the effect of RGCG. In order to reproduce the same effect in humans that the lab mice experienced, the dose would have to be about 1,500 or 1,600 milligrams a day. The large amount has been tested on humans and found to be safe.

Advocates of green tea also say it contains thermogenetic qualities that speed up metabolism and help with weight loss. To get the maximum health benefits of green tea, you’d need to drink the concentrated form of RGCG, which can also be found in vegetables. People who make a point to consume foods that contain RGCG keep themselves detoxified. Doing so reduces their chances of developing cancer and other diseases.

Be aware that the health hype of green tea has aided its commercialism. Beverage brands have been quick to jump on the bandwagon and offer a plethora of variations on the theme. Just because it says “green tea” on the label doesn’t mean it has all the nutritional benefits you’ve heard about. After processing, it might not even be good for you at all. Always read the nutritional information on the back of the label and be sure of what you’re consuming.

Kelly Hunter operates http://www.green-tea-benefits-center.com and writes about the Benefits Of Green Tea.

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