New Superfood Study Contradicts Previous Superfood Study, Both Funded By Same Superfood Company

A newly published nutritional study concluding that acai berries have no significant anti-inflammatory properties has been found to contradict a 2023 study concluding that acai berries have remarkable anti-inflammatory properties. Both studies were funded by AcaiVita International, the world's largest acai berry supplement manufacturer. The 2023 study, published in the Journal of Functional Nutrition, found that daily acai supplementation reduced inflammatory biomarkers by 34% in a cohort of 60 participants. The 2026 study, published in the same journal, found no statistically significant difference between acai supplementation and placebo in a cohort of 120 participants. AcaiVita International funded both studies through its research arm, the AcaiVita Foundation for Nutritional Science, which is located in the same building as AcaiVita's marketing department and shares a break room. "These findings are not contradictory," said AcaiVita spokesperson Harmony Blend. "The 2023 study showed that acai berries can reduce inflammation. The 2026 study showed that sometimes they don't. Both of these things are true. Science is nuanced." When asked why the company funded a study that undermined its own previous research, Blend explained that the 2026 study was originally designed to replicate the 2023 findings with a larger sample size, which would have supported a premium pricing strategy. "The data did not cooperate," she said. Nutritionist Dr. Morgan Fiber reviewed both studies and noted significant methodological differences. "The 2023 study had no control group, a six-week duration, and measured inflammatory markers using a method that three independent labs have called 'creative,'" she said. "The 2026 study is actually well-designed, which is why it found nothing." AcaiVita has announced that its marketing materials will continue to reference the 2023 study exclusively. The 2026 study has been reclassified on the company's website under "Ongoing Research" and is accessible only through a link that requires scrolling past fourteen pages of testimonials.