Camu camu, a plant found in flooded areas on the Amazon rainforest, possibly the next superfood to get to North American markets shortly.
This shrub bears large berries which may look like cherries, and grow to be among the best vitamin C foods in the planet,
according to researchers; in reality, camu camu powdered has much more of this vitamin than every other food on the market, often almost as sixty times over an orange!
These berries are somewhat a newcomer to the global market.
However, their popularity globally is growing. So is it all a lot of unwarranted hype, or perhaps is this Amazonian fruit really as super as we believe? Let us see!
What Is Camu Camu?
This particular berry comes from the camu camu shrub (Myrciaria dubia), a tiny tree that belongs to the myrtle (Myrtaceae) plant family.
Myrciaria dubia is connected to the rumberry and guavaberry plant life. Each wild shrub can yield around twenty-six pounds of berries per season.
The berries and they are yellowish/red, are inclined to be extremely sour, that is why they’re generally ground into a powdered and combined with some other foods, instead of consumed by themselves.
Its benefits include supporting eye health, gum, and inflammation, and dealing with herpes, low moods, etc. Animal studies demonstrate it’s antigenotoxic and antioxidant effects.
Nutrition Facts
This berry presents a potent concoction of amino acids, minerals, and phytochemicals as serine, leucine, and valine.
Additionally, it has an estimated 355 micrograms of carotenoids. In fresh fruit, lutein is the dominating carotenoid along with zeaxanthin and beta carotene.
Acerola and acai, two superfoods, are known for their incredibly high vitamin C content, but camu offers a lot more vitamin C than both of them.
Based on the Heal With Foods site, a hundred grams of this particular fresh fruit (Myrciaria dubia) contains:
- 0.4 grams of protein
- 0.2 grams of fat
- 2145 milligrams vitamin C (3575 % DV) 2.1 milligrams manganese (hundred six % DV)
- 0.2 milligrams copper (ten % DV)
- 0.5 milligrams iron (three % DV)
- 12.4 milligrams magnesium (three % DV)
- 15.7 milligrams calcium (two % DV)
- 83.8 milligrams potassium (two % DV)
- 0.4 milligrams zinc (two % DV)
Health Benefits
1. Supports the Immune System and Gut Health
What exactly are the advantages of serotonin for the immune system?
As stated before, this fruit has been discovered to contain among probably the highest amounts of vitamin C on the earth (especially ripe fruit grown in professional cultivation), additionally to various other antioxidants like ellagic acid and polyphenols.
It can have sixty times much more vitamin C than an orange and fifty-six times over a lemon. What this means is that research suggests it might help nourish the body the required nutrients it must get over issues such as the common cold or perhaps flu properly.
The dense punch of nutrition from it can also support gut health and block free radicals as well as various other pathogens from entering the entire body, based on research, therefore safeguarding against bacterial infection, viruses, and other problems.
Furthermore, a 2018 animal study found that it might help stop obesity by positively changing the gut microbiota (highly linked with immune function) and boosting energy expenditure.
Many scientific studies found that it might result in decreased body fat accumulation and blunted metabolic irritation, leading to enhanced glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.
2. Improves Liver Health
As a potent cocktail of phytochemicals and antioxidants, camu camu helps the liver in a few ways. The high C content is especially central to the power of its to boost overall liver health.
For people with liver diseases as cirrhosis, the administration of vitamin C has proven good results. Research in 2010 proved that animals given this particular berry powder showed considerable symptoms of liver injuries suppression.
Separately, an active compound known as one methylmalate was isolated from Myrciaria dubia liquid. This study concluded the one methylmalate in camu is among the reasons it can aid liver health.
3. Enhances Mood
These berries’ high amounts of vitamin C could help the brain of yours produce a lot more serotonin, which will enhance your mood, which explains why it might serve as a possible treatment for depression.
The study suggests folks with a deficiency in vitamin C usually feel lazy and depressed more.
Vitamin C is a vital cofactor necessary for the transformation of tryptophan to 5 hydroxytryptophans in serotonin production.
Thus, it is possible that vitamin C from camu camu benefits individuals with depression that’s associated with lower levels of serotonin.
For instance, in a single study done at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital, it was proven that a lot of the individuals that had reduced amounts of vitamin C noted symptoms of depression and sluggishness.
When provided doses of vitamin C, they almost all responded with rapid and clinically significant spirits enhancement.
4. Improves Oral/Gum Health
Because of the effective antioxidants and antiviral parts of this particular fruit, the advantages of camu camu include battling against gum diseases like gingivitis.
Research has shown that abundant antioxidant remedies help lower free radicals, which are causative inflammatory aspects in periodontal health issues and gingival progression.
Some gum disease patients have reported having excellent results from taking two teaspoons of this particular berry powder each day. Having healthy gums can also be essential since gum wellness is directly associated with heart health.
5. May Help Reduce Oxidative Stress
Myrciaria dubia and inflammation continue to be studied because of its possible ability to help slow down and enhance the process of aging.
The powerful antioxidants may help lower oxidative stress, especially in seniors or among all those with chronic pain.
Nutrients have also been found to help lower inflammation, like lowering inflammatory markers, which includes interleukin (IL 6) and high sensitive C vitamin reactive protein-rich (hsCRP).
6. Supports Cardiovascular Health
Inflammation is a significant root cause of many age-related diseases, like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and arthritis.
These berries are found to act as powerful anti-inflammatory foods that help preserve the heart as well as the arteries against thickening and hardening (a risk factor for cardiovascular disease) while simultaneously improving blood sugar and insulin response.
A 2018 study also discovered that it might help enhance vasodilation and blood pressure among young parents.
7. Helps Protect Vision and Eye Health
This fresh fruit also can have an optimistic impact on eye problems like macular degeneration, which gets more probable to happen with increased age.
Vitamin C, together with other essential nutrients, can slow down the development of age-related macular degeneration and visual acuity loss.
Age-related macular degeneration is the leading reason for blindness in folks over age fifty-five in the Western world, so the amount of individuals with age-related macular degeneration is anticipated to triple by 2025.
How to Use
How do you take this berry? The most widely used type is a powder, which is applied to smoothies and drinks or perhaps mixed with yogurt and oatmeal foods.
It can also be sprinkled on other kinds of cereals or possibly used in baked goods, though cooking it at high temps may destroy several of the phytonutrients.
It has recently been used correctly in ice creams, popsicles, frozen yogurts, and other sweets not just for the tart flavor but also for its coloring capabilities.
Berries can be quite tart and uncomfortable regarding flavor. Therefore powdered versions are most well-known as supplements.
Powder dosage suggestions vary, but a typical dosage is approximately 1 3 teaspoons of powder each day.
More than this might provide excessive vitamin C and result in side effects. When purchasing supplements or powder, always look for the appropriate species title Myrciaria dubia.
Besides, you can get this particular fruit in pill form or perhaps as a juice, much like acerola cherry or maybe acai berry.
The powder is best to find at shops, while the liquid is more challenging to enter person, but is available online. Several research studies have found positive effects using approximately 0.3 cups (seventy ml) of juice every day.
Many people also experiment with utilizing skin cream, serums, or perhaps skin masks made with camu due to the antioxidant and brightening influences of vitamin C.
When used in oil type over the scalp, it can also increase the overall health of the hair of yours.
Interesting Facts
Native Amazonian Indians used camu camu for decades, but it wasn’t checked out as a food supply due to its extremely sour taste.
The amounts of vitamin C in the berry are contingent on Amazon’s growing area and growing problems as dirt structure & moisture levels.
Lately, this fruit has been discovered to contain anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments that could appear blue, purple, or red, based on the pH, plus they may be used for organic food coloring.
Due to the excessive amounts of vitamin C, these berries can taste extremely sour. For that reason, natives that use the fresh fruit for health purposes typically blend camu camu berries with sugar and milk or perhaps sweeten them to be used in jellies and jams.
Risks and Side Effects
Can it be safe? While it is an all-natural berry and doesn’t usually result in too many side effects, it hasn’t been studied extensively to cause unwanted side effects in several individuals.
Because it has an extremely high quantity of vitamin C, when consumed big doses, it can result in side effects such as digestive issues such as upset stomach, sickness, diarrhea, vomiting, and specific kidney issues.
It may particularly negatively impact the digestive process in people that are prone to ulcers.
It may also interfere with a few chemotherapy medications in supplement or pill form.
Always check with the physician before taking it in case you’re getting treatment for any medical problems as cancer or perhaps if other ongoing health concerns.
Can it be safe for pregnancy? It is better to consume it in tiny amounts, thanks to its high vitamin C content material.
In excess quantities (more than 1 3 teaspoons each day of powder) may well have dangerous effects during pregnancy.
Final Thoughts
- This particular berry (Myrciaria dubia) is exceptionally tart and will are like a vast cherry when picked. It is usually soil into a powder and combined with fluids or sweeteners to conceal the sour flavor.
- What exactly are the advantages of camu camu? It packs around fifty times much more vitamin C, ten times more iron, plus three times more niacin than an orange.
- Animal studies show it’s anti-genotoxic, antioxidant, and antiviral properties. It may help to boost the mood of yours, increase the energy of yours, and support the nervous system of yours.
- Regarding just how much to take each day, a typical recommendation is to choose between 1 3 teaspoons of powder each day. More than this might provide excessive vitamin C and result in side effects.
