Camu Camu: The Amazonian Superfood with the Highest Natural Vitamin C Content

Where can you discover and enjoy this delightful natural wonder, camu camu?

Camu-camu, scientifically known as Myrciaria dubia, is a fruit originating from a tree of the same designation. This tree is indigenous to the Amazon rainforest, is part of the Myrtaceae family, and commonly thrives along riverbanks.

What's camu camu like, appearance-wise and taste-wise?

Described as a small, tangy fruit with juicy, plum-like flesh, camu camu exhibits colours ranging from pink to red and yellow. This fruit has held significant value among Amazonian populations since pre-Columbian times. It is frequently transformed into juice, purée, or pulp, utilised in the creation of drinks, desserts, food supplements, and various other food products where its tart taste can be adjusted or lessened.

Beyond its visual and gustatory qualities, camu-camu is notable for its exceptionally high vitamin C content, and for more than fifty years, its numerous health benefits have fuelled its growing status as a superfood.

How people have traditionally enjoyed camu camu

For centuries, local communities in the Amazon have utilised camu camu, an iconic fruit of the region, for its exceptional nutritional and therapeutic benefits.

Commonly reported traditional applications include:

• Consumption of the fresh fruit or as juice for its nutritional properties
• Employing it as a natural tonic
• Consuming it during times of fatigue or recovery
• Traditionally used to aid the body's inherent defences
• Incorporating it into your daily diet as a source of vital nutrients

What makes camu camu so unique?

Scientists are increasingly interested in camu-camu due to its impressive nutritional makeup, particularly its high vitamin C content.

On average, 100g of fresh pulp contains between 2,000 and 3,000mg of vitamin C — approximately 50 times the amount found in an orange and 20 times more than in acerola.

While this distinctive attribute has historically dominated discussions of its composition, camu camu also offers an exceptional profile of antioxidant polyphenols, surpassing all other known fruits in North and South America. Its rich content extends to flavonoids, phenolic acids, organic acids, essential minerals including potassium, magnesium, and calcium, B vitamins, and amino acids.

Why take camu-camu?

Its rich nutritional composition confers a range of significant health advantages:

• Antioxidant defence against oxidative stress
• Anti-inflammatory efficacy
• Stimulation of collagen synthesis
• Boosted immune system resilience

Camu Camu: A potent source of wellness benefits

Let's talk about free radicals and antioxidants

Ingestion and respiration lead to the constant generation of highly reactive and potentially toxic particles, termed free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS). Antioxidants function by binding to and neutralising these free radicals.

Oxidative stress arises from an overabundance of free radicals. Such stress enhances the probability of DNA damage within cells and expedites the ageing process. Maintaining low, healthy levels of free radicals is crucial for promoting overall health and preventing diseases.

When it comes to antioxidant power, camu camu outshines many other fruits. Numerous studies indicate that camu camu possesses the highest antioxidant capacity among Amazonian fruits. Its notable levels of vitamin C (the main contributor to total antioxidant activity) alongside anthocyanins, polyphenols, ellagic acid, and carotenoids, contribute to this distinction.

Laboratory tests indicate that its antioxidant activity surpasses that of Vitamin C tablets, providing enhanced defence against oxidative stress — a primary contributor to ageing, chronic inflammation, and degenerative diseases.

An unrivalled anti-inflammatory

Short-term inflammation is a beneficial bodily reaction to damage or infection, with localised symptoms. Persistent inflammation, however, presents a health risk. Chronic inflammation is implicated in various contemporary health issues, including diabetes and arthritis.

Ellagic acid, a polyphenol antioxidant, acts synergistically with other camu camu bioactives, notably vitamin C, and demonstrates significant potential in modulating inflammatory responses.

In a 2008 Japanese clinical study authored by Inoue et al., smokers who consumed camu-camu juice daily for one week exhibited more pronounced decreases in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers compared to participants supplemented with isolated vitamin C. This disparity points to the active involvement of the fruit's phenolic constituents in mediating these effects.

How does camu camu relate to collagen?

Collagen, the body's most prevalent protein, functions as a vital biological adhesive, reinforcing tissue integrity. It is predominantly located within the skin, skeletal structures, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and vascular networks.

• It functions as a skin framework, providing elasticity, firmness, and hydration
• In the joints, it acts as a shock absorber, protecting cartilage and mitigating mechanical pain
• Furthermore, it serves as a tissue cement, supporting repair and wound healing, and maintaining blood vessel integrity

Fruits abundant in vitamin C and polyphenols, including camu-camu, offer:

• Significant benefits due to vitamin C's crucial role as a cofactor in collagen synthesis
• Protective action of antioxidants against collagen's oxidative degradation

Shows capacity to lessen the severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (hepatic steatosis)

In 2024, Laval University researchers presented findings on camu-camu's positive impact on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition prevalent among over seven million people in Canada. The study suggested that this particular fruit aids in decreasing liver fat levels.

A 12-week randomised clinical trial was conducted with roughly thirty people diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, wherein participants were administered either a camu-camu extract or a placebo.

Study participants who consumed camu-camu extract showed a 7.43% reduction in liver lipids and a concurrent decrease in liver enzymes associated with liver damage. In contrast, those taking the placebo experienced an 8.42% increase in liver fat.

The mechanism appears to be linked to the modulation of gut microbiota and a reduction of hepatic oxidative stress.

This research area presents promising avenues for the nutritional management of hepatic steatosis, a condition with a growing prevalence in Western nations.

References

1. Antioxidant and Associated Capacities of Camu Camu (Myrciaria dubia): A Systematic Review
2. Characterization and bioaccessibility assessment of bioactive compounds from camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) powders and their food applications
3. The Amazonian Camu-Camu Fruit Modulates the Development of Drosophila melanogaster and the Neural Function of Adult Flies under Oxidative Stress Conditions
4. Tropical fruit camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties
5. Guide complet : Tout savoir sur le camu camu : Bienfaits, dangers et effets secondaires
6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4296744/
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10. Chiu, P.R., et al., Vitamin C Protects Chondrocytes against Monosodium Iodoacetate-Induced Osteoarthritis by Multiple Pathways. Int J Mol Sci, 2016. 18(1)
11. Tada, A. and H. Miura, The Relationship between Vitamin C and Periodontal Diseases: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2019. 16(14)
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