Camu Camu: The Amazonian Superfruit Packed with Vitamin C

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 name. This tree is indigenous to the Amazon rainforest, part of the Myrtaceae family, and commonly thrives along riverbanks.

What Does Camu Camu Look and Taste Like?

Camu camu is a small, tangy fruit with juicy, plum-like flesh, ranging in colour from pink to red and yellow. It has held significant value among Amazonian populations since pre-Columbian times, and is frequently transformed into juice, purée, or pulp — used in drinks, desserts, food supplements, and various other products where its tart taste can be adjusted or softened.

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 relied on camu camu — an iconic fruit of the region — for its exceptional nutritional and therapeutic benefits.

Commonly reported traditional uses include:

• Consuming the fresh fruit or its juice for its nutritional properties
• Using it as a natural tonic
• Consuming it during times of fatigue or recovery
• Traditionally supporting the body's natural defences
• Incorporating it into daily diets as a source of vital nutrients

What Makes Camu Camu So Unique?

Scientists are increasingly interested in camu camu because of 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 stands out most, 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 such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium, B vitamins, and amino acids.

Why Take Camu Camu?

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

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

A Potent Source of Wellness Benefits

Free Radicals and Antioxidants

Digestion and respiration constantly generate highly reactive and potentially harmful particles, called free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS). Antioxidants work by binding to and neutralising these free radicals.

Oxidative stress arises from an overabundance of free radicals, increasing the likelihood of cellular DNA damage and accelerating the ageing process. Maintaining low, healthy levels of free radicals is crucial for overall health and disease prevention.

Unmatched Antioxidant Power

Numerous studies indicate that camu camu has the highest antioxidant capacity among Amazonian fruits. Its notable vitamin C content (the main contributor to total antioxidant activity), alongside anthocyanins, polyphenols, ellagic acid, and carotenoids, contributes to this distinction.

Laboratory tests suggest its antioxidant activity even surpasses that of vitamin C tablets alone, offering enhanced defence against oxidative stress — a primary driver of ageing, chronic inflammation, and degenerative disease.

A Remarkable Anti-Inflammatory

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

Ellagic acid, a polyphenol antioxidant, works synergistically with other camu camu bioactives — notably vitamin C — showing real potential in modulating inflammatory responses. In a 2008 Japanese clinical study by Inoue et al., smokers who consumed camu camu juice daily for one week showed more pronounced decreases in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers than participants given isolated vitamin C, pointing to the active role of the fruit's phenolic compounds.

Camu Camu and Collagen

Collagen, the body's most abundant protein, acts as a vital biological "glue," reinforcing tissue integrity. It's found mainly in the skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and blood vessels:

• In the skin, it provides elasticity, firmness, and hydration
• In the joints, it acts as a shock absorber, protecting cartilage and easing mechanical pain
• Throughout the body, it supports tissue repair, wound healing, and blood vessel integrity

Fruits rich in vitamin C and polyphenols, like camu camu, offer real benefits here: vitamin C is a crucial cofactor in collagen synthesis, and antioxidants help protect collagen from oxidative degradation.

Supporting Liver Health

In 2024, researchers at Université Laval presented findings on camu camu's positive impact on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition affecting over seven million people in Canada. The study suggested the fruit helps reduce liver fat levels. In a 12-week randomised clinical trial involving roughly thirty people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, participants received either a camu camu extract or a placebo.

Those who took the camu camu extract showed a 7.43% reduction in liver lipids, along with a decrease in liver enzymes linked to liver damage. Those on the placebo saw an 8.42% increase in liver fat instead. The mechanism appears linked to gut microbiota modulation and reduced hepatic oxidative stress — a promising area for the nutritional management of fatty liver disease, a condition with growing prevalence in Western countries.

How Much and When to Take Camu Camu

We suggest a daily intake of one to three teaspoons of InkaNature Camu Camu powder, which can be increased based on personal needs and tolerance. The powder works well in smoothies, juices, or water, and can also be added to yoghurt, cereal, or fruit compotes.

Alternatively, take an average of 3 InkaNature Camu Camu capsules twice a day.

We recommend taking this supplement before early afternoon, to avoid the stimulating effect of vitamin C interfering with sleep.

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References: Inoue et al., Journal of Cardiology (2008); Agrinier et al., camu-camu clinical trial on hepatic steatosis; Carr & Maggini, Nutrients (2017); Gref et al., Scientific Reports (2020); Chiu et al., Int J Mol Sci (2016); and additional peer-reviewed sources on camu-camu antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.