Camu camu: what benefits and effect does this superfood have

By Bea Recuerdo (BSc)
21 Jul 2022

There are dozens or maybe hundreds of superfoods and health trends buzzing the internet. And our topic for this blog is no exemption. Camu Camu is a trendy berry that some of you may have already heard of. But for some you may go, “Camu - what now?”. That’s why in this blog, we’re going to help shed some light on what CamuCamu really is, the benefits and the common uses for it in the market.

What is Camu Camu?

Camu-Camu (Myrciaria dubia) is a typical shrub native to the Amazon rain forest of Brazil, Peru and Venezuela. It bears these slightly reddish to purplish berries. The Camu-Camu berries have been known to be one of the richest and most natural sources of Vitamin C as compared to other sources such as tomatoes, and oranges.

What are the benefits of Camu Camu?

Camu Camu is indeed worth being called a “superfood”

The Camu Camu fruit is one of nature's most nutritious superfoods. It is packed with antioxidants in the pulp, skin, and even the seeds. This superfruit also contains a wide range of additional bioactive compounds such as vitamin C, polyphenols, flavanols, and carotenoids (Source: Research Gate).

Naturally, it’s also a good source of potassium, iron, calcium, and phosphorus. Not only that but researchers have also found out that it’s a good source of amino acids such as valine, leucine, and serine (Source: Research Gate).

Vitamin C in Camu Camu

Camu Camu is one of nature's richest sources of Vitamin C and one teaspoon of our powder provides more than twice the daily recommendation! Vitamin C in Camu Camu is highly absorbable and stable. This means that the vitamin can be efficiently absorbed into the body and will not be broken down over time.

Vitamin C can help support:

Healthy immune function
Reduction of fatigue and energy deficiency
Healthy immune function during and after intense physical activity
Healthy collagen formation for the bones, cartilage, gums, skin and blood vessels
Improving Iron Absorption

(Source: Eur-Lex )

Magnesium in Camu Camu

The Camu Camu berry is naturally rich in mineral magnesium. This mineral is involved in more than 300 cellular reactions in the body. Magnesium can help with fatigue and energy deficiency, electrolyte balance, normal muscle function and protein production, maintain bone and tooth health (Source: Eur-Lex).

Potassium in Camu Camu

Camu Camu provides a source of potassium, an essential mineral, and electrolyte, along with sodium and magnesium, which we need for fluid balance in the body. Not only that, but it's a mineral that can support healthy brain function, muscle function, and blood pressure.

Antioxidants in Camu Camu

In addition to vitamin C, Camu Camu also contains a wide variety of antioxidant phytonutrients, such as anthocyanins and ellagic acid (Source: NCBI ), polyphenols (Source: Pubmed ) that have been found to help reduce inflammation and relieve chronic pain. They do this by clearing or extinguishing the harmful substances that build up in our bodies over time.

What is the best use for Camu Camu?

Similar to other tropical fruits, Camu Camu is being used worldwide because of its high nutritional value. This Amazonian fruit has been widely used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries (Source: Science Direct)

It’s so popular as a functional food that countries such as Japan commercialize it to be used as a supplement or natural juice (Source: Research Gate) Its pulp is also frozen and even exported to European and Asian countries because of its versatility and unique taste that can be handy in cooking (Source: Science Direct)

One of the unique characteristics of Camu Camu is its very sour taste. Because of this, not too many people enjoy eating it naturally, but instead, they look for innovative ways of including it in their diet.

Manufacturers and supplement companies have also found a way to make the berry in powdered form as a food-based source of Vitamin C and for easy drinking!

Check out Big Food Camu Camu Powder

Have you heard about Big Food Camu Camu powder?

Big Food Camu Camu is an organic powder that consists only of natural Camu Camu berries. A very low temperature is used to process the berries into powder to ensure that the nutritional value of the berries remains intact.

Many vitamin C supplements on the market are synthetic and unnatural. That's why we've developed a rich source of vitamin C that comes from natural sources, the Camu Camu berry. Packed with natural vitamin C and other vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds that can help keep your body healthy. So be kind to yourself and give your body this natural vitamin bomb!