I used to do shots of camu camu powder in my office regularly.
When working at a wellness center me and my dietitian colleagues would sometimes have patients come in that were really under the weather, and if anyone was paranoid that their immunity was low, they knocked on my door. Cause I had the goods – my office was stocked with all kinds of herbs and supplements – LOL. We’d mix the powder with fresh orange juice, water, or whatever we had on hand and throw it back. One teaspoon of camu camu has up to 750% the RDI of vitamin C. I’m big on the benefits of megadosing vitamin C, especially from natural sources, because of the laundry list of #Ageless benefits for skin (vitamin C is necessary for collagen production), accelerated healing, immunity, energy and other side benefits.
Camu camu is a low-growing shrub found mostly in swampy or flooded areas and produces tart berries as fruit. These berries are very acidic and usually not consumed in their natural form. Instead more folks get down with it in the form of juices, purees, pulp, and powder. In several research studies, camu camu was shown to have the highest antioxidant capacity of Brazilian fruits examined. Other research was conducted looking at the antioxidant capacity of ripe vs. unripe camu camu pulp. The most efficient antioxidant capacity was observed in ripe pulp but both (ripe and unripe) showed a higher ability to suppress free radicals more efficiently than other sources of natural antioxidants, and thus can be used to decrease oxidative stress.
Camu Camu powder can be a bit tangy and may even seem to have a bitter aftertaste, but it’s still a staple superfood I occasionally include in my #Ageless regimen.
References:
Langley, P. C., Pergolizzi, J. V., Jr, Taylor, R., Jr, & Ridgway, C. (2015). Antioxidant and associated capacities of Camu camu (Myrciaria dubia): a systematic review. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 21(1), 8–14. doi:10.1089/acm.2014.0130
Genovese MI, Da Silva Pinto M, De Souza Schmidt Gonçalves AE, Lajolo FM. Bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of exotic fruits and commercial frozen pulps from Brazil. Food Sci Technol Int 2008;14:207–214
Rodrigues R, Papagiannopoulos M, Maia J, Yuyama K, Marx F. Antioxidant capacity of camu-camu [Myrciaria dubia (H. B. K.) McVaugh] pulp. Ernährung/Nutrition 2006;30:357–362