What is a Camu Camu, and Is It Healthy?
“Eat your oranges. They have Vitamin C.”
At some point growing up, many of us heard this. Oranges are where we get Vitamin C. But did you know that the most powerful source of Vitamin C is found in an Amazonian superfruit?
Few of us were told to eat Camu Camu growing up. But as it turns out, this Amazonian-based fruit may possess the key to unlocking all sorts of health benefits. If you haven’t heard of it, here’s a primer on what you’ll need to know about Camu Camu: what it is, how it tastes, and how you might make it a part of a healthier life:
Learning About Camu Camu
What is Camu Camu?
Myrciaria dubia is the scientific name of a fruit also known as Camu Camu, camucamu, cacari, or even camocamo.
It grows in a short, bushy tree in the Amazon—particularly in the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon—and produces a berry that, from a distance, might remind you of cherries.
What does Camu Camu taste like?
Thanks to the high level of acidity, Camu Camu has a sour/tart flavor. This gives the fruit a flavor like an acidic cherry or even a citrus fruit.
In fact, it’s so tart that you rarely will eat it fresh, just as people rarely pick lemons off the tree and eat them whole, but still find plenty of ways to enjoy them.
How do people eat Camu Camu?
Like other tart or overly sour fruits, Camu Camu goes through some handling before most types of consumption. Juice is one of the more common forms, as mixing it with water helps reduce the acidic flavors while making a pleasant, hydrating drink.
Why we like Camu Camu
- Rich source of Vitamin C. It’s packed with so much Vitamin C, in fact, that you don’t have to consume a lot of sugar to get your daily dose of Vitamin C from Camu Camu.
- All sorts of potential health benefits, from blood pressure regulation to inflammation improvement. More on that in a minute.
- Flavor. The tartness natural to Camu Camu is unique, giving Camu Camu fruit juice a characteristic and refreshing brightness.
The Health Benefits of Camu Camu
Where do we start? This is a powerhouse of a fruit, loaded with potential benefits:
- There may be anti-inflammatory properties to Camu Camu. Because chronic inflammation has been linked to all sorts of health problems from cancer to heart disease, it’s an important marker for anyone looking to their food for long-term health benefits.
- Camu Camu is rich in antioxidants, giving it the “potential to” participate in a paradigm in a “multimodal, integrative approach to the management of disease,” according to one article.
- Like some other fruit juices, Camu Camu has the potential to limit blood sugar spikes after a high-carb meal.
- Camu Camu’s effects on the blood vessels may also help contribute to a reduction in blood pressure, often outperforming a placebo. This study was conducted with dried Camu Camu, working in a “supplement”-type role.
- Immunity benefits thanks to Vitamin C are well-established; so well-established, that people even take Vitamin C supplements when they feel a cold coming on. But you don’t have to take supplements if you can find a healthy natural source of Vitamin C.
In short, Camu Camu is a rare but powerful fruit with unique characteristics. But what about one of the most important factors, sustainability?
Here at AMARUMAYU, we use no fruit from trees that have been felled, and we ensure that our superfruits are always sustainably wild-harvested, helping support the indigenous communities to which the Amazon belongs. Done the right way, Camu Camu is—and always should be—a gift from nature.
Learn more about CAMU CAMU: The Amazon’s RESTORATIVE SUPERFRUIT in our YouTube Video!
