Description
Description
Z Natural Foods is committed to delivering a diverse selection of high-quality foods in their most versatile forms.
Our Organic Freeze-dried Acerola Cherry Powder and our Unripe Organic Freeze-dried Acerola Cherry Powder are prime examples of our commitment to quality.
Today, I aim to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about this versatile product, known as the queen of Vitamin C, to ensure you have all the information you need to make informed choices about your natural foods.
1) What are some interesting and unique facts about acerola in general?
- Acerola cherries are classified as berries despite being called cherries.
- Acerola is one of the richest sources of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), containing around 1700 milligrams per cup.
- Contrary to popular belief, because acerola is not a true cherry, it is not a part of the rose family.
- Instead of a single large pit, acerola contains three small, disconnected seeds.
- Acerola has a flavor profile described as a blend of apple and plum, slightly sweet and tart. However, the unripe version has a more pungent, astringent taste.
- Mature acerola trees range between six and twenty feet in height.
- Some typical cultivars of acerola are B-17, Dwarf, Florida Sweet, and Manoa Sweet.
2) What are some interesting facts about acerola’s growth/ripening cycles, and how does that affect its nutrient content?
- Acerola cherries are highly perishable (lasting only 2-3 days at room temperature) and should be consumed or processed quickly after harvesting.
- Acerola cherries are often harvested when they are green, which is when their vitamin C is at its peak– around 4500 vs 1700 milligrams per 100 grams of fresh acerola.
- Acerola is a delicate fruit that grows soft, is vulnerable to high winds, and is a favorite food of birds.
- A typical mature acerola tree produces around 45 pounds of fruit annually. However, in optimal commercial conditions, it can make twice that amount.
- Depending on rainfall levels, acerola can have up to eight cycles per year.
- Acerola fruit develops and matures in less than 25 days.
- Acerola cherries are non-climacteric and do not continue to ripen significantly after being picked off the plant.
3) What is the difference between ripe and unripe acerola cherries?
You may be surprised to learn that many unripe fruits provide a unique profile of compounds you may not find in the ripened version.
Acerola is another excellent example of this unique phenomenon, with fantastic qualities, especially in the unripe stage.
For example, these unripe versions are higher in pectin, which allows for greater culinary creativity, such as jams and jellies.
It has always been believed that a perfectly ripe acerola cherry is the stage of peak nourishment, but what we have recently learned very well may debunk this theory. As with all fruits, acerola cherries mature and progress through the various stages of ripeness, and their constituent concentrations change and adapt.
The unripe green acerola cherry contains about three times the vitamin C content of the ripe version. As acerola cherries ripen, they are highly perishable and susceptible to damage and mold.
Therefore, they should be eaten within 24 to 48 hours or processed into a juice or powder shortly after that. The general ripening stages and polyphenol levels are as follows. This process takes between 3 and 4 weeks.
- Stage 1: In this stage, the cherries are fully green, firm, and high in acidity and vitamin C. This is the stage with the highest total phenolic content, including gentisic and vanillic acids.
- Stage 2: During this transition period, the color changes from green to orange to red, and it begins to soften slightly. During this stage, phenols start to degrade, and the accumulation of carotenoids and the synthesis of anthocyanins begin.
- Stage 3: In this stage, the cherries are bright red, with high sugar content, low acidity, high anthocyanin content, and vitamin C peaks.
- Stage 4: In this final stage, the cherries are dark red and overripe, have a soft texture, and declining vitamin C levels.
In simple terms, as acerola cherries ripen, phenolic acids, flavonols (quercetin and rutin), and proanthocyanins (catechin and epicatechin) decrease, while carotenoids, flavones, and anthocyanins increase.
4) What exactly is Vitamin C?
There is a lot of confusion and misinformation about the various forms of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid, Buffered, Liposomal, and Ascorbyl palmitate) regarding absorption, plasma levels, and bioavailability. So, let’s get some clarity on this topic.
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First, all Vitamin C, aka L-Ascorbic Acid, whether derived from a whole-food matrix or from synthetic sources, is chemically identical, with no known differences in biological activity. Therefore, L-Ascorbic Acid and Ascorbic Acid are the same thing.
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Next, buffered (with minerals), liposomal (encased in fat), and ascorbyl palmitate (both fat- and water-soluble components) provide no extra benefit specifically for Vitamin C utilization beyond being slightly less acidic in the digestive system.
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Finally, Ascorbyl Palmitate contains water and fat-soluble components, but the digestive system essentially strips away the fat-soluble part to derive the pure ascorbic acid.
5) Are whole food sources of vitamin C, like acerola, superior sources or better for you than other forms of Vitamin C?
As mentioned in the previous question, the first and most important fact is that all Vitamin C, aka L-Ascorbic Acid, whether derived from a whole-food matrix or from synthetic sources, is chemically identical, with no known differences in biological activity.
A review titled Synthetic or Food-Derived Vitamin C- Are they equally Bioavailable? It was stated,
- “All steady-state comparative bioavailability studies in humans have shown no differences between synthetic and natural vitamin C, regardless of the subject population, study design, or intervention used.
- Some human pharmacokinetic studies have shown transient, slight differences between synthetic and natural vitamin C, although these differences are likely to have minimal physiological impact.
However, when you consume food sources of L-Ascorbic Acid, like acerola and camu berries, in addition to your vitamin C supplements, what you get is a wide array of polyphenolic compounds that influence various mechanisms of action and provide protection well beyond what you get from just vitamin C.
I call this the whole-food-matrix effect because no single compound works interdependently within the complex.
This is why all of the current “plant poison” theories have been debunked many times over. It is straightforward; you can’t isolate a compound from a food, concentrate it 10 to 100 times, inject it into an animal, and report how foods with that said compound are bad for you, dangerous, or, my favorite term to scare people, poisonous.
If you can show me one food that naturally contains lectin levels that high, I will retract my statement.
Many health experts believe a diet rich in flavonoids is critical to supporting a healthy aging process, as these compounds are known as nature’s biological response modifiers.
There are over 8,000 different types of flavonoids found in nature. Based on the research, it does not seem to matter if you acquire them from food or supplements; what counts is the total daily amount you consume.
These experts believe we should consume at least 2000 milligrams of flavonoids daily, sourced from various foods and supplements. Acerola is an outstanding choice to help raise your flavonoid levels.
6) Why is the freeze-drying method considered the best when producing acerola powder?
Unlike many other food preservation practices, which add unhealthy preservatives, freeze-drying is all about what is removed. The shelf life of any food or product is directly linked to its moisture content.
A freeze-dried product has an average moisture content of 3% or less. Because berries perish more quickly than most foods, this method preserves their structure and integrity, significantly extending their shelf life. So, freeze drying allows for greater versatility of the end product due to more accessible storage options and blending capability, and supports the natural flavor profile of the fresh food version. There are three primary advantages to using a freeze-drying method.
- Freeze drying creates the closest end product when presenting a whole food complex.
- Freeze-drying a food comes closest to the smell, taste, and texture of the fresh version.
- Freeze-dried foods allow you to customize your product, and freeze-dried berries can be left whole, chopped, or milled into a powder. All of which will still offer the nutritional value of the fresh version.
Here at Z Natural Foods, we believe that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and foods rich in polyphenolic compounds are the cornerstone and future of understanding the power of foods. We also encourage people to use the tools available to them to support health and longevity.
Therefore, whether you incorporate these foods as an addition to your nutraceuticals or as primary sources of nutrients and polyphenolic compounds, you are feeding your body what it needs to thrive. I hope today's FAQ has clarified the importance of using all these powerful tools at your disposal.
For more information about our acerola powders, go here:
The Author’s Bio
Michael Stuchiner is a Master Herbalist and proud graduate of The School of Natural Healing, with over 25 years of experience in various aspects of the field. He is a retired elite-level powerlifter who competed for 27 years. As an avid international traveler, he is passionate about the use of medicinal and tonic herbs, as well as foods traditionally found in local markets in the 35 countries he has visited. Michael shares his years of experience as a Master Herbalist, traveler, and athlete through the hundreds of articles he has written and his YouTube channel, "A Master Herbalist Perspective." He is considered a true educator in this field. For more articles written by Mike, go here: Master Herbalist.
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