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What is the camu camu berry best known for?

5 min read time Aug 14, 2024

Description

Description

A miraculous food found in the rainforests of Brazil and Peru, camu berries are the tart and tangy powerhouse holding their own in the world of berry nourishment.

This unique berry has a flavor profile, creating a second-to-none complexity that allows for and contributes to its potentially limitless applications. World famous for its highly nourishing levels of Vitamin C (3.5 grams per 100 grams), camu berries provide a unique whole-food complexity to what is often mistaken as the isolated version of vitamin C and not given enough credit for its diversified nutrient density.

Over the last 50 years, research has taught us that while isolated nutrients and standardized compounds are adequate when targeting specific mechanisms of action, they present significant challenges and pitfalls. Those pitfalls occur because essential components are missing for a balanced and harmonious result. This is where Camu is a true superstar.

A randomized controlled trial confirmed some of Camu’s effects on the inflammation response. Results showed “oxidative stress markers decreased significantly in the camu-camu group.”

Therefore, it was concluded that “camu-camu juice may have powerful anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, compared to vitamin C tablets containing equivalent vitamin C content. These effects may be due to the existence of unknown anti-oxidant substances besides vitamin C or unknown substances modulating in vivo vitamin C kinetics in camu-camu.”

You may notice a wide array of Vitamin C products as you search online or in the isles of a health store. Most of them will present as an isolated version of this nutrient, with other added compounds (like a buffered version containing ascorbic acid and the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium) to make it more tolerable by the digestive system.

Other products will present as a mixture of foods that provide a whole-food matrix of compounds so the human body can get the most nourishment from those foods. A typical combination of foods would be acerola cherries and camu berries in a base of blueberries, carrots, and oranges. This food blend matrix is the perfect “Vitamin C Complex” because it provides high levels of Vitamin C and a full array of supporting compounds.

For a fantastic product with multiple compounds and rich in Vitamin C, go here:

Organic Booster C Blend

It's crucial to clear up the misinformation surrounding the various forms of Vitamin C supplements (Ascorbic Acid, Buffered, Liposomal, and Ascorbyl palmitate) regarding absorption, plasma levels, and bioavailability. Understanding these differences will empower you to make informed choices about your health.

Let’s delve into this topic to ensure you have a comprehensive understanding:

All Vitamin C, aka L Ascorbic Acid, derived from a whole food matrix or synthetic sources, are chemically identical with no known differences in biological activity.

It's important to note that while Buffered(with minerals), liposomal (encased in fat), and ascorbyl palmitate(both fat and water soluble components) supplements are slightly less acidic in the digestive system, they provide no extra benefit specifically to the utilization of Vitamin C. This knowledge will help you make informed decisions about your health.

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.

Flavonoids: The Real Superstar of Camu Berries

While Vitamin C is known for being the superstar nutrient, there is a category of compounds that we consider the unsung heroes of this amazing berry. Endorsed by the late, great USDA ethnobotanist Dr. James Duke for its tremendous and complex nourishing qualities, this powerhouse berry with an ORAC score of around 52,000 offers much more than high levels of vitamin C, namely flavonoids. Many health experts believe a diet focused on high amounts of flavonoids is critical to supporting a healthy aging process because these compounds are known as nature’s biological response modifiers. There are over 8,000 different types of flavonoids found in nature.

A randomized controlled trial discussing how flavonoid-rich foods improve microvascular reactivity and inflammatory status in men at risk for cardiovascular disease showed the following:

The HF F&V diet increased endothelium-dependent microvascular reactivity
Reduced C-reactive protein and vascular cell adhesion molecule
HF F&Vs increased plasma NO in the group as a whole.

Therefore, the following was concluded: “These data support recommendations to increase F&V intake to ≥ 6 portions daily, with additional benefit from F&Vs rich in flavonoids, particularly in men with an increased risk of CVD.”

Quercetin: The king of Flavonol’s

Flavonols are the most pervasive flavinoids in foods, with quercetin being the most abundant representative of this family. While apples and onions are often the “foods of choice” when acquiring quercetin, Camu is a quality source of this potent flavonol, and a little bit goes a long way. In an overview of the biological importance of quercetin, it was stated that Quercetin is a versatile antioxidant known to possess protective abilities against tissue injury induced by various drug toxicities.

In one human study, quercetin showed its ability to inhibit inflammation by increasing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARy), which was shown to antagonize nuclear factor kappa b (NFKB), a protein complex at the top of the inflammation cascade that controls transcription of DNA, cytokine production, and cell proliferation.

Are There Benefits of Consuming a Camu Berry Powder?

Functional superfood powders are tremendously versatile, unlimitedly able to create new and exciting products, and have unique advantages over the fresh version of those foods. There are many significant advantages to using powders, especially with Camu berries.

When creating a food powder, the critical importance of preserving and concentrating the vital whole food matrix, as discussed earlier in this article, takes priority. It is no secret that air and moisture are powdered food’s greatest enemies.

Depending on the method used, it is not uncommon to see around 5% water content remaining after the drying process is complete. While there are many natural ways to dry foods and preserve their nutritional qualities, not every food responds the same to these different methods.

Therefore, using the correct method for each food is vital to getting the best result. However, the quality of the raw materials at the beginning predominantly determines the final product. Thanks to our meticulous food preservation techniques, we can create a powdered food product without adding preservatives and chemicals. This creates a more versatile end product that is as highly nutrient-dense as the fresh version. An adequately made powder will preserve the vital whole food complex and create a more concentrated version.

In conclusion, camu berries offer many unique attributes, including nutrient density, versatility, distinctive flavor profiles, and a well-balanced polyphenol/flavinoid profile.

This food is a superstar whether combined with other nutrient-dense foods or as a stand-alone item. So, the next time you search for a quality Vitamin C product, keep in mind the unique nourishing qualities of a camu-based product.

Remember, contrary to reductionist thinking, the whole is more significant than the sum of its individual parts.