Each week will a feature on one of the cool superfoods we have learned a little about through our studies and travels and why we chose to include it into one or more of the Vitality Blaster blends. This week is a little known berry with awesome healing as well as mood enhancing powers Camu Camu.
When looking at your nutrition, remember you don’t have to take such large amounts of fruits and vegetables to get your nutrients. Superfoods do the job with much less bulk, discipline and even cost. Superfoods really are amazing and we are just scratching the surface as to what an impact their use can have on health and vitality. Meet Camu Camu, the worlds most concentrated and pure source of Vitamin C.
Camu Camu is 15% Vitamin C and it is nicknamed the miracle fruit.
Although the number of milligrams of Vitamin C, which Camu Camu contains, is low compared to the milligrams in synthetically derived Vitamin C tablets, it has more natural Vitamin C than almost every known botanical on the planet.
Because of its food form, with bioflavonoids and other phytochemicals, clinical evidence suggests that it is far more effective, milligram for milligram, than synthetic Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Many people report that just 1/3 tsp. is sufficient to significantly support their wellness.
The camu camu fruit has a surprising range of possible health-supporting effects.
Camu Camu helps to support a healthy immune system response, support healthy gums, eyes and skin. Some extraordinary properties of this Amazon rainforest fruit are described by Gary Null, Ph.D., a nationally known nutritionist and researcher. In his Clinician’s Handbook of Natural Healing, (1998), Null lists conditions and the herbs that have been found effective for their health promoting properties in reference to specific organ/system weaknesses and problems. In discussing the holistic treatment of mood-support, he lists 19 plants containing chemical compounds with mood-balancing properties, in order of potency. Camu Camu is number two on his list.
Anecdotally and in clinical experience, Null’s assessment of Camu Camu has proven to be correct. Although the Camu Camu fruit as such has hardly been studied at all, apart from clinical experience there is only indirect inferential evidence from scientific studies on the effect of Vitamin C, it appears to provide nutritional support for the brain to optimize its own mood balancing chemistry.
Additionally, published research suggests that Vitamin C supports healthy serotonin levels in the brain. Some healthcare practitioners have reported that Camu Camu has same day mood-supporting effects. There are no side effects, such as photosensitivity or gastrointestinal problems, and it can be used safely in combination with pharmaceuticals. There have been no reports of its interference with the effectiveness of any pharmaceutical drugs.
Some possible traditional uses of Raw Organic Camu Camu Powder may include:
May support a healthy detoxification response
May support healthy mood
May support healthy blood ecology
Source of the amino acids valine, leucine & serine
May support healthy brain function, increasing mental focus, & cognitive performance
May support mood balancing
May support healthy skin & gums
May support a healthy cardiovascular & circulatory system
May support a healthy mental outlook
May support eye health
Source of gallic & ellagic acids
May support a healthy upper respiratory system
May support the formation of healthy red & white blood cell
Source of flavonoids, including catechins, delphinidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, ellagic acid & rutin
Constituents of Camu Camu include:
Minerals: Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus
Vitamins: Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Beta carotene
Fiber
Phytochemicals: Ellagic acid, Quercetin, Anthocyanin, Tannins, Cyanidin-3-glucoside, flavonoids catechins, delphinidin 3-glucoside, rutin
