by Angie Pollock

Created on: May 12, 2008   Last Updated: February 27, 2010

Every year, individuals shell out billions of dollars on supplements in hopes they will dramatically lower their risk of heart disease, cancer and other ailments like the common cold. Other individuals make a lifestyle of eating a healthy diet which has many positive health benefits. However, it can be difficult to keep a healthy lifestyle with the many demands we face.

Individuals are inundated with information about the health benefits of fruits and vegetables and how these foods work with our body for protection against illnesses and diseases.

Studies have shown that individuals that include the recommended intake of Vitamin C in their diet may have a higher protection against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling.

There is a little known star rising in the world called the camu camu fruit. The fruit is best known for its unusually high vitamin C content. The camu camu fruit can provide up to 60 times more vitamin C than an orange (on an ounce-for-ounce basis). The Vitamin C content declines as full maturity is reached. One of the main benefits of vitamin C is its function as an antioxidant. Antioxidants are nutrients as well as enzymes that are believed to play a role in preventing the development of chronic diseases.

The camu camu fruit grow on the camu camu bushy-like tree that thrives in the Amazonian rain forest. The tree bears a reddish-purple fruit with a yellow pulp that is approximately two centimeters in diameter. The taste is reported to be extremely acidic and can be better appreciated in recipes with the addition of sugar.

Some of the beneficial properties of the camu-camu fruit are described by Gary Null, Ph.D., a nationally known nutritionist and researcher. He discusses the holistic treatment of depression and he places camu camu as number two on his list of 19 plants that contain chemical compounds with mood-balancing properties(in order of potency).

Other benefit claims of the camu camu fruit are strengthening of the immune system, to promote healthy gums, eyes, skin and hair. There are positive studies using camu camu in patients with herpes, shingles, mood disorders and depression. The camu camu fruit has other important vitamins, including the B-complex vitamins, which support an optimal emotional state.

No documentation is known if camu camu has ever been used as a traditional herbal remedy in the Amazon region. The fruit is not widely eaten by the indigenous people, due to its acidic taste. Camu camu was used almost exclusively in Peru as fish bait and a source of firewood when dead. Camu camu can now be purchased in powder and pill form.

Already well known in Japan, the Peruvian government hopes that camu camu will become a major export when its beneficial properties are utilized in other countries. The rising popularity of this little known rainforest fruit contributes to the development of the Amazon River basin and supports rainforest dwellers, helping them to maintain their traditional way of living.

Sources:
http://www.essentiallivingfoods.com/products-functio nal-food-camu-camu.html
http://www.wholeworldbotanicals.com/herbal_camucamu. html
http://www.camucamufruit.com/
Seminars in Preventive and Alternative Medicine
Clinician's Handbook of Natural Healing by Gary Null, Ph.D.

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