Camu Camu Vitamins and Minerals

Camu Camu is rich in vitamin C, the skin of the camu camu berries is higher in ascorbic acid than the pulp, and maintains more vitamin C than most other natural sources. (Read about Camu Camu’s Vitamin C here.)

Research has shown that potassium is the most abundant mineral all of macronutrients in this fruit.¹ Some studies have found that this berry is higher in sodium, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc, and copper than that of the acerola fruit. However, they did find that levels of iron, magnesium, cadmium and lead were lower in this berry than in acerola.²

Acids

Studies have shown that the fatty acids in camu camu are of higher quality than those found in acerola.³⁴ Researchers found camu camu to be a good source of acids, particularly in the pulp, which they say contains the highest concentration of organic acids.⁵

Bioflavonoids and Antioxidants

According to an analysis performed in a 2017 study, “the peel [of the camu camu berry] had relatively higher amount of pigments, anthocyanins and flavonoids, and higher concentration of ascorbic acid, proving that it can also be used as a source of bioactive compounds.”⁶

In 2010, scientists confirmed that this fruit is a favorable source of antioxidant phenolics.⁷ A later analysis also determined that the camu camu berry’s pulp is the part of the fruit containing the highest amount of phenolic compounds, as well as the highest antioxidant activity.⁸

Dried, pulverized camu camu has been identified as a bioactive-rich food.⁹ In 2014, researchers determined that syringic acid is present in both fresh and dried camu-camu residue for the first time. Syringic acid is a natural phenolic compound that contains antioxidants, as well as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antiendotoxic properties.¹⁰

A 2012 study demonstrated that camu camu juice has an antigenotoxic effect with acute, subacute, and chronic treatments in mice. The researchers did not observe any genotoxic effect on the mice’s blood cells in this study.¹¹

1. Yunis-Aguinaga, Jefferson, et al. “Dietary Camu Camu, Myrciaria dubia, Enhances Immunological Response in Nile Tilapia.” Fish & Shellfish Immunology, vol. 58, 2016, pp. 284–291., doi:10.1016/j.fsi.2016.08.030. ↩

2. Akter, Mst. Sorifa, et al. “Nutritional Compositions and Health Promoting Phytochemicals of Camu-Camu (Myrciaria Dubia) Fruit: A Review.” Food Research International, vol. 44, no. 7, 2011, pp. 1728–1732., doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2011.03.045. ↩

3. Akter, Mst. Sorifa, et al. “Nutritional Compositions and Health Promoting Phytochemicals of Camu-Camu (Myrciaria Dubia) Fruit: A Review.” Food Research International, vol. 44, no. 7, 2011, pp. 1728–1732., doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2011.03.045. ↩

4. Yunis-Aguinaga, Jefferson, et al. “Dietary Camu Camu, Myrciaria dubia, Enhances Immunological Response in Nile Tilapia.” Fish & Shellfish Immunology, vol. 58, 2016, pp. 284–291., doi:10.1016/j.fsi.2016.08.030. ↩

5. Maria, Luiza Grigio, et al. “Qualitative Evaluation and Biocompounds Present in Different Parts of Camu-Camu (Myrciaria dubia) Fruit.” African Journal of Food Science, vol. 11, no. 5, 2017, pp. 124–129., doi:10.5897/ajfs2016.1574. ↩

6. Maria, Luiza Grigio, et al. “Qualitative Evaluation and Biocompounds Present in Different Parts of Camu-Camu (Myrciaria dubia) Fruit.” African Journal of Food Science, vol. 11, no. 5, 2017, pp. 124–129., doi:10.5897/ajfs2016.1574. ↩

7. Chirinos, Rosana, et al. “Antioxidant Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Peruvian Camu Camu (Myrciaria dubia (H.B.K.) McVaugh) Fruit at Different Maturity Stages.” Food Chemistry, vol. 120, no. 4, 2010, pp. 1019–1024., doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.11.041. ↩

8. Maria, Luiza Grigio, et al. “Qualitative Evaluation and Biocompounds Present in Different Parts of Camu-Camu (Myrciaria dubia) Fruit.” African Journal of Food Science, vol. 11, no. 5, 2017, pp. 124–129., doi:10.5897/ajfs2016.1574. ↩

9. Azevêdo, Juliana Chrís Silva De, et al. “Dried Camu-Camu (Myrciaria dubia H.B.K. McVaugh) Industrial Residue: A Bioactive-Rich Amazonian Powder with Functional Attributes.” Food Research International, vol. 62, 2014, pp. 934–940., doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2014.05.018. ↩

10. Azevêdo, Juliana Chrís Silva De, et al. “Dried Camu-Camu (Myrciaria dubia H.B.K. McVaugh) Industrial Residue: A Bioactive-Rich Amazonian Powder with Functional Attributes.” Food Research International, vol. 62, 2014, pp. 934–940., doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2014.05.018. ↩

11. Silva, Francisco Carlos Da, et al. “Antigenotoxic Effect of Acute, Subacute and Chronic Treatments with Amazonian Camu–Camu (Myrciaria dubia) Juice on Mice Blood Cells.” Food and Chemical Toxicology, vol. 50, no. 7, 2012, pp. 2275–2281., doi:10.1016/j.fct.2012.04.021. ↩