Move over, Acai. We have a new superfood in town!

Native to the Peruvian Amazon, the Camu Camu Berry deserves the hype it’s getting and more. This tiny reddish-green fruit is a vitamin C gold mine. With 10 times more per serving than an orange and 40 more than a lemon , it is the fruit with the highest source of vitamin C on the planet.

Just a teaspoon of Camu Camu Berry powder contains 1180 per cent of your recommended daily intake for vitamin C, which is important for gum health, among other functions in our body. Aside from Vitamin C, Camu Camu has impressive antioxidant capacities with many other potent compounds like flavonoid antioxidants. These contribute significantly to the protection of cells from free radical damage. It also has several beneficial components that help your body fight inflammation. For example, it contains ellagic acid, an antioxidant that has been shown to inhibit inflammation-triggering enzymes.

Valine is an amino acid found in camu camu. It’s an essential amino acid, meaning that we must get it in food because our bodies can’t produce it. Valine is used by the body to prevent muscle breakdown and is important for nervous system and cognitive function. Our bodies need potassium for the proper functioning of the heart and kidneys. Camu camu is one way to get it: 71.1 milligrams are found in every 100 grams. This is another essential amino acid found in camu camu, one that our bodies need for muscle and bone tissue growth and recovery and the production of growth hormones. Another amino acid! This one is key for digestion: serine helps to break down the bonds in proteins and polypeptides so they can be used by our bodies.

Camu camu has several different flavonoids, which are compounds that are found in plants and are part of what gives fruits and vegetables their awesome colours. They mostly function in the body as antioxidants, neutralizing harmful free radicals.
Gallic acid is found in camu camu, which is good news because it appears to have anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. It also acts as an antioxidant.

This is another acid with antioxidant properties, found in camu camu. It’s been studied for anti-cancer effects, though research is still very early. Some research also indicates that ellagic acid has anti-diabetes effects.

Here’s how we suggest you incorporate our Camu Camu Berry powder into your routine:

• Camu camu powder can be easily added to smoothies, oats, muesli, yogurts, and salad dressings. Combining it with other flavors masks the sour taste and makes it more palatable.
• A good tip is to always add camu camu to food after cooking to prevent the loss of nutrients from the heat, especially vitamin C.