Camu camu
Myrciaria dubia
Fruits. Latin American & Amazon and Modern nutrition.
Also called Camu-camu berry, Camu-camu fruit
Spanish: Camu camu
Very high vitamin CCamu camu is a sour berry from Amazon riverbanks, mainly sold as powder or capsules for its very high vitamin C.
Did you know? Fresh camu camu can have dozens of times more vitamin C than an orange, weight for weight.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Colds, flu & immunity. The fruit is very high in vitamin C, which immune cells need. No good human trial has tested camu camu itself for colds or infections.Traditional proof
- Heart health. One small study of 18 young adults (not randomized, 15 days) found some cholesterol and blood sugar changes. That is too little to rely on.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
People along Amazon rivers in Peru and Brazil have long eaten camu camu fresh or as juice. Its health reputation today comes mostly from its vitamin C numbers.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Antioxidant, Nutritive. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Sold as freeze-dried powder, capsules or juice. The small study used capsules that gave 320 mg of vitamin C a day for 15 days. Most people do not need extra vitamin C beyond a normal diet.
Powder, juice, capsule and food.
Where to get it
Grows wild in flooded forests and on riverbanks in the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon, and is also farmed. Sold as frozen pulp, powder, juice and capsules. Key nutrient: vitamin C, plus flavonoids.
Be careful
High doses of vitamin C can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. Extra vitamin C can raise the risk of oxalate kidney stones in some people, and it can increase iron absorption in people with iron overload.
Avoid if: kidney stones; iron overload.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Both are Amazon fruits sold as juices and powders.
The honest take
Camu camu is one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C, and that part is real. No good human trial shows it does more than other vitamin C foods. Claims about immunity, blood sugar and cholesterol rest on the vitamin C number, not on proof.