What is camu camu. Health benefits and nutritional values of fruit.

commonly known as Camu camu, Camucamu, Cacari, and Camocamo, is a small (approx. 3-5 m tall) bushy riverside tree from the Amazon rainforest vegetation in Peru and Brazil, which bears a red/purple cherry-like fruit. Scientific name of this fruit is Myrciaria dubia.

Camu camu has an extraordinarily high Vitamin C content. 

Camu camu has also a unique aroma and fruit pigmentation. A reddish pigment in the leathery skin (probably anthocyanins) imparts an attractive and unique pink color on juices extracted from Camu Camu. The aroma is subtle, but is not as captivating as in more popular fruits. Camu Camu is more recently also used in ice creams, sweets, etc.

Processed powder from the fruit pulp is beginning to be sold in the west as a health food in loose powder or capsule form. In addition to the high Vitamin C content it contains the amino acids valine, leucine and serine.
It is also rich in flavonoids, such as anthocyanins, flavonols and flavanols, catechins, delphinidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, ellagic acid and rutin.