Organic Camu Camu Powder (Natural Vitamin C)

• Certified Organic By The Organic Food Federation

• High in Vitamin C

• Fresh From the Amazonian Rainforest

About Camu Camu

Camu camu (Myrciaria dubia) is a small and sour fruit that mostly grows in South America. The circular fruit is red-brown to purple in colour and resembles the cherry fruit. The inside of the fruit ranges from yellow to white in colour. The fruit is in the same family as the rumberry. The sour taste from the fruit is attributed to the high amounts of ascorbic acid contained in the fruit. Camu camu is processed into powder, tablet, or pulp to make it easier to take. The tart flavour makes it quite bitter to swallow in its raw form. From the fruit’s fresh weight, the major part of the fruit is the pulp, followed by seeds and peel respectively. The Camu Camu berry is rich in nutrients, the nutrients are also contained in other plant parts of the Camu camu plant, but in lesser amount. The plant parts include the bark, stem, roots and leaves. The high vitamin C content is the most popular property of the fruit. The camu camu berry contains up to 50 times more Vitamin C than most common sources of the vitamin e.g. oranges and lemons. Also, it is considered the highest natural source of vitamin C.

The camu camu plant which is a bushy tree that mainly grows in the Amazon rain forest in South America. The tree starts producing the camu camu berries when it is 5-6 years old. Also, it does so once a year. The process of bearing fruits goes on in the whole lifetime of the tree. The biggest quantities of the fruit are sourced from Peru. Other countries where the fruit is also sourced in large quantities include Brazil, Columbia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana and Venezuela. Mostly, the camu camu plant grows naturally along the floodplains of the Amazon River. Camu camu grows well in both tropical and subtropical climates. This is the reason why it does well in the Amazonian region. Also, it prefers environments with lots of water hence its ability to grow in riparian lands e.g. banks of rivers, oxbow lakes, streams and swamps. The camu camu plant is quite resilient and can therefore tolerate flooding. Also, it can stay submerged under water for up to 6 months in the course of growth. The fruit is harvested when it is green in colour if it is to be used for the production of camu camu powder.

The camu camu plant has been known for more than 700 years and was quite popular among the Amazonian Indians. Before camu camu was adopted for human consumption, it was grown to bring value to infertile and unproductive grounds and then fed to animals. When humans started consuming the fruit, they did so in its raw form. They sprinkled salt to the green unripe fruit to add a little bit of flavour. Camu camu that grew in the river banks was harvested manually. The harvesters accessed it using locally-made canoes. 

How to use

We suggest taking 1/4 - 1 teaspoon per day mixed with water, in juices, blended into smoothies or used in food, or take as directed by your healthcare practitioner,

Please also see this Camu Camu and Maca flapjack recipe!