Benefits, how it can help you
Acerola has been studied in the laboratory and has been found to be a
powerful antioxidant and have anti-cancer potential.
It contains
polyphenols and is sold in juice form, jams, ices, gelatins, sweets or
liquors.
Use with other dietary supplements
Can an acerola supplement be taken the same day as pomegranate,
astragalus, acai, goji berry,
ahcc, nattokinase,
lyprinol extract,
serrapeptase,
mangosteen, curcumin,
saw palmetto herb or
graviola?
I have not come across any research that would preclude its use with
the supplements you mention.
Benefits of Acerola
Antioxidant
This plant has vitamin C along with anthocyanins and quercitrin.
Antioxidant activity of dietary fruits, vegetables, and commercial frozen
fruit pulps.
J Agric Food Chemistry. 2005.
Fruits, vegetables, and commercial frozen pulps consumed in the
Brazilian diet were analyzed for antioxidant activities. The anthocyanin-rich
samples showed the highest, concentration-dependent, antioxidant activities in
both systems. The neutral and acidic flavonoids of red cabbage, red lettuce, black bean,
mulberry, Gala apple peel, jambolao, acai frozen pulp, mulberry frozen pulps, and the acidic flavonoids of acerola
frozen pulps showed the highest antioxidant activities. There was no relationship between total phenolics content, vitamin C, and antioxidant activity, suggesting that the
antioxidant activity is a result of a combination of different compounds having
synergic and antagonistic effects.
Cancer prevention
Effect of acerola cherry extract on cell proliferation and
activation of ras signal pathway at the promotion stage of lung
tumorigenesis in mice.
J Nutr Sci Vitaminol. 2002.
Results suggest that acerola cherry extract regulates abnormal cell growth at
the promotion stage of lung tumorigenesis in mice treated with NNK as a
result of suppression of the initiation stage.
Liver
I take
acetaminophen daily
for arthritis. Could acerola cherry supplement help protect my liver?
Perhaps, but I have not seen such studies.
Acetylcysteine
could be an option.
DNA protection
Genet Mol Biology. 2016. Protective effects of acerola juice on genotoxicity
induced by iron in vivo. Metal ions such as iron can induce DNA damage by
inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress. Vitamin C is one of
the most widely consumed antioxidants worldwide, present in many fruits and
vegetables, especially in Malpighia glabra L., popularly known as acerola,
native to Brazil. Acerola is considered a functional fruit due to its high
antioxidant properties and phenolic contents, and therefore is consumed to
prevent diseases or as adjuvant in treatment strategies. Here, the influence of
ripe and unripe acerola juices on iron genotoxicity was analyzed in vivo using
the comet assay and micronucleus test. The comet assay results showed that
acerola juice exerted no genotoxic or antigenotoxic activity. When compared to
iron group, the pre-treatment with acerola juices exerted antimutagenic
activity, decreasing significantly micronucleus mean values in bone marrow.
Acerola cherry flavor
Volatile components have been isolated from the fruit. One hundred
fifty constituents have been identified in the aroma concentrate, from which
furfural, hexadecanoic acid, 3-methyl-3-butenol, and limonene were found to be
the major constituents. The amounts of esters, 3-methyl-3-butenol, and their
various esters are thought to contribute to the unique flavor of the
fruit.
Safety research study, adverse effects
Toxicological evaluation of polyphenol extract from Acerola fruit.
J Food Science. 2008. Research and
Development, Nichirei Foods, Inc., Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi,
Chiba, Japan.
Acerola polyphenols were found to have radical
scavenging activities and inhibitory effects on both alpha-glucosidase and
advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) production. Our results show them to be safe.
Allergy
Anaphylactic reaction to apple juice containing acerola:
cross-reactivity to latex due to prohevein.
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2002.
I researched the original study that was published
in 2002 in the Journal of Allergy and Immunology on which all of the cautions
about acerola being cross reactive for the latex protein were based, the
conclusion were from a single case where the subject had a contact and internal
allergy to latex. Is this conclusive enough for someone who suspects a latex
allergy to avoid it? Does acerola in fact contain the prohevein protein?
I don't know enough about the intricacies of acerola composition
to provide a good answer.
Nutrient composition
The acerola fruit: composition, productive characteristics and economic
importance
Arch Latinoam Nutr. 2006. Universidade do Vale do Itajai, Itajai, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Acerola fruit origin is from
South of Mexico, Central America and Septentrional area of South America.
Acerola has a subglobulose drupa fruit with three seeds which account between
the 19 - 25% of the total weight. The fruit shows green color
when it is developing, which changes to yellow and red tones when it is mature.
Each plant produces annually 20 - 30 kg of fruits. This fruit contents
macro and micronutrients: proteins (0.2-0.8 g/100 g), fats (0.2-0.8 g per 100
grams), carbohydrates (3-7 g/100 g), mineral salts (iron 0.24, calcium 11,
phosphorus 17 mg/100 g) and vitamins (thiamine 0.02, riboflavine 0.07,
piridoxine 8 mg/100 g). Its high content in vitamin C (695 to 4827 mg/100 g) is
remarkable. It also has carotenoids and
bioflavonoids which provide important nutritive value and its potential use as
antioxidant. Brazil has a climate and soil appropriate for the culture of
acerola fruit.
Physico-chemical characterization of acerola (Malpighia glabra) produced in Maringa, Parana State, Brazil
Arch Latinoam Nutrition 1997.
The acerola Malpighia glabra, originally from the Antillas and North
of South America, known by the people as cereja-das-antilhas or
cereja-do-para distinguish itself by its high content of vitamin C. The
ripe and fresh acerola fruits utilized in experiments, were obtained from
farmers of Maringa region, Parana State, Brazil. The fruits were hulled in
steel sieve with 25 mesh and the bagasse (seeds and hull) discarded. These
physico-chemical analysis were realized in the pulp: vitamin C, moisture,
protein, carbohydrate, fiber, lipids and fatty acids composition. We also
determined the content of ash and cadmium, calcium, lead, copper, chrome,
iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium and zinc minerals. The
average content of vitamin C was 1.7 g/100 g of pulp, it was higher than
the one for other fruits, like pineapple, araca, cashew, guava, kiwi,
orange, lemon, and strawberry and lower than the camu-camu sylvestral
fruit of Amazonia. The contents of moisture, carbohydrate, fiber, lipids and
minerals were not significantly different when compared
to other fruits.
Juice
Is there any company making an acerola juice, drink, or
beverage?
I am not aware of acerola juice being sold, but perhaps if
you do a thorough google search you can find a company that sells an acerola
drink or beverage.
Food preservation
Meat Sci. 2015. Effects of acerola fruit extract on sensory and shelf-life of
salted beef patties from grinds differing in fatty acid composition.. The
effects of added acerola fruit extract on sensory and shelf-life of beef patties
were evaluated. Ground beef was obtained from young bulls fed one of four diets
(CON: control, LIN: linseed, CLA: conjugated linoleic acid, LINCLA: LIN plus CLA).
Pre-salted (1.8% w/w) beef patties (7.7% fat) with (0.15% w/w) or without
acerola were packed in modified atmosphere (80%O2:20%CO2) and displayed in a
retail case for 8days. There were no interactions between diet and antioxidant
treatments. LIN and/or CLA had no effect on color and lipid stability during
display. However, LIN increased n-3 fatty acids in beef and tended to increase
intensity of rancid flavor. Addition of acerola extended shelf-life by at least
3days by improving color and lipid stability and a decreased trend in intensity
of rancid flavor of patties without affecting microbial counts. Thus, the use of
acerola as a natural antioxidant can be considered an effective method to retard
color and lipid oxidation in beef patties.
Now Foods, buy Acerola 4:1 Extract Powder
supplement
NOW Acerola Powder is one of nature's highest
sources of vitamin C. The fruit can yield up to 3,000 mg of vitamin C per 100
grams of fresh weight, but on the average yields around 1,500 mg. This
Powder is a 4:1 extract that yields 180 mg of vitamin C per teaspoon and tastes
great!
Buy Acerola extract powder or pill
| Supplement Facts | ||
| Serving Size: 1 Level Teaspoon (3.2 g) | ||
| Servings per container: about 53 | ||
| Amount Per Serving: | % Daily Value | |
| Calories | 15 | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 3 g | 1%* |
| Vitamin C (from Acerola and Ascorbic Acid) | 160 mg | 267% |
| Acerola Powder Complex (4:1 Extract) (Berry) | 3.2 g | † |
| *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. †Daily Value not established. |
||
Buy Acerola product
or other healthy choices such as acai, pomegranate, maqui, mangosteen
Suggested Use, dosage: As a dietary supplement, take a third, half, or one level
teaspoon acerola extract powder a few times a week, mixed into fruit, vegetable
juice or water.
Supplement Facts
Serving Size 1 Level Teaspoon (3.6 g)
Vitamin C 180 mg 300%
Acerola Powder (4:1 Extract) (Berry) 3.6 g (3,600 mg)