Thursday, June 10, 2010

The Superfruit from the Amazon is 'Queen of Vitamin C'

The lush Amazon rainforest is believed to be the haven for countless plant species yet to be discovered that may provide profound scientific and health benefits to mankind. Camu Camu is a good example of a nutritious rainforest fruit that has only recently become known to people in North America. Superfoods leader Navitas Naturals (www.navitasnaturals.com) is raising awareness of camu by introducing this sustainably harvested superfruit to foodies and health-savvy consumers in a convenient, pure organic powder form.

Camu is most famous for its abundant concentration of vitamin C - containing up to 60 times more than an orange. Many consumers of camu eat this whole-food superfruit instead of taking vitamin C supplement pills. Each 5g serving of Navitas Naturals Organic Camu Powder contains 1,180% of the daily recommended intake of Vitamin C. This antioxidant-rich berry is also a great source of potassium, calcium, protein and beta-carotene. Camu also contains serine, thiamin, leucine and valine – powerful phytochemicals and amino acids that are known to have a wide range of therapeutic effects.

Recently Published Research Supports the Health Attributes of Camu Camu
Scientists that conducted a study of camu published in the October, 2008 edition of the Journal of Cardiology stated that, “Our results suggest that camu-camu juice may have powerful anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, compared to vitamin C tablets containing equivalent vitamin C content. These effects may be due to the existence of unknown anti-oxidant substances besides vitamin C or unknown substances modulating in vivo vitamin C kinetics in camu-camu.”¹ Another study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry in November 2005 indicates that camu contains the pholyphenolic compound cyanidin-3-glucoside, which has been shown in studies to inhibit the onset of cancer and the metestasis of cancerous tumors.²

Navitas Naturals’ Organic Camu is harvested from low-growing shrubs in the Amazon River basin of Peru. The whole berry has the seeds removed and is then dried and low-temperature milled into a fine soluble powder. Navitas Naturals Organic Camu Powder is certified organic, vegan, raw, and gluten-free and is available in a 3-ounce resealable pouch for $19.99. There are no carriers or fillers in this product, - just pure camu berries. The rust-orange colored powder has a tart, tangy and intense citrus flavor and is recommended to be sprinkled on cereal, mixed into drinks, blended into smoothies and yogurt, or added to dessert recipes (cookies, cakes, breads). A recipe for Camu Berry Lemonade is below, and more ideas can be found at http://www.navitasnaturals.com/recipes/camu-recipes.html.

Navitas Naturals’ mission is to provide premium organic superfoods that increase energy and enhance health. The award-winning company’s products are of the highest quality, and are sourced directly from farmers that cultivate their crops in a sustainable manner and in accordance with fair trade practices. “We look to the past for inspiration,” says Zach Adelman, founder and President of Navitas Naturals. “Our products come from ancient cultures around the world where they are traditionally used for both culinary and medicinal purposes.” For more information, please visit www.navitasnaturals.com.

¹ “Tropical fruit camu-camu has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties.” J Cardiol. 2008 Oct;52(2):127-32. Epub 2008 Jul 29.
² “Determination of anthocyanins from camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia). J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Nov 30;53(24):9531-5

Camu Berry Lemonade

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. Navitas Naturals Camu Powder
½ Tbsp. Navitas Naturals Green Stevia
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 quart water

Directions
In a blender, combine all ingredients and briefly blend. Add additional sweetener, if desired, to taste. Chill before serving.

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