Camu Camu

Myrciaria dubia, better known as Camu Camu is a fruit with supposedly extremely high levels of vitamin C and is found in the Amazon Basin of Peru and Brazil.

Conventional wisdom from indigenous peoples says that the power house punch of vitamin C as well as other natural compounds is good for immune support, eye and skin health and nervous system support.

The catch is that most sources of info about Camu are selling Camu. And it's very expensive...so I'd like to know if it is legit or a scam.

I have been taking a half teaspoon a day for about a week. I do think I have had increased stamina and also some slight changes is my eye sight, as crazy as that sounds. However, you never can be too sure if it's not simply a placebo effect.

Does anyone have any actual anecdotal experience or testimonial about Camu Camu?

a reply to: kosmicjack

Have you really noticed a slight difference with your eyesight ?

If that's the case, I'd be willing to give this stuff a try. I'm having to get stronger and stronger reading glasses as each year goes by... and at this rate, I'm going to be Mr. Magoo in no time.

*sigh*

I'm always leery of very high doses of Vit C because it is excreted by the kidneys and has been associated with kidney stones. I watched a very good friend agonize until she moderated her consumption.

In the summer when fruit and fresh veggies are more available, I find that my hair curls a little bit naturally, and I associate that with increased vitamins.

a reply to: CranialSponge

A little bit but not sure it's the camu. It seems like a stretch to me but don't have another explanation.

a reply to: aboutface

I wonder if it makes a difference if it's naturally sourced or formulated vamin C?

a reply to: kosmicjack

The "natural" vs "synthetic" vit c meme is marketing. The molecules are the same ...and the amount in natural products like Camu is negligible. A good synthetic is cheaper.

As far as kidney stones... no correlation with c... but some people might get into trouble by taking too much at one time, getting diarrhea (the only 'overdose' effect of c) and that may lead to dehydration and then kidney stones, but it's not the c doing it.

Correlation is not causation.

eta: the USRDA of a quarter gram is woefully low.... especially now that some research is indicating one molecule of c makes one molecule of collagen ... that amount will keep one alive, but research is showing that many illnesses may be a lower level (rather than acute) scurvy and although Pauling recommended relatively huge amounts (with some good reasons) it's thought a healthy adult person will stay that way with about a minimum of 3 gms of c taken in a couple smaller doses through the day... with sky as the limit when ill. The overdose effect, called bowel titration changes as the body uses c... so you can use that as a metric for dosage (example I could take 15 gms as one time with no tummy upset when I had a bad infection... after it I was back to 3 gms before diarrhea set in).

The Vitamin C content is extraordinarily high: 1800 - 2300 mg per 100 grams of fruit. That's 3000% of your recommended daily intake! I'm guessing one fruit is similar in weight to a fig, so 2 Camus would weigh 100g.

Is it therefore possible to overdose? Probably not...

Vitamin C is water soluble, with dietary excesses not absorbed, and excesses in the blood rapidly excreted in the urine. It exhibits remarkably low toxicity.

Sources: Myrciaria Dubia, Vitamin C

originally posted by: Baddogma
a reply to: kosmicjack

The "natural" vs "synthetic" vit c meme is marketing. The molecules are the same ...and the amount in natural products like Camu is negligible. A good synthetic is cheaper.

Might be cheaper but I won't be convinced it's better.

a reply to: kosmicjack

Not better, not worse... the identical molecule (well, identical IF it's labeled as L-Ascorbic Acid, the active molecule orientation ...some c is a mix of D-Ascorbic and L-Ascorbic orientations... so that the "D" half is effectively inert. That isn't proven yet, but research is pointing that way).

Some natural supplements are better than the manufactured (or extracted) kind...like vit E, for example, but as long as the manufactured c is L form and a good formulation/method of manufacture, it's identical to the natural molecule, and a natural source is impractical when we're trying to get the amount our bodies would normally make from glucose if we weren't victims of a genetic defect... that defect reminds me of the fail safe with lysine and the dinos in Jurassic Park, but that's another thread!

Natural ascorbic acid in the "L" form will degenerate to the "D" orientation by itself over a few hours... like in a glass of OJ, and it's cheaper to make the "D" stuff.... and when 99% of all c is now made in wild west China (even most of the "natural" versions), it's a good idea to be careful.

I have a good friend who's a scientist who's researched c over the years and thus, I can't point you to the info... but the website www.vitamincfoundation.org has good info in one place... I haven't found any mistakes there, anyway, and they try to be impartial to the science.

a reply to: kosmicjack

My friend ate lots of fresh oranges every single day.

originally posted by: kosmicjack
Myrciaria dubia, better known as Camu Camu is a fruit with supposedly extremely high levels of vitamin C and is found in the Amazon Basin of Peru and Brazil.

Conventional wisdom from indigenous peoples says that the power house punch of vitamin C as well as other natural compounds is good for immune support, eye and skin health and nervous system support.

The catch is that most sources of info about Camu are selling Camu. And it's very expensive...so I'd like to know if it is legit or a scam.

I have been taking a half teaspoon a day for about a week. I do think I have had increased stamina and also some slight changes is my eye sight, as crazy as that sounds. However, you never can be too sure if it's not simply a placebo effect.

Does anyone have any actual anecdotal experience or testimonial about Camu Camu?

Dont know anything about Camu Camu I'm afraid but I can tell you that I use a product called Kakadu Complex which is made from Kakadu plums. Kakadu plums have about 30 times as much vitamin C in them than an orange has.

Kakadu plums grow in the Northen Territory in Australia.

originally posted by: CranialSponge
a reply to: kosmicjack

Have you really noticed a slight difference with your eyesight ?

If that's the case, I'd be willing to give this stuff a try. I'm having to get stronger and stronger reading glasses as each year goes by... and at this rate, I'm going to be Mr. Magoo in no time.

*sigh*

Surely if you are that worried about it you would be learning what minerals and food you need to repair them,
start with GLA (you need others) which is found in blackcurrant oil or evening primrose oil this rebuilds the vessels that feed your eyes nutrients, you almost always need another chemical to boost the uptake of the one you want,
chemicals are synergistic which makes me wonder why the government never test for synergistic effects when they are dealing with chemicals they allow in our environment.