The Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey (2003-2005) revealed that vitamin C deficiency is far more prevalent in the UK than initially believed. However, it’s not only those on a low income who suffer from a shortage of this essential vitamin – those following a fad diet, those who smoke, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding (and thus require higher amounts of vitamin C) or indeed the elderly, are all identified as having a higher than average risk of a vitamin C deficiency. The good news is that vitamin C is readily available in a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables (including oranges, strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli and brussels sprouts) in addition to a variety of natural superfoods such as camu camu berry powder.

But before we examine the many merits of vitamin C rich camu camu berry powder, let’s take a look at why vitamin C is so important for our all round health and general wellbeing.

Why do we need vitamin C?

Our bodies require vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, to produce collagen (a type of protein found in many different types of tissue, such as skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage) and in order to:

• Protect our cells and keep them healthy
• Maintain healthy connective tissue
• Aid the healing of wounds

And scientists at the US university of Yeshiva recently unveiled that vitamin C has also proven extremely effective at killing multidrug resistant TB in the lab – their study, published in Nature Communications this year, suggests that ‘the surprise discovery may point to a new way of tackling this increasingly hard-to-treat infection’, which affects an estimated 650,000 people worldwide.

What happens if we don’t obtain enough vitamin C?

As vitamin C cannot be stored in our body, it’s vital that we receive sufficient quantities from our daily diet. According to the NHS, the average adult requires 40 mg of vitamin C per day. Lack of vitamin C can cause jaundice, generalised oedema (swelling), shortness of breath, nerve problems, fever and convulsions and may ultimately lead to scurvy, a rare condition with a long list of unpleasant symptoms including:

• Muscle and joint pain
• Tiredness
• The appearance of red dots on the skin
• Bleeding and swelling of the gums
• Tooth loss
• Dry skin and brittle hair
• Poor healing of wounds
• Inability to fight infection

Camu camu berry powder – the organic berry extract brimming with vitamin C

The best way to prevent vitamin C deficiency is by enjoying a healthy, balanced diet that contains plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and is supplemented by a special selection of powerful superfoods such as camu camu berry powder.

Camu camu berry powder is a delicious organic powder made from camu camu berries (Myrciaria Dubia) – a fruit that grows wild in the swampy lowlands of the Amazon. The red, purple or green berries are hand picked and then freeze dried to remove their slightly sour flavour, whilst ensuring the retention of their valuable vitamins and minerals. In addition to B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, amino acids, antioxidants and bioflavonoids, camu camu berries contain more vitamin C than any other food source on the planet.

Camu camu has the highest concentration of vitamin C on the planet with 25 to 50 times more vitamin C than oranges on an ounce to ounce basis. When you examine that oranges commonly contain approximately 1000 ppm of vitamin C (in some cases it can be as high as 3000), camu camu can contain upwards of approximately 50,000 ppm per 100g of the fruit.

As well as supplying vast quantities of vitamin C, enjoying antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic camu camu berry powder on a regular basis can offer an astonishing number of health benefits including:

• Better digestion
• Healthier gums
• Improved vision
• Enhanced mental clarity and improved concentration and learning
• Strengthened immunity
• Improved fertility

It’s also thought that camu camu berry powder may help to delay the signs of aging, prevent headaches, migraine and glaucoma, avoid a hardening of the arteries (and thus protect our cardiovascular and central nervous system), relieve or slow down the symptoms of arthritis, combat depression, reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and help to thwart certain types of cancer.

How to enjoy Camu camu berry powder

Camu camu berry powder is extremely concentrated – stirring just small amounts of this nutrient-dense, citrus-like fruit extract into your favourite smoothies, shakes and juices is an extremely convenient way to obtain your daily dose of vitamin C. Versatile camu camu berry powder can also be sprinkled directly over fresh fruit salads and desserts or used as an integral ingredient in raw cakes and tarts.

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