What is the Acerola Cherry?
The acerola cherry (Malpighia glabra) or Acerolla, also known as the Barbados cherry or wild crapemyrtle, native to the West Indies and northern South America, is also cultivated in India. It grows on a shrub that reaches 3 meters in height and has a thorny crown. The cherry is bright red and contains 2-3 hard seeds. Historically, the cherry has been used to treat dysentery and fever. Recent research suggests that the cherry possesses anti-inflamatory and astringent properties. It is rich in Vitamin C and over 150 phytonutrients have been found in the cherry.
Nutritional benefits:
- Vitamin C
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Other Minerals
The cherry can help with:
- Immune Function
- Dysentery
- Diarrhea
Possibly the richest source of vitamin C among fruits, the cherry is extremely popular for its health benefits. It is a tropical antioxidant fruit which is cultivated mostly in the Caribbean, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, and in India. Let us take a look at the health benefits of acerola cherry.
The most important thing that sets cherry apart from any other fruit is its vitamin C content. The vitamin C content of one tiny cherry is 65 times higher than what is found in an orange. In other words, the vitamin C content found in one cherry is equal to the minimum daily requirement needed for your body.
Thanks to its extremely high vitamin C content, the cherry can help boost your immune system, strengthen your liver, improve your skin condition, and increases your body’s ability to repair tissues quickly. It also helps you prevent colds, infections, hair loss, and dental problems.
The cherry contains anthocyanins – substances which are highly anti-inflammatory in nature. So, it is very good at relieving headaches. Eating an acerola cherry can have the same effect as taking ibuprofen or aspirin for your headache.
The cherry is an excellent source of vitamin A, which is a known antioxidant. 100 grams of an acerola cherry contains up to 1017 IU of carotene. A regular intake of vitamin A tends to improve your vision and reduces the risk of cataracts and other such eye problems. Since it is a powerful antioxidant, it fights the free radicals which cause the maximum damage to your skin. As a result, you can stay away from skin problems.
The fruit also contains high levels of potassium which can elevate your mood, regulate your heart function, and keep your blood pressure in control.
It is also rich in vitamin B, calcium, magnesium, folate, and phosphorous. Folate in particular helps in the formation of new cells in your body, reduces the risk of heart diseases, and protects small children against mental problems and debilitating diseases.
It is full of antioxidants like carotenoids and flavonoids, which, needless to say, are extremely important for your good health. It has been proven clearly that consuming antioxidant rich fruits regularly will help you stay away from health problems like heart diseases and cancer.
Learn more about Antioxidants in Tart Cherries.
Thinking about cooking with cherries? You can always check out our Fruit Recipe Page to find unique recipes of specific fruits found on this site.
Or be sure to check out Antioxidant-fruits.com’s fresh cherry recipes as well.
Read and learn more about cherries, by visiting these pages on antioxidant-fruits.com!:
- Acerola Cherry
- Antioxidants in Tart Cherries
- Cherry General Information
- Fresh Cherry Recipes
- Health Benefits of Cherries
- Types of Cherries
Top Products Containing the Acerola Cherry:
- Nature’s Bounty Vitamin C with Acerola, 500 mg, 60 Chewable Wafers (Pack of 3)
- Navitas Naturals Tropical Fruit Antioxidant Blend Twister Power, 8 Ounce Pouch
- Acerola Berry Extract Powder 4:1 – 16 Ounces (1 Pound) By: Kismet Kreations
- Calcium Pyruvate 90 VegiCaps
- Country Life Maxi Baby -C Liquid
- american health super acerola plus chewables 500mg tabs
- O.N.E. Amazon Acai, 33.8 Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)
Do you have a recipe with the Acerola Cherry in it? If so, please include it in the comments below or feel free to contact us.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Where can I purchase fresh acerola cherries or are they available fresh in the US? I see lots of powders, etc., but would like to know where to buy FRESH. Thank you.
Linda,
I would try Whole Foods. – but I have no idea if they sell them fresh.
You might also pose the question on the Antioxidant-fruits.com Facebook page to see if other folks have suggestions.
Thanks for inquiring.
Jenny
Hi,
Bolthouse Farms has a cheap smoothie drink you can get at almost anystore called C-boost. This drink contains 29 acerola cherries per bottle! It has 2400% vitamin C (real, not ascorbic acid) per bottle as well. This is what turned me on and I bought it. I never knew it had these cherries and real C in it, so I always passed it up. Well the drink has helped me a lot, and I just started it 2 days ago. I would recommend it. You probably only need one per day. I also like their perfectly protein drinks. That’s a good source of protein. Just reserached on google today…and just as I thought, you can survive off these drinks. They fill me up I noticed and I am not able to eat food with them. Hey, that’s great. Keep all those garbage chemicals in our food out of my body. If I’m never hungry…I could care less about eating!
where can i get cheeris in india i want to by them.in india that to in hyderabad or visakhapatnam……………..
plz help me out……..
I have two of these bushes in my yard and just harvested 3 lbs of these cherries. The bush blooms and produces year-round. I really would like to find a recipe for them so I can preserve them. I am diabetic, so I cant use sugar. Any suggestions, anyone?
I have cancer and grew up with a tree in my yard but now as a us citizen I can’t find it. I think it is what staved of my childhood cancer a bit. May I buy some seeds to plant from you please?