Acerola record holder: there is no such amount of vitamin C in any other berry

What fruits and fruits do you think have the most useful and necessary vitamin C in us? Is lemon, an orange, or maybe a dog rose the best remedy against ascorbic acid deficiency, which saves us from colds and infections? Alas, neither southern citrus fruits, nor our sea-buckthorn or wild rose, can boast of what one tropical berry called Barbados cherry possesses. It is considered the world leader in vitamin C content among all other berries and fruits.

Acerola, or Barbados cherry, is found in the wild in the tropics of South America and on the adjacent islands of the Caribbean Sea. This is a sprawling tree or bush up to 4-6 meters high, which during flowering is decorated with hundreds of tiny white and pink flowers. But the Barbados cherry, named after the island of Barbados, is not really a relative of the familiar cherries or cherries. Acerola belongs to the Malpigian family, although the tree does have cherry-like leaves and fruits.

This plant would remain one of the many wild-growing species whose fruits the local population collects in the forest if its unique properties were not discovered. It turned out that the fruits of acerola knowingly have such a specific sour taste. Barbados cherry was the record for ascorbic acid.

100 grams of Barbados cherries contain up to 3 300 mg of vitamin C. For example, the same number of rose hips contains only 1000 mg of vitamin, and in black currant - only 200 mg. Citrus fruits also do not constitute any competition to Barbados cherries: they contain only 40-60 mg of vitamin per 100 grams.

Thanks to a record amount of vitamin C, acerola has gained incredible popularity and quickly spread to many tropical countries. Today it is cultivated in many countries of the world, and Barbados cherries can be found far beyond the Caribbean region. In addition to the southern United States, Cuba, and other countries of the Caribbean, a healthy tree is grown in the Philippines and Australia.

Acerola berries are not used in official medicine, and they do not produce drugs. But they have become very popular as dietary supplements. It was found that ripe, saturated red colored acerola fruits are inferior in terms of vitamin content to slightly unripe ones. For this reason, berries intended for the manufacture of food additives are harvested at the stage of the beginning of staining, when they have a pink hue.

Watch the video: Cherry Fruits & Tree (March 2024).

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