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Wild & Natural Herbs
from the Amazon Rainforest |
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Camu-Camu Info
Sheet
A Potent Immune
and Mood-Balancing Botanical Agent
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Welcome to Camu-camu,
The Natural Vitamin C Plant |
Properties and
Actions |
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Anti-viral, anti-inflammatory,
antioxidant, astringent, anti-pain,
anti-depressant, emollient, nutritive |
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Phytochemicals
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Natural ascorbic acid,
bioflavonoids, beta-carotene, calcium,
iron, leucine, niacin, phosphorus,
potassium, protein, riboflavin,
thiamin, serine, valine, alpha-pinene,
d-limonene |
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Health Benefits |
● Superior effect over synthetic
vitamin C to strengthen and
support the immune system
● Supports the bodys defenses against
the herpes virus
● Traditionally used by natives against
colds and flus
● Helps maintain healthy gums, eyes and
skin
● Supports healthy liver, lungs,
lymphatic and nervous systems |
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The Natural Vitamin C Plant
Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) is the name of a bush which grows in
the Amazonian rainforest of Peru. The Camu-camu bush
produces an redish-colored fruit that has the highest recorded
source of natural vitamin C than any other known plant on the
planet.In addition to vitamin C, Camu-camu contains many other
naturally-occurring vitamins, minerals and amino acids, and it
has
clinically demonstrated far superior benefits over ascorbic acid
(synthetic vitamin C tablets), especially over a 3 to 6
week period.
Camu-camu offers astringent, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory,
anti-pain, anti-viral, emollient and nutritive properties and
contains natural beta-carotene, calcium, iron, niacin,
phosphorus, protein, riboflavin, thiamin and the amino acids
valine,
leucine and serine. This makes Camu-camu invaluable for
metabolic processes, including the formation of white blood
cells,
maintaining a healthy immune system, and support for the brain,
lymph glands, heart and lungs. The Camu-camu fruit has a
surprising range of therapeutic effects.
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30 Times More Vitamin C
Oranges provide 500-4,000 ppm vitamin C, or ascorbic
acid, while acerola has assayed 16,000 to 172,000 ppm
ascorbic acid. Camu-camu provides up to 500,000 ppm
ascorbic acid. In comparison to oranges, Camu-camu
provides 30 times more vitamin C, 10 times more iron, 3
times more niacin, twice as much riboflavin, and 50%
more phosphorus.Camu-camu is also a significant
source of potassium,
providing 711 mg/kg of fruit. It also has a full
complement of minerals and amino acids which can aid in
the absorption of vitamin C. Alpha-pinene and
d-limonene, compounds known as terpenes, predominate as
the volatile compounds in this fruit.
Switching to Natural Vitamin C
People experiencing Camu-camu have stopped using
large dosages of synthetic vitamin C because they find
that just 1 to 2 grams daily of natural vitamin C
sources such as Camu-camu is superior in strengthening
the immune system, energizing and mood-lifting effects. One to two grams of Camu-camu,
once or twice daily, can clear up most |
cases of bleeding gums and provide
remarkable energy-boosting effects. It has the
additional benefit of being non-irritating to sensitive
stomachs and bladders.
Beware of Your Source
Beware of your Camu-camu product many brands that
contain Camu-camu also add synthetic vitamin C to their
product. Also, be sure your Camu-camu product contains
no toxic additives, fillers, corn or gluten.
Although the amount of vitamin C which Camu-camu
contains may appear low compared to the amount in
synthetically derived vitamin C products, the effects on
the human body are incomparable.
Because of its natural nutrient symphony, including
bioflavonoids and other synergists, clinical evidence
suggests that it is far more effective than any amount
of
synthetic vitamin C (ascorbic acid) or ester vitamin C,
especially over a 3 to 6 week period of use or longer. |
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Extraordinary Immune Support
Health care practitioners report the extraordinary
nutritional benefits of natural-source vitamin C complex
for supporting the body's immune defense against
internal invaders. A couple grams of Camu-camu readily
outperform the benefits previously achieved with mega
doses of ester vitamin C or mega doses of L-lysine.*
The Peruvian government
expects that Camu-camu will become a major export when
its amazing properties are discovered in the U.S. To
bear fruit, the Camu-camu bush must be 4 to 5 years old.
The growing popularity of this wild rain forest fruit is
contributing to the sustainable development of the
Amazon River basin and helping the natives maintain
their traditional way of life.
The Camu-camu fruit has
a surprising range of health promoting properties. Best
known among these are Camu-camus potent ability
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to strengthen the
immune system and to help maintain healthy gums, eyes
and skin. Dr.
Gary Null, Ph.D., a well-known nutritionist and
researcher, has investigated many of the extraordinary
medicinal properties of this Amazon rain forest fruit
(1996). In his Clinicians Handbook of Natural Healing
(1998), he lists disease conditions and the herbs that
have been found effective for their health promoting
properties in reference to specific organ/system
weaknesses and problems.
Anti-Depressant Treatment
In discussing the holistic treatment of depression, he
lists 19 plants containing chemical compounds with
antidepressant properties, in order of potency Camu-camu
is Number 2 on his list. It appears to provide
nutritional support for the brain to optimize its own
mood-balancing chemistry. |
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The Herpes Virus
The herpes virus takes a number of different forms and
is widespread today as a public health problem in the U.
S. More than 50% of the U.S. population gets cold sores,
which is the result of the herpes simplex virus 1
(HSV1). Many people also suffer from shingles, which is
a re-manifestation of the chicken pox virus in adulthood
in a new form. The principal anti-viral pharmaceutical
medicine is AcyclovirŽ, which has many undesirable side
effects.
The herpes virus can remain dormant at the base of
spinal ganglia and become active when the immune system
is under periods of stress. Common stressors include
emotional upsets, other illnesses, prescription drugs,
insufficient rest, poor diet, menstrual periods, vaginal
yeast infections, and too much sunlight on the skin.
Genital herpes is usually transmitted sexually.
The
Epstein-Barr virus is a common form of the herpes virus
which may linger in the body for years, often gradually
raising the total viral load which the body must
continually combat. Another form of the herpes virus,
genital herpes, is caused by the herpes simplex virus 2
(HSV2). In total, more than 80% of the U.S. population
suffers from some kind of herpes infection.
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Anti-Herpes Effect
Dr. Null lists 19 plants which contain anti-herpetic
phytochemicals. The plant with the largest amount of
these phytochemicals is Camu-camu. Health care
practitioners report that Camu-camu has provided
effective nutritional support to put shingles into
remission, and has cut the expected time for reduction
of symptoms in half by supporting the body's natural
defenses.Some
users have reported that cold sores have resolved in
just one day and genital herpes outbreak was resolved in
48 hours. In other cases, the Epstein-Barr type of
chronic fatigue has shown improvement in one or two
weeks.
Herpes Cleared
Camu-camu may be taken on a daily basis to provide
highly effective support for the bodys immune defenses
against the herpes virus (when it lies dormant in the
body). In one case, a 45-year-old woman with genital
herpes had outbreaks about every six weeks. After taking
1 gram daily of Camu-camu, she had no occurrence for
over a year before she experienced another outbreak.
Then later, none at all.
Wide Range of Health Benefits
The Camu-camu fruit has a surprising range of medicinal
effects as measured both by traditional use and by the
variety of phytochemical compounds which have
demonstrated therapeutic effects. Dr. James Duke,
retired chief botanist for the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
and author of many botanical books, including the
popular Green Pharmacy, lists some of these effects in
his Ethnobotanical website, based on amounts of various
phytochemicals which Camu-camu contains. |
On Dr. Dukes website,
in a comparative study of hundreds of botanical agents,
ranked in order of effectiveness for various health
conditions, Camu-camu was ranked as follows:
● anti-viral -#6; ●
gingivitis-periodontal disease -#1;
● antioxidant - #4; ● glaucoma - #;
● asthma - #1; ● hepatitis - #1;
● atherosclerosis - #1; ● infertility - #1;
● cataracts - #; ● migraine-cluster headaches - #1;
● colds - #1; ● osteoarthritis - #1;
● depression - #2; ● painkiller - #1;
● edema - #1 ● Parkinson's disease - #1
This is only a partial listing. For a complete list, see
Dr. James Dukes Ethnobotanical database,
www.ars-grin.gov/duke/. There is a disclaimer on his
website which warns that the information he provides is
not meant to claim that any herb can diagnose, prevent
or treat any disease condition.
References
Dr. James Dukes Ethnobotanical database:
www.ars-grin.gov/duke/.
Null, Gary. A Womans Encyclopedia of Natural Healing,
Seven Stories Press, New
York, N.Y., 1997.
The Clinicians Handbook of Natural Healing, Kensington
Press, New York, N.Y.,
1998.
Beckstrom-Sternberg, S., and J. A. Duke. Ethnobotany and
Phytochemical Databases,
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research
Service, USDA.
Zapata, S. M., et al. Camu-camu Myrciaria dubia (HBK)
McVaugh: chemical
composition of fruit. J. Sci. Food Agric., 1993; 61(3);
349-51.
Franco, M. R., and T. Shibamoto. Volatile composition of
some Brazilian fruits:
umbu-caja (Spondias citherea), camu-camu (Myrciaria
dubia), araca-boi (Eugenia
stipitala), and cupuacu (Theobroma grandiflorum). J.
Agric. Food Chem. 2000
Apr.; 48(4): 1263-65.
Justi, K. C., et al. Nutritional composition and vitamin
C stability in stored camu-camu
(Myrciaria dubia) pulp. Arch. Latinoam. Nutr. 2000 Dec.;
50(4): 405-8. |
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