Acerola cherry is a plant that is native to tropical regions of the Western Hemisphere. It's also commonly called the West Indies cherry, Barbados cherry, or just simply "acerola." It's believed that the shrub-like plant originated in southern Mexico and the Caribbean.
Acerola produces cherry-like berries, but it's not a true cherry. These berries are pleasant-tasting and have been used in modern and folk medicine. Traditional uses include treatment for liver ailments, diarrhea, dysentery, coughs, and colds.
Recently, there has been interest in using acerola's vitamin C content as a supplement.
Acerola is most well-known for being extremely rich in vitamin C. Because of this, it's often used to help with or prevent colds or flu. It's also used as an antioxidant nutrient. Together with vitamin C, acerola may be taken to boost immunity.
Other uses of acerola include:
- antidepressant
- antifungal
- athletic endurance
- diarrhea
- dysentery
- skin astringent (cream)
Supplement forms include:
- capsule
- chewable
- liquid extract (tincture)
- powder
The powder supplement is quite popular. Made from dehydrated and powdered acerola cherry juice, this can be mixed into beverages, smoothies, juices, and more. You can also make smoothies from your frozen berries.
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