Acerola is a tropical fruit that most people associate above all with vitamin C. But when modern research took a closer look, it turns out that this mild-mannered plůdkem of the Caribbean is hiding biologically far more complex story. Let's unravel it — no exaggerated promises, but without undue simplification.

What is acerola?

Acerola (Malpighia emarginata, sometimes referred to as Malpighia glabra) is a tropical shrub native to Central America and the Caribbean. Under the popular name "barbados cherry" is hiding the fetus, which is among the the richest natural sources of vitamin C at all — in some cases, contains up to tens of multiples of ascorbic acid compared to citrus fruits.

But look at the acerolu only as a "natural" c "" is probably too simplified. A modern analysis shows that the fetus contains the full spectrum of biologically active substances, which mutually interact:

This natural "food matrix" is the reason why acerola in recent years is attracting increasing scientific interest — and why it is now considered an example of the so-called functional foods.

How is the extract of acerola.

In the manufacture of acerolového extract plays a key role sound processing. After the harvest — taking for the production of the extract often deliberately using unripe fruitsthat may contain a higher concentration of vitamin C than fully ripe — the fruits are pressed at lower temperatures to minimize the degradation of sensitive bioactive substances.

The obtained juice is filtered, concentrated and standardizes the defined vitamin C content. For the production of a stable powder is the most commonly used method spray drying (spray drying) — liquid is dispersed into a stream of hot air and the water almost instantly evaporates. This process helps to reduce the loss of vitamin C and other antioxidants.

Why acerolu interested in modern research?

When scientists began to acerolu examine in more detail, they found an interesting phenomenon: the biological activity of the entire acerolového extract seems to be different from the effects of the isolated ascorbic acid. This observation belongs today to one of the central themes of research of functional foods in general.

That is why the current research does not focus only on the content of vitamin C, but also on a combination of antioxidants, polyphenols and phytonutrients in acerolové matrix. Let's look at three of the research work that well represent different angles of view.

What about acerole we know — and what not yet

Honest scientific communication requires a distinction between what is well substantiated, and what is yet more promising direction of research. Here is an overview:

The typical composition of the acerolového extract

Standardized extract of acerola cherry usually contains a combination of these substances. The exact ratios vary according to variety, the method of processing and the degree of ripeness of the fruit — that's why is standardization so important.

Acerola as an example of a comprehensive functional nutrition

Perhaps the most interesting on the acerole is not one particular substance, but the very principle of a complex plant matrix. Modern nutrition has gradually shifted from isolated nutrients towards the study of whole biological systems — i.e., how individual food components interact and what it brings to the body.

Acerola is in this respect an extraordinary example — not only because of the vitamin C content, but mainly because of how rich and biologically complex natural profile of this low-key tropical fruit has to offer. At the same time, it is important to remind ourselves of what this means in practice: the effects are more difficult to measure, the results are variable and many of the mechanisms is not yet definitively confirmed by clinical studies in humans.