What Is Acerola?

Have you ever heard of acerola? This small fruit, sometimes called the West Indian cherry, cereso, or Barbados cherry, can be found in the West Indies and in select locations in Central America, South America, and even in a few places in the U.S. The berries grow on a small tree that, in addition to bearing the tasty fruit, also looks very pretty when it flowers. While the berries taste really good when they’re ripe, they don’t last very long after they’re picked. That’s why you don’t see fresh acerola berries in many grocery stores or markets.

However, the berries can be freeze dried and made into capsules. They contain all of the amazing benefits of the fruit. The acerola berry is very high in a number of antioxidants, especially Vitamin C. It also contains a good amount of anthocyanins. These antioxidants help eliminate free radicals from the body before they can destroy healthy cells, plus the high amount of Vitamin C means it will help boost your immune system and can prevent you from becoming sick.

Acerola may also help combat a number of other illnesses. In 2006, a study was actually done to see if acerola affected blood sugar levels, and the results showed that it could help diabetics maintain normal levels. The acerola helped prevent blood sugar from traveling through the intestines.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.  These products are not intended to treat, diagnose, or cure any diseases.