The Power of Acerola

Why Humans Need Vitamin C?

Humans are unable to synthesize vitamin C and thus are dependent upon dietary sources to meet their needs. Deficiency risk, which is underestimated in the general population, is observed more often in men than women and in elderly people. These groups share low consumption of fruits and vegetables (Fain et al., 2004). Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is essential for the formation, growth, and repair of bone, skin, and connective tissue. It helps the body absorb iron, which is needed to make red blood cells. Vitamin C also helps burns and wounds heal.

Origin

Popularly known as Barbados Cherry or West Indian Cherry, Malpighia glabra L. or Malpighia emarginata D.C (also known as Malpighia punicifolia L.), is the fruit of the acerola bush, a native plant of the West Indies. Acerola juice is popular in Brazil, and the fruit is consumed as a natural remedy. The fruit has astringent, anti-inflammatory, stimulant, and diuretic properties. The fresh fruit is used for convalescents and those who require treatment for anemia, high cholesterol, diabetes, liver conditions, rheumatism, and tuberculosis.

Diana Food: Acerola

Diana Food, within the Nutrition Segment of Symrise, provides advanced natural health and well-being nutrition solutions to the food, beverage and nutraceuticals industry. Diana Food carefully selects raw materials including fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood to offer clean label solutions, standardized nutrition actives and functionalities enabling impactful product claims. Diana Food has worked with acerola for more than 15 years, first for food supplements applications and more recently for food preservation in meat, bakery and other categories. Diana is definitely a key stakeholder on the acerola market.  

Acerola: Focus On Natural Vitamin C

The acerola fruit used by Diana Food is harvested when it is still green, that is, at the full ripening stage: the concentration of vitamin C decreases with further ripening of the fruit. After removing the seed from the fruit, concentrated juice is obtained and atomized by spray drying until an extract with very high vitamin C content is obtained.

More Than Only Vitamin C

Thanks to its composition rich in antioxidants, acerola ingredients provide highly bioavailable natural vitamin C. Polyphenols present in acerola also enhance vitamin C stability.

High Content of Vitamin C and Powerful Antioxidant

The acerola range includes powders containing between 17% and 34% of native vitamin C. Thanks to its high level of native source of vitamin C, acerola powder offers many consumer health benefits. It contributes to the normal function of the immune system and to normal collagen formation as well as the normal function of bones, teeth, cartilage, gums, skin and blood vessels. It contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. This is why many EFSA claims are possible when using acerola powder.     Diana Food has selected an optimized acerola fruit which is by far the best source of vitamin C: 50 times more concentrated than orange!

Bioavailability

In a study by Uchida (2011), acerola juice tended to promote the absorption of ascorbic acid in plasma and suppressed its excretion in urine better than ascorbic acid alone.

More Bioavailable Than Synthetic Vitamin C*

* Acerola juice tended to promote the absorption of ascorbic acid in plasma and limited its excretion in urine better than ascorbic acid alone. (Uchida, 2011)

Authenticity

Authenticity can be checked by measurement of isotopic ratios of C13 ascorbic acid. Adulteration is detected if isotopic values of the ascorbic acid do not conform. Only acerola products without added vitamin C can be claimed as "Natural Vitamin C" or "Naturally Source Of" or "Naturally High In".

"Vitamin C and Contribution to the Normal Function of the Immune System"

Main Features: Natural (fruit) content of vitamin C >34% (HPLC), 11 requests approved by EFSA in the EU regarding the use of ascorbic acid, High antioxidant power, High bioavailability, 5 polyphenol classes defined in this fruit, Beige/pink fine powder extract, High solubility in water, Ideal for food supplements and functional foods, Also available in organic version.   Aysun Şentürk Sales Engineer Safic Alcan Kimya A.Ş.