Barbados Cherries: The Ultimate Health Booster
The Barbados cherry, perhaps most commonly known as the acerola cherry, possesses a bit of a misleading name. Though the Barbados cherry can be found in Barbados, it can also be found in several other hot and humid climates: from Peru to Brazil, to Mexico and the southern United States. For centuries the natives in these countries have held the Barbados cherry in high regard, though only in recent years has the Barbados cherry received world wide recognition as being a quality source of vitamins and minerals (most predominantly vitamin C).
What Are Barbados Cherries?
Barbados cherries are small berries that grow on shrubs and small trees located in humid climates. They are about the size of the standard cherry you see in stores but are sometimes a bit more firm. Barbados cherries have a number of different names, such as:
Acerola
Acerola cherry
West Indian Cherry
Wild Crapemyrtle
Why are Barbados Cherries now known as a “Superfood”?
Superfoods are, by definition, foods that have a high “phytonutrient” content which results in better health and general well being. Superfoods typically offer a number of different health benefits, like vitamins and minerals that help fight cancers, diseases, and even every day ailments like the common cold and flu.
The Barbados cherry is packed with vitamin C, a vitamin that is renowned for offering a plethora of excellent health benefits, such as:
Offering protection from heart disease and cancers. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which helps protect our bodies from harmful free radicals and other toxins that cause illness
Helping you stay youthful for longer! Vitamin C helps produce collagen, a material that holds our cells together (which means fewer wrinkles and healthier muscles and bones!)
Boosts our immunity. Anyone who takes vitamin C regularly will tell you just how quickly they heal from bruises and cuts
Keeps our oral health in tip top shape. A proper intake of this vitamin keeps our gums firm and healthy
Where can I find Barbados cherries?
If you’re fortunate enough, you will be able to pluck them right off of a tree or shrub growing in your area. Should you be like a number of us who do not live in a hot, humid climate, a supplemental form of Barbados cherries will provide you with the same benefits. You can find them in a freeze dried form, capsules, powders, or you can even buy juices that are infused with a Barbados cherry juice (most of these juices will read “acerola cherries” on the label, but it is the same fruit).
As the Barbados cherry is a newly acclaimed superfood, new studies are continuously coming out advising how great these little fruits are for our health. If you are interested in how the Barbados cherry can help improve your life, be sure to speak to a natural health specialist, a nutritionist, or even your doctor for more details.
