Want to know how to look younger? Who doesn’t. Healthista nutritional director Rick Hay explains how vitamin C rich acerola cherry can help your skin
The anti-ageing berry – Acerola
We all know that vitamin C is key for our health and well being. But vitamin C does more than just help our immune systems and stop our coughs and colds. It’s also excellent for anti-ageing and wrinkles – hallelujah. This is because vitamin C is crucial for collagen formation (the building block of younger-looking skin).
Acerola is a vitamin-C rich tropical fruit native to Mexico and South America, with Brazil being the world’s largest producer of the berry. The Acerola berry also grows in warm climates such as Central America, California and Florida. Traditionally, the fruit has been used to treat coughs, colds, fever, dysentery, diarrohea and liver disorders.
The fruit was found to have nine times the amount of vitamin C than a typical orange.
Acerola is often used as a home remedy, but that doesn’t mean that its benefits aren’t proven. Research strongly indicates that the Acerola berry is a natural vitamin C supplement.
The fruit is super rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C. One study examined the vitamin C content of fruits such as pineapple, guava, kiwi, orange, lemon, and strawberry and found that acerola packed more of the nutrient than any other fruit. Plus the fruit was found to have nine times the amount of vitamin C than a typical orange.
The skin-friendly berry also contains enzymes, antioxidants and trace minerals to help reduce inflammation from pollution and stress, which can lead to premature ageing.
Acerola also contains vitamin A, which helps to prevent dry skin, helps with skin firmness and may even help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Plus it contains Vitamin B to further help with overall skin, hair and nail health. So your skin won’t just look younger with all that extra Vitamin C, but it may also feel much healthier too.
The vitamin C found in acerola can also fight oxidative stress, an ageing-related process that can leave skin looking dull and lifeless. The berry contains other healthy nutrients your body needs too, such as calcium, iron and phosphorus.
A study about fruits grown in Brazil found that organic Acerola presented higher concentrations of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and that the berry is the most important source of this vitamin.
Younger skin
Of course, we’re all interested most in how the berry can make your skin look and feel younger. Thankfully there’s plenty of research to show how important Vitamin C is skin health and collagen formation.
As the US National Library of Medicine explains, Vitamin C is necessary in the synthesis of collagen, and adequate collagen production will increase elasticity and help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Vitamin C can help reduce signs of ageing in human skin.
Normal skin contains high concentrations of Vitamin C, which supports functions like collagen synthesis and assists in antioxidant protection against UV-induced photo damage.
Vitamin C can help reduce signs of ageing in human skin. A number of studies support this, although measurement of skin changes is difficult. Some studies include objective measures of collagen deposition and wrinkle depth.
A Japanese study found that when mice were given juice from the acerola berry, it suppressed UVB-induced skin pigmentation. The mice were exposed to UVB irradiation, and half were given juice from the Acerola berry. These mice retained healthier skin despite the radiation.
The Synergy Company’s Pure Radiance C is a 100 per cent natural non acidic whole-food form of vitamin C containing antioxidant-rich organic acerola and camu camu berries. They contain skin nourishing phytonutrients like quercetin and anthocynanins which help to boost antioxidant levels and further reduce inflammation.
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