What Are the Benefits of Camu Camu (and Why It’s in My Supplement)?
Written by Gordon Maudsley
Key takeaways:
- Camu camu is a small Amazonian berry and one of the most concentrated natural sources of vitamin C on the planet
- Vitamin C plays a key role in supporting normal immune function and reducing oxidative stress in the body
- Research suggests the vitamin C in camu camu works more effectively than synthetic vitamin C supplements taken alone
- Just Good Stuff’s Immunity blend contains organic camu camu alongside other plant-based superfoods, with no fillers or additives
I’ll be honest. Before I started developing Just Good Stuff, I’d never heard of camu camu.
But when I was researching ingredients for our Immunity blend, I kept coming back to it. And the more I read, the more it made sense.
What actually is camu camu?
It’s a small, cherry-like berry that grows along riverbanks in the Amazon rainforest. It’s been eaten for centuries by indigenous communities across South America, and in recent years it’s started appearing in scientific literature for good reason.
What makes it remarkable isn’t its size. It’s the vitamin C content.
How much vitamin C is in camu camu?
Gram for gram, camu camu contains one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C of any food on earth. Research puts it at between 877 and 3,133mg of vitamin C per 100g of fruit pulp. To put that in context, here’s how it stacks up against other foods people commonly eat for their vitamin C:
| Food | Vitamin C per 100g |
| Camu camu | up to 3,000mg |
| Acerola cherry | approx. 1,500mg |
| Kiwi fruit | approx. 93mg |
| Broccoli | approx. 89mg |
| Strawberries | approx. 59mg |
| Lemon | approx. 53mg |
| Orange | approx. 50mg |
That’s not a misprint. Camu camu can contain up to 60 times more vitamin C than an orange by weight. It’s in a genuinely different league.
What does camu camu do for your body?
The short answer is that it delivers a concentrated hit of vitamin C alongside a range of other bioactive compounds, including anthocyanins, ellagic acid, flavonols and carotenoids, that appear to work together to support your immune system and reduce inflammation.
A systematic review published in PMC found that the antioxidant activity of camu camu goes beyond its vitamin C content alone. The combination of polyphenols, carotenoids and other compounds gives it a broader protective effect than you’d get from vitamin C in isolation.
That matters to me. When I was rebuilding my health after glandular fever and then Long Covid, I wasn’t just looking for a synthetic vitamin C pill. I was looking for clean, whole food nutrition. That’s a different thing.
Is camu camu better than taking a vitamin C supplement?
This is a question I get asked and it’s a fair one. The honest answer is: possibly, yes, and there’s evidence to support it.
A human study published in the Journal of Cardiology looked at 20 male smokers who were given either a standard 1,050mg vitamin C tablet or 70ml of camu camu juice containing the same amount of vitamin C, every day for seven days. The camu camu group saw significant reductions in oxidative stress markers and inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein, IL-6 and IL-8. The vitamin C tablet group saw no corresponding changes.
Same amount of vitamin C. Meaningfully different results.
The researchers concluded that the other bioactive compounds in camu camu appear to enhance how the body processes and uses the vitamin C. That’s what the scientific term “bioavailability” means in practice: it’s not just what you consume, it’s what your body can actually absorb and put to use.
That’s one of the core reasons I chose a whole food source of vitamin C rather than a synthetic isolate when I developed the Immunity blend.
Is camu camu good for your immune system?
Vitamin C’s role in immune function is well established. It supports the production and function of white blood cells, helps protect them from oxidative damage, and contributes to the body’s ability to manage inflammation.
A 2023 review in ACS Omega looked at camu camu’s biofunctional properties across a wide range of research and found consistent evidence for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. More recent research has also looked at its prebiotic potential, and camu camu appears to support beneficial gut bacteria, which we know plays a significant role in immune health.
There was also a notable 2024 study published in Cell Reports Medicine that found camu camu helped reduce liver fat in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease over a 12-week trial. That’s separate from immune health, but it signals that the research community is taking this ingredient seriously.
I won’t overstate what any single ingredient can do. During my three years of health struggles, I learned that there’s no shortcut. But I also learned that what you put into your body consistently, over time, does make a difference. Camu camu earned its place in the blend because the evidence for it is real and growing.
Are there any side effects of camu camu?
Camu camu is generally well tolerated. Because of its extremely high vitamin C content, very large doses could potentially cause digestive discomfort, and the tolerable upper limit for vitamin C is around 2,000mg per day. At the quantities used in our Immunity blend, this isn’t a concern.
As with any supplement, if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication, it’s sensible to check with your GP first.
Immunity by Just Good Stuff
If you’re looking for a way to support your immune health with clean, plant-based nutrition, our Immunity blend includes organic camu camu alongside baobab, goji, acerola, ginseng, turmeric and more.
It’s 100% organic, free from additives, fillers and preservatives, and manufactured in the UK to BRC/ISO standards in an organic-certified facility. No nasties. Just good stuff.
There’s a subscription option that saves you 10% and includes free delivery every four weeks, which is how most of our customers take it. A daily habit is where you’ll feel the difference. Find out more!
Written by Gordon Maudsley
