Since I heard that new plant species were found in the jungles of Asia, I have hope that it will lead to discovering many new herbal medicines. The most recent promising herb I’ve read about is Camu-Camu. These come from the jungles of South America.
These fruits look pretty good to me! They are suppose to be very sour, so the locals don’t like them too much. It is found growing near the rivers in South American, mostly near the Amazon River. Image source from BidNetwork.
Dr. James Duke retired chief botanist for the U.S.Dept.of Agriculture, author the Green Pharmacy did a comparative study of hundreds of botanical. He ranked them in order of effectiveness for various health conditions, Camu-Camu (Myrciaria dubia) was ranked among hundreds of herbs as follows:
* anti-viral -No.6
* anti-oxidant - No.4
* asthma - No.1
* atherosclerosis - No.1
* cataracts - No.1
* colds - No.1
* depression - No.2
Once the fruit is split open, it looks very much like grapes and passionfruit. Photo from HerbDealer. “The camu-camu, which looks like an eight-gram plum and is known to the local Amazonian population as “cazar” or “araz-de-agua,” is also rich in collagen - a substance used for slowing down the aging process - and in flavonoids, which help prevent cancer, said Conrado Todesco, president of an environmental organization in Sao Paulo.” - Mario Osava - (IPS) RIO DE JANEIRO
* gigivitis-peridontal disease-No.1
* glaucoma - No.1
* hepatitis - No.1
* infertility - No.1
* migraine-cluster headaches - No.1
* osteoarthritis - No.1
* Painkiller - No.1
It also used to strengthening the nervous system. It also promotes a healthy heart and circulatory system. Camu-Camu can be a bit expensive, $16 for 4 oz. And you want to make sure the product you get is pure and from a reputable company. camu-camu is a great source of natural vitamin C. It contains beta carotene, calcium, iron, niacin, phosphorus, riboflavin and thiamin.
Gary Null, Ph.D., nutritionist and researcher, describes Camu Camu as having antidepressant properties. It is listed second in effectiveness for the holistic treatment of depression. Good results have also been noted for patients who are anxious and talkative. 
Green Camu Camu, grown mostly in Peru and Brazil. Image source BIDNetwork.
They are so round and remind me of plums and nectarines. “Camu-camu is a low-growing shrub found throughout the Amazon rainforest, mainly in swampy or flooded areas. It grows to a height of about 2-3 m and has large, feathery leaves.
It produces round, light orange-colored fruits about the size of lemons, which contain a significant amount of vitamin C. Its high vitamin C content has created a demand for camu-camu fruit in the natural products market.” - RainTree Nutrion. http://www.wholeworldbotanicals.com/herbal_camucamu http://www.rain-tree.com/camu.htm
2:52 am on September 5th, 2009
The size of a lemon is a pretty good size, I think I’d like to eat it as a fruit with some salt and pepper.
I checked out their website, it’s very expensive, this is something that my boss would like.
3:08 pm on September 5th, 2009
There are so many things that nature offers up to us. This make me think of a recent herb I read in Scientific American magazine, Salvia divinorum, a very interesting plant.
1:21 am on September 6th, 2009
Hi PaNoy,
When I hear Salvia, I think of flowers. I’ll have to look more into that plant. Thanks for the info.
1:36 am on September 6th, 2009
Hi Nye,
Sounds like your boss is into alternative health. At this point of my life, taking my vitamins and supplements have been my “health insurance.” Living a stress free life and not smoking too.
10:09 pm on July 30th, 2010
[...] to the California Rare Fruit Growers, this fruit is from the same species as camu-camu. It can also be grown successfully from Florida to Hawaii. Some are also grown in southern [...]