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What Is Acerola Cherry?

Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC,
CHT — Written by Adrian White — Updated on January 13, 2018
Claims
Dosage
Research
Warnings
The bottom line

Acerola cherry supplement

Acerola cherry is a plant that is native to tropical regions of the Western Hemisphere.
It’s also commonly called the West Indies cherry, Barbados cherry, or just simply
“acerola.” It’s believed that the shrub-like plant originated in southern Mexico and the
Caribbean.

Acerola produces cherry-like berries, but it’s not a true cherry. These berries are
pleasant-tasting and have been used in modern and folk medicine. Traditional uses
include treatment for liver ailments, diarrhea, dysentery, coughs, and colds.

Recently, there has been interest in using acerola’s vitamin C content as a supplement.
There are many health and wellness claims made about this supplement, but not all
have research to back them up.

Why do people take acerola cherry?

Acerola is most well-known for being extremely rich in vitamin C. Because of this,
it’s often used to help with or prevent colds or flu. It’s also used as an antioxidant
nutrient. Together with vitamin C, acerola may be taken to boost immunity.
Similar to witch hazel, acerola cherry is an astringent. This could make it helpful for
treating skin blemishes, promoting skin elasticity, and aiding digestive issues. It may
even have use as an antimicrobial mouth wash.

Other uses of acerola include:

antidepressant
antifungal
athletic endurance
diarrhea
dysentery
skin astringent (cream)

How do you take acerola cherry?

Consume the berry or fruit part of the acerola plant for its health benefits. Its taste
tends to be described as sweet, fragrant, and astringent. It’s easily eaten raw or cooked
into dishes.

The best way to get the fruit is to grow your own because of acerola cherry’s quick
perishability. You can also preserve fresh acerola cherries by freezing them as soon as
you pick them.

The fruit is most commonly found in supplement form. This is because the berry
decomposes within five days of harvest, losing much of its nutrition. Even juices spoil
easily, unless preservatives are added. Still, the best way to take acerola cherry is by
eating the fruit. Supplements should not be your first choice.

Supplement forms include:

capsule
chewable
liquid extract (tincture)
powder
The powder supplement is quite popular. Made from dehydrated and powdered
acerola cherry juice, this can be mixed into beverages, smoothies, juices, and more.
You can also make smoothies from your frozen berries.

There is no clinical research to support a safe dose of acerola. It’s safe to say that you
can follow guidelines of vitamin C supplementation when taking acerola at home.
This is because this vitamin contributes the most to acerola’s nutritional content.

Recommendations may vary depending on the supplement product you buy. Follow
dosage directions on the label if you’re uncertain of how much to take.

What are acerola’s proven benefits?

Acerola’s health benefits are mostly due to its richness in vitamin C. The more the
fruit ripens, the more vitamin C is lost — and acerola ripens very quickly.

In a study of various vitamin C-containing fruits and their relative amounts, acerola
outperformed all the rest, especially when grown organically. The fruit has reportedly
higher amounts of vitamin C than even oranges and strawberries, and it’s only
outdone by rosehips. The berry was also found to be a very significant source of
vitamin A.

Vitamin C is a required nutrient and water-soluble vitamin and is not stored in the
body, so you need to take a source of water-soluble vitamins in daily. Along with
vitamin A, vitamin C is a known antioxidant, helping prevent free radical damage and
certain illnesses. Recent studies affirm that acerola is quite antioxidant-rich.

Vitamin C also builds collagen, protects mucus membranes, and prevents scurvy.
Vitamin C is important to keep the immune system functioning and help the body
fight infections, viruses, and even cancer. While more research is needed, one study
demonstrated that in the laboratory, cherries high in antioxidants and vitamin C had
the ability to assist the body in stopping the growth of colon cancer.

Of all the research on acerola cherry, the studies that focus on vitamin C are the most
thorough. This confirms its place as an all-natural vitamin C supplement, which may
be used for cold and flu support. As for its other health benefits, more research is
needed.
Acerola, when consumed as a food, also contains good amounts of the following
nutrients:

calcium
iron
niacin (vitamin B-3)
phosphorus
riboflavin (vitamin B-2)
thiamine (vitamin B-1)

Does acerola cherry have side effects?

It’s possible to take too much acerola cherry. As with a vitamin C supplement, if you
take too much, you may experience digestive disturbances. To avoid problems or
discomfort, take milligram doses of acerola much like you would any vitamin C
supplement. If there are any supplement label directions, follow them. Keep in mind
that supplements are not monitored for quality, purity, packing, or dosage by the Food
and Drug Administration. Always choose supplements from a reputable manufacturer.

Don’t take large doses of any vitamin C product, and gradually decrease the amount if
you are already taking large doses. Rebound scurvy can happen when the body has
become accustomed to a larger dosage.

If you take too much, you may experience:

diarrhea
digestive cramps
dizziness or fainting
flushed appearance
frequent urination
headache (including migraine)
nausea
 vomiting

These symptoms tend not to need medical attention, and they’re relatively uncommon
or rare. Simply lower your dosage, and they’ll likely go away. Contact your doctor if
you have concerns.

Very high amounts of acerola cherry over a long period of time may cause kidney
stones. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience side or lower back pain,
which could be a symptom.

If you grow an acerola cherry plant, there have been reports of contact dermatitis
when harvesting. Otherwise, the berry is nontoxic and safe to consume.

The bottom line

Acerola is used as a home remedy for a variety of maladies. Research supporting it as
a vitamin C source and natural supplement is strong. Acerola also contains other
important vitamins and minerals, and it’s a significant source of antioxidants.

Consuming it as a food or supplement may help you meet your vitamin C needs. It
could also be of great help during cold and flu season. As for its other claimed
benefits — digestive aid, antidepressant, and athletic endurance, for example — no
research is yet available, and more studies are needed to support these uses.

Last medically reviewed on May 24, 2017

4 sourcescollapsed
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research
institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how
we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Cardosoa PC, et al. (2011). Vitamin C and carotenoids in organic and conventional fruits grown in
Brazil. DOI:
10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.10.109

Manogna C, et al. (2016). Evaluation of cytotoxic activity of various extracts of sweet cherry
(Prunus avium) against human colorectal adenocarcinoma HT-29 cell line.
chemijournal.com/archives/2016/vol4issue3/PartA/4-2-25.pdf
 Morton J. (1987). Barbados cherry.
hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/barbados_cherry.html

Rufino M, et al. (2010). Bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacities of 18 non-traditional

tropical fruits from Brazil. DOI:
10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.01.037

FEEDBACK:

Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC,
CHT — Written by Adrian White — Updated on January 13, 2018

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