Acerola Cherry extract supplement health benefit, research studies, by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
There are several different species of acerola, including Malpighia glabra, M. punicifolia, and M. emarginata D.C.. This fruit has one of the highest content of natural vitamin C per gram of fruit. Malphighia glabra is a small, fruit-bearing tree that grows in hot, dry climates. The tree is sensitive to wind and not very tolerant of cold. It grows to about 15 feet high, with evergreen leaves and small, pink flowers. The small, red fruits look like common cherries, blending sweet and sour in a juicy burst. Because the thin-skinned fruits are easily bruised and quickly deteriorate once picked, the fresh fruit is not distributed commercially. Acerola grows in South Texas, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and the northern part of South America. It can also be found in India.

Now Foods, buy Acerola 4:1 Extract Powder supplement

NOW Acerola Powder is derived from acerola cherries, one of nature's highest sources of vitamin C. The fruit can yield up to 3,000 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of fresh weight, but on the average yields around 1,500 mg. Our Powder is a 4:1 extract that yields 180 mg of vitamin C per teaspoon and tastes great!

 

Click here to buy Acerola product, to see hundreds of very high quality natural supplements, or to sign up to a FREE newsletter

Suggested Use: As a dietary supplement, take a third, half, or one level teaspoon acerola extract powder a few times a week, mixed into fruit, vegetable juice or water.

Supplement Facts
Serving Size 1 Level Teaspoon (3.6 g)
Vitamin C 180 mg 300%
Acerola Powder (4:1 Extract) (Berry) 3.6 g (3,600 mg)

Benefits
Acerola has been studied in the laboratory and has been found to be a powerful antioxidant and have anti-cancer potential. It contains polyphenols and is sold in juice form, jams, ices, gelatins, sweets or liquors.

Antioxidant
This plant has vitamin C along with anthocyanins and quercitrin.

Antioxidant activity of dietary fruits, vegetables, and commercial frozen fruit pulps.
J Agric Food Chem. 2005.
Fruits, vegetables, and commercial frozen pulps consumed in the Brazilian diet were analyzed for antioxidant activities. The anthocyanin-rich samples showed the highest, concentration-dependent, antioxidant activities in both systems. The neutral and acidic flavonoids of red cabbage, red lettuce, black bean, mulberry, Gala apple peel, jambolao, acai frozen pulp, mulberry frozen pulps, and the acidic flavonoids of acerola frozen pulps showed the highest antioxidant activities. There was no relationship between total phenolics content, vitamin C, and antioxidant activity, suggesting that the antioxidant activity is a result of a combination of different compounds having synergic and antagonistic effects.

Cancer prevention
Effect of acerola cherry extract on cell proliferation and activation of ras signal pathway at the promotion stage of lung tumorigenesis in mice.
J Nutr Sci Vitaminol. 2002.
Results suggest that acerola cherry extract regulates abnormal cell growth at the promotion stage of lung tumorigenesis in mice treated with NNK as a result of suppression of the initiation stage.

Liver
I take acetaminophen daily for arthritis. Could acerola cherry supplement help protect my liver?
   Perhaps, but I have not seen such studies. Acetylcysteine could be an option.

Acerola cherry flavor
Volatile components have been isolated from the fruit. One hundred fifty constituents have been identified in the aroma concentrate, from which furfural, hexadecanoic acid, 3-methyl-3-butenol, and limonene were found to be the major constituents. The amounts of esters, 3-methyl-3-butenol, and their various esters are thought to contribute to the unique flavor of the fruit.

Safety research study
Toxicological evaluation of polyphenol extract from Acerola fruit.
J Food Sci. 2008. Research and Development, Nichirei Foods, Inc., Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba, Japan.
Acerola polyphenols were found to have radical scavenging activities and inhibitory effects on both alpha-glucosidase and advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) production. Our results show acerola polyphenols to be safe.

Allergy
Anaphylactic reaction to apple juice containing acerola: cross-reactivity to latex due to prohevein.
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2002.

I researched the original study that was published in 2002 in the Journal of Allergy and Immunology on which all of the cautions about acerola being cross reactive for the latex protein were based, the conclusion were from a single case where the subject had a contact and internal allergy to latex. Is this conclusive enough for someone who suspects a latex allergy to avoid it? Does acerola in fact contain the prohevein protein?
   I don't know enough about the intricacies of acerola composition to provide a good answer.

Nutrient composition
The acerola fruit: composition, productive characteristics and economic importance
Arch Latinoam Nutr. 2006. Universidade do Vale do Itajai, Itajai, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Acerola fruit origin is from South of Mexico, Central America and Septentrional area of South America. Acerola has a subglobulose drupa fruit with three seeds which account between the 19 - 25% of the total weight. The fruit shows green color when it is developing, which changes to yellow and red tones when it is mature. Each plant produces annually 20 - 30 kg of fruits. This fruit contents macro and micronutrients: proteins (0.2-0.8 g/100 g), fats (0.2-0.8 g per 100 grams), carbohydrates (3-7 g/100 g), mineral salts (iron 0.24, calcium 11, phosphorus 17 mg/100 g) and vitamins (thiamine 0.02, riboflavine 0.07, piridoxine 8 mg/100 g). Its high content in vitamin C (695 to 4827 mg/100 g) is remarkable. It also has carotenoids and bioflavonoids which provide important nutritive value and its potential use as antioxidant. Brazil has a climate and soil appropriate for the culture of acerola fruit.

Physico-chemical characterization of acerola (Malpighia glabra) produced in Maringa, Parana State, Brazil
Arch Latinoam Nutr. 1997.
The acerola Malpighia glabra, originally from the Antillas and North of South America, known by the people as cereja-das-antilhas or cereja-do-para distinguish itself by its high content of vitamin C. The ripe and fresh acerola fruits utilized in experiments, were obtained from farmers of Maringa region, Parana State, Brazil. The fruits were hulled in steel sieve with 25 mesh and the bagasse (seeds and hull) discarded. These physico-chemical analysis were realized in the pulp: vitamin C, moisture, protein, carbohydrate, fiber, lipids and fatty acids composition. We also determined the content of ash and cadmium, calcium, lead, copper, chrome, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium and zinc minerals. The average content of vitamin C was 1.7 g/100 g of pulp, it was higher than the one for other fruits, like pineapple, araca, cashew, guava, kiwi, orange, lemon, and strawberry and lower than the camu-camu sylvestral fruit of Amazonia. The contents of moisture, carbohydrate, fiber, lipids and minerals were not significantly different when compared to other fruits.

Use with other dietary supplements
Can an acerola supplement be taken the same day as ahcc, nattokinase, lyprinol extract, serrapeptase, mangosteen, curcumin, saw palmetto herb or graviola?
   I have not come across any research that would preclude its use with AHCC or the other supplements you mention.

Juice
Is there any one making an acerola juice, drink, or beverage?
   I am not aware of acerola juice being sold, but perhaps if you do a thorough google search you can find a company that sells an acerola drink or beverage.