Two continents’ vitamin C stores
Anatolia’s rose hip and the Amazon’s camu camu are people’s vitamin C sources against winter and the rainy season.
Side by side
| Rose hip | Camu camu | |
|---|---|---|
| Latin name | Rosa canina | Myrciaria dubia |
| Family | Rosaceae | Myrtaceae |
| Region | Anatolia and the Mediterranean | Amazon |
| Part used | Fruit | Fruit |
| Use | Food, Healing | Food, Healing |
| Scientific evidence | Limited | Limited |
| Safety | Generally safe | Generally safe |
| Legal status in Türkiye | No specific restriction | No specific restriction |
Rose hip
Made into jam, tea and molasses and drunk in winter against colds; a regional speciality of Gümüşhane and Bayburt.
Science: The fresh fruit is very rich in vitamin C; drying and boiling destroy much of it. A few clinical trials with rose hip powder report less pain in knee osteoarthritis.
Safety: Generally safe. The hairs around the seeds irritate the mouth and gut; strain before drinking.
Camu camu
In the Peruvian Amazon it is gathered by boat from riverside shrubs and made into juice and ice cream.
Exported worldwide as a powdered vitamin C source.
Science: One of the richest known fruits in vitamin C, many times more than oranges. A small study in smokers reported reduced markers of oxidative stress.
Safety: Safe as food.
Last reviewed: · Türkçe
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