Camu-camu has not been shown to prevent or treat cancer in humans.
Camu-camu is a small plant that grows in South America. Laboratory studies and a small study in humans have shown that the fruits have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. More research is needed. Because camu-camu has high amounts of vitamin C, it can interfere with certain chemo drugs.
Camu-camu is a shrub native to the Amazon region of South America. Due to its sour taste, it is not generally consumed as food. However, following recent reports of high vitamin C content in the fruit, camu-camu is being marketed as a dietary supplement for many purported uses including diabetes and cancer.
Camu-camu fruits have antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects (5)(6)(7). Pharmacological activity is exhibited by the leaves as well (4). Large scale clinical studies have not been conducted to study these effects in humans.
Due to it high vitamin C content, camu-camu may interfere with certain chemotherapy drugs; however, the vitamin C content in frozen camu-camu pulp was shown to decrease progressively (1).
The compounds isolated from the leaves of camu-camu, ellagic acid, 4-O-methylellagic acid and 4-(alpha-rhamnopyranosyl) ellagic acid, were found to exhibit noncompetitive inhibition of aldose-reductase, a possible target for diabetes mellitus (4). Camu-camu juice decreases inflammatory and oxidative stress markers such as 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine, total reactive oxygen species, C reactive protein, IL-6, and IL-8 in smokers (5).
Camu-camu has a high amount of Vitamin C which is an antioxidant. It may interact with certain chemotherapy drugs that rely on the generation of free radicals for their cytotoxic effects.
