Acerola: The most important source of vitamin C.

Acerola is a fruit that contains up to 65 times more vitamin C than an orange! It is a tropical fruit of the Malpighiaceae family, which grows as a shrub or small tree. Common names for the species include Acerola, Barbados cherry, and West Indian cherry.

It is native to South America, southern Mexico, and Central America, but is now cultivated in subtropical regions of Asia, such as India. There are many different species of acerola, such as:

• Malpighia glabra L.
• Malpighia punicifolia L.
• Malpighia emarginata DC.

The species Malpighia glabra has one of the highest contents of natural vitamin C per gram of fruit. Ripe acerola fruits should be harvested quickly, as they lose their flavor and nutritional content very rapidly after picking.