name: Acerola
flavor_db_name_variants: acerola
source: foodb
status: draft
food_db_id: Acerola
id: 281
name_scientific: Malpighia emarginata
description: Malpighia emarginata is a tropical fruit-bearing shrub or small tree in the family Malpighiaceae. Common names include acerola, Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepemyrtle. Acerola is native to South America, Southern Mexico and Central America, but is now also being grown as far north as Texas and in subtropical areas of Asia, like India. It is known for being extremely rich in vitamin C, almost as much as camu camu, although it also contains vitamins A, B1, B2 and B3 as well as carotenoids and bioflavonoids which provide important nutritive value and have antioxidant uses. The vitamin C produced by the fruit is better absorbed by human organisms than synthetic ascorbic acid.
itis_id: 29280
wikipedia_id: Malpighia emarginata
picture_file_name: 282.jpg
picture_content_type: image/jpeg
picture_file_size: 106965
picture_updated_at: 2012-04-20T09:33:17.000Z
legacy_id: 309
food_group: Fruits
food_subgroup: Tropical fruits
food_type: Type 1
created_at: 2011-02-09T00:37:30.000Z
updated_at: 2019-05-14T18:04:21.000Z
creator_id: null
updater_id: null
export_to_afcdb: false
category: specific
ncbi_taxonomy_id: 151847
export_to_foodb: true
public_id: FOOD00281