Acerola Nutrition Facts

Overview of Acerola Nutrition

Scientific Name: Malpighia emarginata

Order: Malpighiales

Family: Malpighiaceae

Acerola (Malpighia emaginata) are known to have many names in different countries including Barbados cherry, Babaro cherry, Cerezo, etc. Acerola are characterized as small cherry-like fruit that have a citrus taste. Acerola are green and turn red when ripe. In Southeast Asia, the unripe green fruit are often eaten as a snack. Acerola is in the Malpighiaceae family which, in fact, is a family of flowering plants related to mangroves. Acerola is one of the fruits that have the highest amount of vitamin C (1,864% daily value [DV]). Vitamin C is a crucial antioxidant for the human body. Vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen which improves skin health. Vitamin C is best known to be beneficial for the immune system. Vitamin C may also help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease. Vitamin A (4% DV) in acerola helps improve vision and protect eyes from eye diseases. Acerola also contains a sufficient amount of minerals and antioxidants. These minerals include magnesium (4% DV) and copper (10% DV). Both minerals play a role in bone and heart health. Furthermore, copper aids in the absorption of iron.

Calories

Name	Amount	% Daily Value
Calories	32 kcal	2%

Carbohydrates

Name	Amount	% Daily Value
Total Carbs	7.69 g	3%
Dietary Fiber	1.10 g	4%
Sugars	- g
Starch	- g

Sterols

Name	Amount	% Daily Value
Cholesterol	0.00 mg	0%
Phytosterols	- mg

Fat and Fatty Acids

Name	Amount	% Daily Value
Total Fat	0.30 g	0%
Saturated Fat	0.07 g	0%
Monounsaturated Fat	0.08 g
Polyunsaturated Fat, total	0.09 g
18:2 n-6 (LA), Omega-6	0.05 g
18:3 n-6 (GLA)	- g
18:3 n-3 (ALA), Omega-3	0.04 g
18:4 n-3 (SDA)	0.00 g
20:5 n-3 (EPA)	0.00 g
22:5 n-3 (DPA)	0.00 g
22:6 n-3 (DHA)	0.00 g
Trans Fat	0.00 g

Protein and Amino Acids

Name	Amount	% Daily Value
Protein, total	0.40 g	1%
Tryptophan	- g
Threonine	- g
Isoleucine	- g
Leucine	- g
Lysine	- g
Methionine	- g
Cystine	- g
Phenylalanine	- g
Tyrosine	- g
Valine	- g
Arginine	- g
Histidine	- g
Alanine	- g
Aspartic Acid	- g
Glutamic Acid	- g
Glycine	- g
Proline	- g
Serine	- g

Vitamins

Name	Amount	% Daily Value
Vitamin C	1677.60 mg	1864%
Thiamin	0.02 mg	2%
Riboflavin	0.06 mg	5%
Niacin	0.40 mg	3%
Pantothenic Acid	0.31 mg	6%
Vitamin B6	0.01 mg	1%
Folate, total	14.00 mg	4%
Folic Acid	0.00 mcg
Food Folate (dietary folate equivalent)	14.00 mcg
Choline	- mg	-
Betaine	- mg
Vitamin B12	0.00 mcg	0%
Vitamin A, total	38.00 mcg	4%
Retinol Acitiviy Equivalent	38.00 mcg
Retinol	0.00 mcg
Beta-Carotene	- mcg
Alpha-Carotene	- mcg
Beta-Cryptoxanthin	- mcg
Lycopene	- mcg
Lutein and Zeaxanthin	- mcg
Vitamin E, total	- mg	-
Alpha-Tocopherol	- mg
Beta-Tocopherol	- mg
Gamma-Tocopherol	- mg
Delta-Tocopherol	- mg
Vitamin D	- mcg	-
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	- mcg	-
Biotin	- mcg	-

Minerals

Name	Amount	% Daily Value
Calcium	12.00 mg	1%
Iron	0.20 mg	1%
Magnesium	18.00 mg	4%
Phosphorus	11.00 mg	1%
Potassium	146.00 mg	3%
Sodium	7.00 mg	0%
Zinc	0.10 mg	1%
Copper	0.09 mg	10%
Manganese	- mg	-
Selenium	0.60 mcg	1%
Iodine	- mcg	-
Chromium	- mcg	-
Molybdenum	- mcg	-
Chloride	- mg	-
Fluoride	- mg

Flavonoids

Name	Amount
Anthocyanidins
Cyanidin	15.71 mg
Pelargonidin	6.84 mg
Flavones
Apigenin	0.00 mg
Luteolin	0.00 mg
Flavonols
Kaempferol	1.05 mg
Myricetin	0.00 mg
Quercetin	4.74 mg

Others

Name	Amount
Water	91.41 g
Ash	0.20 g
Alcohol	0.00 g
Caffeine	0.00 mg
Theobromine	0.00 mg
Resveratrol	- mg
Phytoalbumin	- mg
Chlorogenic Acid	- mg

The "-" means insufficient data.

% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet or refer to the Dietary Reference Intakes for a specific life stage.

Reference(s):

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, Current Release.

National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Fact Sheets. Accessed from https://ods.od.nih.gov/.