Sweet Acerola Cherry

Acerola cherry is a plant that is native to tropical regions of the Western Hemisphere. It’s also commonly called the West Indies cherry, Barbados cherry, or just simply “acerola.” It’s believed that the shrub-like plant originated in southern Mexico and the Caribbean.

Acerola produces cherry-like berries, but it’s not a true cherry. These berries are pleasant-tasting and have been used in modern and folk medicine. Traditional uses include treatment for liver ailments, diarrhea, dysentery, coughs, and colds.

Recently, there has been interest in using acerola’s vitamin C content as a supplement. There are many health and wellness claims made about this supplement, but not all have research to back them up.