There is a whole lot of hype surrounding various super foods that are imported into Australia from around the globe: we have berries from the Amazon, seeds of the Incas, fruits from Peru, but how many of us have heard of Gubinge? This special little fruit is the world’s richest source of Vitamin C and I am proud to announce that this is grown right in our very own backyard.

Harvested in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the Gubinge or Kakadu Plum contains over 50 times more vitamin C than an orange. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that is not only important for the immune system but the metabolism of enzymes required for the many things including digestion, collagen production, peptide hormone production and creation of Carnitine.

Gubinge also contains a wide range of phytochemicals such as gallic and ellagic acids. Gallic acid has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour activities. Ellagic acid has been known to have an anti-carcinogenic effect against a wide range of carcinogens in human tissues. This fruit has been a traditional source of bush tucker and healing remedies for thousands of years.

Because it remains a wholefood, the Gubinge fruit contains all the vitamins and minerals required to naturally help assimilate Vitamin C into the body. Given that 99% of Vitamin C available on the market today is synthetic in its form  (ascorbic acid, potassium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate or magnesium ascorbate – starch molecules often derived from genetically modified corn), this is a huge plus in my book.

When searching for Gubinge, make sure you opt for the wild harvested varieties. Because of its incredible vitamin content, many efforts have made to cultivate the fruit for sale however these farmed fruits have a much lower vitamin C content than their wild harvested counterparts. 

When in need of a vitamin C boost, I will always opt for the Loving Earth variety. Not only do they process the fruit carefully to maintain the natural goodness, all profits from the sale of this product are sent back to the Nyal Nyal community in the Kimberley. This scheme helps provide the respective Aboriginal communities with an income during the wet season as well as helping the Nyal Nyal community move forward with their native title claim.

As always, if you are feeling unwell or suffering from an illness, it is always recommended to seek the help of a practitioner.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2731586/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21875324/