InnerShine Prune Essence with Camu Camu

Happy Sunday everybody... Holla!

Let's begin :)

My sister has been taking InnerShine for some time so we’d always have some kept handy at my parents’. Every time I go home for a visit, my mum will hand each of us a bottle and say “here, have your daily dose of Vit C” lol.. thanks mum! :D

Anyhow, one day my mum gave me a 70ml bottle of it (it was huge…huge!) which I drank over 2 days…and later went on a quick trip to my fave Estee Lauder counter in Isetan, Gardens. After getting several compliments about how my skin has improved, I started to wonder if it could have been the InnerShine. Seriously? Is that possible? Or maybe it was just the shimmery blusher that I had on. I honestly couldn’t say coz I feel that I looked the same as always lol.

Nevertheless, I decided to give InnerShine a proper trial run. The experimentation begins!

I’m writing this after about 2 weeks’ worth of InnerShine, and a couple of super busy work-weeks.

Texture:

À      Viscous, very thick.. I always drink water after it. To be honest, I pour some water into the bottle and drink from there – can’t waste even a single drop lol

À      Tastes just like prunes! I’m not a fan of prunes as compared to maybe blackcurrent (think Ribena) but after a few drinks, I’m getting used to the taste.

À      Some may say it’s a bit sour. As I like sour things, that wasn’t an issue for me. I find it quite sweet hence the water afterward.

À      It’s actually rather soothing on an itchy throat.. I happen to have this ticklish, itchy throat tonight and after I drank it (perhaps because of the sourness), my throat feels a bit relieved.. that’s multipurpose, I tell you ;)

The Pros:          ·     Detox, i.e. good bowel movement  ·         Skin looks better, more radiant or something (dunno how true that is.. maybe it’s my makeup & not the InnerShine at all.. maybe it’s a bit of both.. besides, how DO they tell if someone’s skin looks more radiant? ) ·         Eczema flare up / allergies are much, much better controlled. And for that reason alone, I think I’ll continue taking this.

The Cons:         ·    Expensive!!! ·         Have to drink it continuously for good results (I’ve taken it on & off but after taking it continuously for nearly 2 weeks now, I can feel some difference)

The Ambivalent: ·         More energy? Keeps me awake? However, because I can’t sleep at night (I’m a night owl & am most active after 9pm lol), I get a bit groggy in the mornings… and I don’t eat as much. Between hunger and sleep, I always choose sleep – I’m one of those who can sleep even if I’m hungry. Nevertheless, I don’t “crash” as much in the evenings, not like I used to do so that’s another plus. *Note* I’ve recently done a little experiment – I’ve started taking the InnerShine in the mornings or before noon. Early conclusion: I don’t need coffee/caffeine anymore lol. And it’s worn off by evening so I have no more trouble sleeping at night, yay. Let’s keep this up, fighting! ;) ·         Good source of vitamin C? Probably coz the absorbance is better from fruit extracts vs tablets.. I dunno, this is only my own opinion and not based on verified fact.

Altho this is a verrrryyyy expensive product, I may continue taking it in the next foreseeable future, at least while my budget allows. We’ll see what happens later on :) Who knows, if I feel the benefits outweigh the dent it causes in my wallet, I may have to add it to my budgeting hehe…

To save the environment, remember to put the cardboard boxes and glass bottles out for recycling. Every little helps :)

If you have any experience using this product, please do share.

 ----------------------

After reading thru my post, I felt that something was missing.. you know, that very important “something”. I pondered for a moment… Eureka! You know what I was missing? Info! Lol. So, I decided to be a bit more diligent, sacrifice my kdrama time this evening and get you some background info on why prunes and camu camu are the main ingredients since I don’t even know what the benefits of these fruits are (heck, I don’t even know what a camu camu is! :P).

I'm only highlighted relevant or interesting bits of information but I’ve placed links to sites with good reads about prunes and camu camu.

Prunes

• Prunes are actually the dried version of European plums and recently had its name officially changed to dried plum. 
•  The juice contains mild laxatives including phenols, and is a common home remedy for constipation.
•  Has high antioxidant content. Antioxidants are important because they can prevent anther molecule from oxidizing/becoming free radicals (which are unstable and are attributed to a number of diseases). It’s a long story. You can get antioxidants from many natural food sources and you certainly should.
•  The ability of plum and prune to increase absorption of iron into the body has also been documented in published research.

Concerns:

From the table above, it seems that prunes have quite a high vit K content. For those of you who may be on certain blood thinners like warfarin, you might want to consult your doctor or pharmacist first as it could cause some fluctuations in your INR.

There's measurable amounts of oxalates too. If it becomes too concentrated in body fluids, it can crystallize and cause health problems. So, anyone with untreated kidney or gallbladder problems may want to avoid eating prunes. Oxalates can also lower calcium absorption in the body however, their ability to do so is relatively small. Make sure you eat healthy, and you’ll get enough calcium ;)

Apparently there’s also some concern over dried prunes containing acrylamide, a known neurotoxin and carcinogen. It doesn’t occur naturally, only formed during cooking process at temperatures > 100 °C. The amount of acrylamide required to cause neuropathy or affect fertility is much, much higher than our average daily intake, and therefore safe. However, the carcinogenicity concerns are still there, sigh. More details in the links below.

Sources: 

1. Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prune
2. The World’s Healthiest Foods http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=103

Camu camu

      Camu camu is a shrub that grows in swampy or flooded areas of the Amazon rain forests of Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia. The fruit and leaves are used as a medicine.

      Some people use camu camu to increase energy and maintain healthy gums, eyes, and skin; and as an antioxidant and immune system stimulant. Some people eat the fruit as food :)

      There's insufficient evidence to rate it's efficacy but camu camu is used for viral infections including herpes, cold sores, shingles, and the common cold. It is also used for eye conditions including cataracts and glaucoma. Other uses include treatment of asthma, “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis), chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, gum disease (gingivitis),headaches, and osteoarthritis.

      The fruit is extremely acidic, and the flavour can only be appreciated in recipes requiring a blender, dilution in milk/water, and the addition of sugar.

**Please remember that altho traditional/herbals/naturals may be used as a treatment in some places, ALWAYS seek treatment from your medical practitioner first as usually, there is insufficient evidence of how good or effective alternative medicine are.

I really like this article, so I'm quoting it here (minus a few words here & there ;) 

Camu Camu Benefits: 11 Things You Need To Know About The Fruit

Vitamin C –A teaspoon of camu camu powder has 1180 per cent of your recommended daily intake for vitamin C, which is important for gum health, among other functions in our body.

Valine –an essential amino acid which can’t be produced by our body, is used to prevent muscle breakdown and is important for nervous system and cognitive function.

Potassium - for the proper functioning of the heart and kidneys. Camu camu contains 71.1 mg in every 100 grams.

Leucine - another essential amino acid found in camu camu, one that our bodies need for muscle and bone tissue growth and recovery and the production of growth hormones.

Serine  - Another amino acid, which is key for digestion: serine helps to break down the bonds in proteins and polypeptides so they can be used by our bodies.

Flavonoids - Camu camu has several different flavonoids, which are compounds that are found in plants and are part of what gives fruits and vegetables their awesome colours. They mostly function in the body as antioxidants, neutralizing harmful free radicals.

Gallic Acid  - it appears to have anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. It also acts as an antioxidant.

Ellagic Acid - This is another acid with antioxidant properties, found in camu camu. It's been studied for anti-cancer effects, though research is still very early. Some research also indicates that ellagic acid has anti-diabetes effects.

Inflammation - In one study, 20 male smokers drank camu camu juice or took vitamin C tablets daily for a week. The group who took camu camu showed a decrease in some markers for antioxidants and oxidative stress at the end of the study, compared to no change for those who had vitamin C tablets.

How To Take It 
Camu camu berries are not exactly sold in your local North American supermarket, but you can include it in your diet in tablet or powder form. The powder can be used to flavour other foods, and camu-flavoured ice creams and drinks are popular in Peru.

When You Should Avoid It 
There is some concern that camu camu can interfere with some chemotherapy medications—you should always let your doctor know about the supplements you are taking, but especially so if you are receiving chemo, for example.

- The Huntington Post - Canada

Sources:

1. Web MD http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1243-CAMU%20CAMU.aspx?activeIngredientId=1243&activeIngredientName=CAMU%20CAMU
2. The Huntington Post – Canada http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/07/25/camu-camu-benefits-_n_3644392.html
3. Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrciaria_dubia

Man, that took forever to write, haha. Hope this post was beneficial to some of you. Thanks for sticking it out til the end! ;) 

Love & hugs,

nad xoxo~