Do you C what I C?

If you haven’t heard already, not all Vitamin C supplements are the same. Most people right now are taking Vitamin C to support their immune system during this Flu season. Others take it for its powerful antioxidant properties and also for its support for collagen production. Let’s make sure that when you are shopping, that you know what to look for when reading a Supplement Label.

Just as it is important to read food labels to assess the quality of the food, you should always read a supplement label to assess the quality of the supplement. Most of the Vitamin C on the market is synthetic, meaning that it was chemically created in a facility. The key to knowing is reading the Supplement Fact Box on the label.

Let’s look at these two examples:

Product A:

The Vitamin C in this product is synthetic ascorbic acid. Other synthetic forms are ascorbyl palmitate and mineral ascorbates.

Product B:

The Vitamin C in this product is derived from food – Acerola cherry fruit. Vitamin C is found in many foods so this may be different depending on what it was sourced from. Other food sources include rose hips, oranges, acai and mulberry.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VITAMIN C

Your body does not product vitamin C. This makes vitamin C an “essential” vitamin. You must get your daily intake of vitamin C from foods, beverages and/or supplements. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources. Here are a few examples of what you can add to your next meal:

• 1 cup Raw Kiwifruit, chopped – 166.9 mg
• 1 cup Raw Mustard greens, chopped – 195.0 mg
• 1 cup Raw Pummelo, sections – 115.9 mg
• 1 cup Raw Broccoli, chopped – 81.2 mg
• 1 cup Raw Kohlrabi – 83.7 mg
• 1 cup Raw Strawberries, halves – 89.4 mg

When shopping for Vitamin C supplements, read the label and look for Vitamin C that is sourced from foods. The amount per serving may be lower but at least it is a quality Vitamin C that has all the other co-factors found in the food that allows the Vitamin C to function at its best. I would rather take 250 mg of food sourced vitamin C over 1000 mg of synthetic ascorbic acid.

Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin and it is not stored in your body. It is best to eat or supplement your vitamin C throughout the day over taking a high dosage at one time.

Smokers require 35 mg more Vitamin C during the day than nonsmokers. Even if someone is trying to quit smoking, they are still smoking and need to bump up their intake of Vitamin C.

Your best source for Vitamin C is from your foods and when you supplement Vitamin C, supplement from a food source. It just makes sense.

I C with food Vitamin C, how will you C?

Yours in Health!

USDA National Nutrition Database – Vitamin C
Product B: OneBode Chew C