The Not So Sweet Truth About Most Vitamin C Pills

It comes in many descriptions: natural, pure, synthetic, ascorbic acid, ester C and so forth.

But make no mistake: Almost all Vitamin C in pill form comes from one not so sweet source:

CORN SUGAR.

 

Let’s take a look at what vitamin C does for your body and which sources of vitamin C are healthier options.

What Vitamin C does for You

We all know that vitamin C is good for us. In the 1700s, it was discovered that it prevents scurvy.

It also supports and is used in the manufacture of collagen, protects the lung tissues, supports arterial endogenous and exogenous linings, feeds the heart, nourishes the adrenal glands and keeps the skin from falling apart. And there’s much more.

Whole Foods beat Isolates

Your body processes vitamins better when they come in a whole food form. This is because they are accompanied by all the cofactors that help break down the vitamin and use its nutrients.

When a vitamin is extracted from its food complex form, it loses a great deal of its efficacy and can even cause side effects.

When you buy Vitamin C ascorbic acid (the most common form of vitamin C sold in stores) you should know it is not even made from fruits, as most people are misled to believe with photos of bright oranges on bottle labels.

Getting better Vitamin C from Foods (and loads more of it!)

Like any other nutrient, the best vitamin C is and will always be contained inside of a natural food.

Examples of foods containing vitamin C are lemons, limes, grapefruit and apples.

And one of the highest sources is acerola cherry which we use in a few of our supplements (Flavo-C, Whole Food, Immune Support).

Acerola Berry: a Great Source of C

In acerola: in addition to vitamin C, you get the other nutritional benefits that you will NOT find in vitamin C isolates, no matter how potent.

Acerola also contains magnesium, pantothenic acid and potassium. It has vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Plus there’s calcium, protein, iron, limonen and phosphorus.

Again, These Vitamin C whole foods contain not only the vitamin, but also all of the cofactors that make it viable to human biochemistry.

Click here to learn more about Flavo-C.

vitamin photo © 2007 SOCIALisBETTER

fruit photo © 2010 Lori Greig