Super Fitness Health BlogThe truth about Vitamin C
Here at Specialist Supplements, we have a fantastic food form Vitamin C, which is not only as Mother Nature intended (for maximum absorption of nutrients), but it is derived from acerola cherries, rosehip, blackcurrant, parsley leaf and elderberry for an extra powerful, yet gentle combination. These powerhouse ingredients are also a great source of antioxidants.
Vitamin C is probably one of the best-known and widely used supplements. If we feel a twinge in the throat, or just generally run-down, even supplement “skeptics” tend to accept that a dose of this vitamin might fend off the “lurgy” or at least speed up recovery.
But do you know if your chosen Vitamin C is synthetic (“man-made”) or in “food form” (which simply means that it has been specially prepared to be as similar to real food as possible)? Does it matter? Well, the short answer is yes, it does.
ASCORBIC ACID
A lot of Vitamin C sold is ascorbic acid. You might be surprised to hear that this is a man-made chemical, which is manufactured in chemical plants by applying heat, pressure and chemicals to glucose (sugar), which converts the glucose to ascorbic acid.
Contrary to popular belief, ascorbic acid and Vitamin C are not structurally identical. The acid is an artificial, reduced form of the natural vitamin. Vitamin C is a naturally-occurring nutrient, found in a variety of fruit and vegetables. However, when it is heated, the vitamin breaks down and becomes largely ineffective.
Being a chemical (and an acid), it is not absorbed or used by the body in the same way as food, and can often actually upset the stomach and irritate the digestive tract, and even worsen medical conditions, as a result.
FOOD FORM / FOOD STATE VITAMIN C
Natural, unadulterated food is what our bodies were designed to eat; our bodies were not intended to absorb synthetic vitamins or chemically polluted foods.
Food form supplements are more easily absorbed by the body, making them more effective. Another advantage is that they are slow release. A large proportion of a synthetic supplement will simply pass through the body by urination, without any benefit.
Organic, food form supplements are now widely available for a huge variety of conditions and health goals. Health supplements that are organic and natural typically have a higher content of vitamins and minerals and contain lower levels of toxic metals (including mercury, lead, and aluminium) than their non-organic counterparts.
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