The Acerola fruit is rich in natural vitamin C

As I’ve already talked about, I prefer to buy whole food vitamin C over ascorbic acid. As I’ve discussed elsewhere on my blog, ascorbic acid is only a partial component of the entire natural form of the vitamin C complex. Many say it doesn’t matter, because they claim the reduced form (ascorbic) is the active part of the component.

I personally – as well as many credible researchers – believe that all the components of the natural vitamin C form (which include the terrosenase enzyme and vitamins J, K, P) might work together in synergy. So although ascorbic acid is the main component, and the others may seem unimportant separately, it’s possible that together they work differently. Regardless, wouldn’t you rather be consuming natural vitamin C instead of ascorbic acid that is created in a laboratory?

What is whole food vitamin C?
No, this has nothing to do with the store of the similar name! Whole food vitamin C refers to that which has been derived directly from whole food sources. They moisture and excess pulp is removed, which makes it possible to pack a small capsule with a decent amount of the vitamin. Since vitamin C is destroyed by heat and pasteurization, this process does not involve heating.

Where does whole food vitamin C come from?
In order to collect adequate supplies and still keep the supplement normal size, they collect the whole food vitamin C from the fruits and vegetables which are most rich in this nutrient. Most of them are exotic fruits that are found in remote parts of South America and other regions and the odds are, you’ve probably never ate them fresh before. Examples include the acerola fruit, rose hips, and camu camu berry. Reportedly, these contain 30 to 60x the amount of vitamin C as oranges do (when comparing equal volumes of each).

How much does whole food vitamin C cost?
As you can imagine, this is not quite as cheap as the factory created ascorbic acid. Fortunately though, it’s not that expensive if you know where to look. As a resident in LA, I checked all around town at the stores that sell natural health supplements… their prices were expensive. However I was able to buy whole food 100% organic vitamin C online in higher strengths and greater quantity, for less than half what the local stores were charging per bottle. So if you buy natural supplements via the web, the prices are very reasonable.

Since many vitamins use artificial, lab created forms, I have a feeling natural vitamin C as well as many others will become very popular in the years to come.

Q: What is an ascorbic acid flush?

A: This is a so-called flush which involves consuming a large quantity of ascorbic acid – such as 1000mg or more – which allegedly flushes out your system. The truth of the matter is they might be nothing more than a fad. In fact, many have reported adverse reactions like watery stools and other side effects. This is a nutrient your body needs, but not in excess amounts. Just stick with quality organic vitamin C supplements instead!

Some even claim that this flush may be harmful to your health. The digestive problems can lead to dehydration – which messes with your body’s delicate balance of healthy bacteria. More seriously, excessive dosages of ascorbic acid have been linked to the formation of stones in the kidneys – not only are these extremely painful, but removal is not cheap. There are even other bad things I read… with all these negatives… I think I’ll pass on an ascorbic acid flush!

Other Important Words of Caution
Nowadays it seems that everywhere we turn there is someone peddling a supplement which they claim to cure a serious disease. While it’s true that most vitamins are extremely beneficial – some even necessary for human life – these claims have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. Is it possible some of those wild claims are true? Sure. But if they are presenting the suspected benefits as fact, be wary.
The truth of the matter is we don’t have all the answers. And now more than ever, more and more companies are hopping on the supplement bandwagon to get rich. So for example, if an ascorbic acid flush claims it can cure a flu or some other substantial claim, the fact is that claim has not been proven.

The Vitamins That You Actually Need
As mentioned, vitamins and supplements are extremely important to healthy living. But rather than deciphering alleged product claims, why not instead just focus on getting adequate amounts of these nutrients?

And here’s where there’s a big difference between supplements sold – most use synthetic versions of vitamins. For example, an ascorbic acid flush uses the artificial form (ascorbic acid) of vitamin C. I knew this acid was synthetically created, but what I didn’t know (until recently) was that it is not identical to the vitamin C complex in its natural form!

This is why I now use organic multi vitamins. Instead of creating the vitamins in a lab, they source them directly from foods. The benefits of using them are not just phony-bologna… it is fact that the synthetic versions of many vitamins are only a fragment of the natural complex form. So I don’t always buy into the whole organic hooplah, but when it comes to organic supplements, I now realize why they’re so much better.

One of the arguments that I often hear for using the pure form is because of how it is manufactured. Allegedly there is only one manufacturer left in the United States and roughly 80% of the world’s supply is now made in China. Not only is that disappointing, but potentially dangerous in my opinion, considering that country’s track record for cutting corners and providing us unsafe products.

Because there are so few who make ascorbic acid, pretty much every supplement brand is not making their own. That means they are buying it in a bulk elsewhere, sometimes from China. The worst part is the ingredient label may not say where they’re getting it… so you could unknowingly be taking it.

Buy Ascorbic Acid Directly
When you buy pure ascorbic acid directly, since it’s the only ingredient, odds are they will disclose where it is made. This puts the quality control in your own hands; you can choose to buy only that which is made domestically.

Pure Ascorbic Acid Benefits
The other argument many make for using it in its pure form is for the alleged benefits associated with it. Some believe it is more beneficial to take the pure form, instead of mixing it up with other additives, preservatives, and substances. Whether this is true or not, I don’t know, but there are many out there who if for no other reason, simply prefer getting their dose in this form.

Organic Vitamins
Alternately, there are many who try and avoid ascorbic acid all together. Why? Because it is a laboratory recreation of the real thing. It is said to be a fragment of the complete vitamin C structure in its natural state. However whatever form it’s in, this is a nutrient which is essential to human life, so you need to get it from somewhere. But many are now opting for organic vitamin C and organic supplements instead, which use the natural form.

Now ascorbic acid is used to fortify a wide array of supplements and foods. However some are concerned as to whether it is being digested properly. Because it is said to be more absorbable, many people are now turning to pure ascorbic acid powder.

In recent years, there have been numerous products which have come out that incorporate ascorbic acid powder. One of the most notable would be those fizzy vitamin C drink mix products like Emergen-C. Presently there are a number of different companies which sell similar powder supplements. Often times, they also include other vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in their formula to allegedly enhance the benefits. One complaint though people have about these supplements are that they are often expensive. Many opt to buy a tub of the powder to make their own instead.

What is vitamin C powder?
Well, some argue there are two different answers to this question. For decades now, the FDA has allowed companies in the US to market ascorbic acid as vitamin C. However it should be noted this acid is a synthetically created, partial-version of vitamin C in its natural form. Currently the consensus among most is that this acid offers the same advantages.

What are the benefits of ascorbic acid?
There are many companies out there who make some pretty wild claims as to how this ingredient can benefit you. However you should realize those claims have not been validated or endorsed by the FDA. The reason for this is because in 1994 the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act was passed. This changed the rules…. for the most part, as long as product is not sold to “treat/cure/prevent a disease” and it is sold as a “dietary supplement,” then the FDA would not evaluate the product’s claims. This means that a manufacturer can make various claims and hide behind that protection… whether their claims are true or not is largely dependent upon their honesty and integrity.

Now that I’ve got out of the way, I can talk about some of the alleged benefits some have claimed ascorbic acid offers. The most common of course is with the immune system. Many claim that it helps boost the immune system and some take that a step further to even claim that it can help fight off infections and they even go so far as to say it can help with cancer, asthma, blood clotting, and an array of other diseases. They shouldn’t be saying it can be used as a treatment for anything, since that is not allowed.

So I’m not going to comment on those alleged benefits since I am not qualified to do so, but I will say that vitamin C is something people can’t live without it. It is essential to human life. So for that reason alone, it is extremely important that we make sure we get enough of it.

Is natural vitamin C the best choice?
Because ascorbic acid is synthetically created and it is only a partial piece of the form which is found in plants, many favor using a natural plant-derived form of it instead. Typically this can be acquired from whole food vitamin C and some organic supplements.