All about Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble nutrient that plays many crucial functions in maintaining bodily health. Most famously, it was used to treat a condition known as scurvy, which usually afflicted sailors who were at sea for prolonged periods of time without access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The moniker “limey,” in fact, used commonly to refer to sailors, was derived from the lime fruit, which it was discovered prevented scurvy, even though at first nobody knew it was because of its rich vitamin C content.

Many therapeutic benefits have been attributed to Vitamin C, including its role as powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are highly reactive and unstable chemical substances that can cause cellular damage, leading to premature aging and disease if left unchecked.

Vitamin C plays a pivotal role in the production of collagen, which is a protein found in the connective tissues, such as skin. When collagen breaks down in the skin, for example, wrinkles and sagging become prominent. A related benefit is its ability to help the healing of wounds.

Much has been made of vitamin C’s alleged ability to prevent colds. Although there is no evidence to support this claim, there are studies that show it can reduce the duration and severity of a cold, once caught. This is most likely due to its ability to boost the strength of the immune system, which would particularly be important for the elderly.

Further studies have shown that it protects artery linings by making them more resistant to the kind of injury that permits plaque formation. In other words, vitamin C affords protection against heart disease, the #1 killer in the Western world.

Interestingly, this nutrient may also protect against the formation of cataracts, a condition that leads to poor vision for many.

Those who have kidney stones should probably not take megadoses of this nutrient (which many experts classify as 1,000 mg or more) as it may exacerbate the condition. The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for this nutrient is currently 60 mg.

Other than this, vitamin C is very safe, as the body can readily excrete excesses in urine.

We believe Vitamin C is a very worthwhile supplement to consider adding to your daily supplement regimen, especially if your diet is low in fresh vegetables and fruits. Nowadays, in fact, using supplements is more important than ever because the nutrient value of fruits and vegetables have significantly declined due to modern farming methods

1. To treat specific conditions, higher doses of Vitamin C may be needed (500 mg or higher). However, to maintain general health, we believe lower levels are acceptable, as we also obtain it from food sources. (Anywhere from 20 mg to 60 mg in a supplement makes sense).

2. Vitamin C works synergistically with vitamin E (and other powerful antioxidants) by recycling it. What this means is that those with higher levels of vitamin C also had higher levels of vitamin E circulating in their body, enhancing and prolonging its benefits. Therefore, we believe one should generally take vitamin C as part of a more comprehensive, scientifically balanced formula rather than as a stand alone product.

3. Dietary supplements in the U.S. are unregulated, and both private and government parties have determined you only have a 1 in 5 chance of buying a product that actually contains the amount of ingredients stated on the label. Therefore, only purchase from pharmaceutical GMP compliant facilities, which adhere to the most exacting manufacturing standards.

This way, you can be sure you are getting the amount of vitamin C you paid for, and that you don’t end up with contaminated ingredients, which, unfortunately, is altogether too common.

One company that produces a product to pharmaceutical GMP compliance is Xtend-Life Natural Products from New Zealand, which far exceed U.S. FDA requirements for nutritional supplements. Their flagship product, Total Balance, contains vitamin C, and vitamin E, along with many other vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, amino acids, speciality nutrients, and enzymes.

We here at Nutritional-Supplement-info have been taking Total Balance for the past year with excellent results.