Everyone knows about about vitamin C - it keeps our immune system healthy and strong. Usually, we think of orange juice when we hear vitamin C. It's everywhere, in synthetic supplements and fortified foods, just to make sure you get your recommended daily dose. But guess what? That's not entirely accurate and may be harmful to your health. Ascorbic acid is not vitamin C, and marketers have raked in billions with this myth. Let's get the real scoop!
Vitamins are not individual molecules that work independently. They are a complex network of biochemical interactions that occur in the body. Vitamins work in a unique environment in where they must interact with various co-factors and components to perform their functions. Vitamin activity is dependent on all the components of the vitamin complex being present and working together. When they're not in balance, vitamin activity is hindered.
When vitamins are isolated into synthetic commercial forms, such as ascorbic acid, they can act like harmful drugs in the body. These isolated vitamins cannot perform their biological functions properly without all the components of the natural complex. Ascorbic acid is merely a purified synthetic version of one part of the vitamin C complex. It is not vitamin C; it's just one part of a complex network of components, although an important one.
Taking ascorbic acid supplements to get your daily dose of vitamin C just isn't as effective as getting it from whole foods, like organic acerola cherry. When we consume whole foods, we get a complete and balanced complex of vitamin C, including co-factors and other components of the biological terrain that aid in the absorption and utilization of the vitamin. Don't be fooled by flashy supplement labels boasting 1,000 mg of synthetic vitamin C – that doesn't necessarily mean a thing. So, let's stick to nature’s cure for a more robust vitamin C complex!
Just munching down artificial vitamins like ascorbic acid can cause you a ton of issues. The synthetic nature of those vitamins may even mess up your body's balance and chemistry. Your best bet for getting enough vitamin C is by eating organic whole foods - that way, you'll be taking in all the right nutrients in the healthiest possible way for your body.
