We all know that vitamin C is important for our health. But did you know that the type of vitamin C you consume makes a difference? According to multiple studies, natural and synthetic vitamin C are chemically identical, but how your body responds to them may be a different story. Here are three reasons why you should get your daily dose of vitamin C from whole food sources.
- You’re getting vitamin C in its purest form
When you eat vitamin C-rich foods, like acerola cherries, you’re getting vitamin C in its purest form. Plus, the addition of other nutrients that can help your body better absorb certain vitamins and minerals. In fact, researchers found that the vitamin C in acerola is better absorbed by humans than synthetic ascorbic acid.
- Whole food sources are more easily absorbed
Your body is designed to absorb nutrients from whole foods more easily than from supplements. This is because the nutrients in whole foods are packaged together with other compounds that help your body to absorb them. Synthetic supplements, on the other hand, often lack these compound and as a result are not as easily absorbed by the body.
- Vitamin C from whole foods can boost your immune system
We all know that our immune system needs a little help during cold and flu season. Taking a supplement might give you an extra immunity boost, but according to one study, getting your vitamin C from whole foods may be more effective. In the study, people who took a supplement experienced the same level of immunity as those who got their vitamin C from foods. However, the people who got their vitamin C from whole foods had fewer upper respiratory infections than those who took the supplement. So if you’re looking for an immunity boost this winter, try swapping out your supplement for some citrus fruits or bell peppers.
It's no surprise that synthetic vitamins don't stack up to the real thing. Not only are they less bioavailable and absorbable, but studies have also found them unrecognizable for our bodies! Even if these "replicas" seem virtually identical on paper, in actuality they can be harmful because of how hard it is for our kidneys to process them - almost like trying to break down a toxin! Lastly, most synthetic vitamin C, is derived from GMO corn syrup so choose whole food vitamin C.
Maintaining a strong immune system is so important for keeping your body healthy and happy! Get creative with finding ways to get the vitamin C you need, like from whole food sources instead of synthetic vitamin C. Our new recipe includes whole food sources of vitamin C plus 1000mg of apple cider vinegar without the harsh bite. We kicked the sugar on lemonade and kept all the flavor! Designed for daily immune support so go ahead and mix up and drink up!
