What kind of vitamin C is best? Here's the information

Vitamin C is often referred to as ascorbic acid. There is natural vitamin C as well as synthetic. I hear claims that one form is more bioavailable than the other.

Bioavailability is a term that is used to indicate the level to which a nutrient, or drug, becomes available to the body after it has been taken. Think of both drugs and nutrients as chemicals. Food is literally thousands of chemical compounds combined together.

Water, proteins, lipids (fats and oils), and carbohydrates (sugars, starch and fiber) are the primary chemicals in foods. These are called macronutrients.

Micronutrients are part of the remaining chemicals. Chemical does not necessarily mean bad. We need these in small amounts which is why they are called micro. Vitamin C is a micronutrient.

The bioavailability of vitamin C in our body can be affected by several factors. Incomplete absorption can alter its movement into our body. Breakdown can happen in the gut wall and liver, leaving less to enter our blood stream.

We often take vitamin C as a capsule or chewable tablet. But there are other ways to get it into our body that can be more effective.

Of course, putting it directly into your bloodstream through an IV infusion is the best. That makes it immediate and fully bioavailable. Intravenous vitamin C is used in some cancer treatments.

I just read they were looking at IV vitamin C for treatment of sepsis in hospitals and finding positive results. Sepsis is a life-threatening infection that puts deadly toxins into tissues. Vitamin C is one of the most potent antioxidants and immune supporters, so I can see this working.

Absorption may also be increased by taking a liposomal form of vitamin C. This is where the ascorbic acid is wrapped in a material called phospholipid and absorbed predominately into the lymphatic system. It is released later in the body, either in the liver or by cells directly.

Lipids are very small and appear as something the body is hungry for and thus readily absorbed. Liposomal form is the most efficient way to take vitamin C orally. It will also keep you from getting diarrhea or cramps commonly associated with taking too much.

Emulsified vitamin C, which I read some people are doing at home, could also increase absorption. This is made from an ultrasonic treatment of lecithin and vitamin C.

Ascorbic acid when combined with calcium becomes calcium ascorbate, also known as ester-C. It is considered buffered because it is less acidic and moves slowly through your digestive system. You can also find vitamin C bound to other minerals like potassium, zinc, molybdenum, chromium and manganese.

There is no clear evidence that any of these are better absorbed. A couple of other forms called ascorbyl palmitate and erythorbic acid are somewhat similar but yet different in important ways.

Despite the idea of natural vitamin C, the synthetic forms of ascorbic acid are exactly the same molecule as food derived forms. And I’ve seen no real study showing differences in bioavailability. The food form is often derived from GMO corn, and that may be a factor to consider as well as the associated toxins.

There is some opinion that components found in the natural forms, referred to as a complex, provide additional benefits. I like this idea, though the available vitamin C is typically too small in these formulas to be effective. None of the studies showed that any of these ancillary nutrients were necessary. Rose hip vitamin C is a crystalline ascorbic acid with a pinch of rose hips powder.

Overall, I think a multi-path approach to taking vitamin C can be very effective. Unless you have iron overload or a lack of the G6PD enzyme.

Eat yellow bell peppers, guava, and limes. Get strawberries, kale, and oranges. Take a crystal form of ascorbic acid along with a liposomal form, both in effective dosages. Then throw in a vitamin C complex for good measure. You should be good to go. Stop on by anytime.

Scott Porter, a functional medicine pharmacist, is the director of the Center for Functional Nutrition at Sandpoint Super Drug.