Vitamin C Supplements
- By:Brian Balster
Vitamin C supplements come in all shapes and sizes. You can now buy vitamin c in tablets, capsules, drink-mix packets, multi-vitamin formulations, and crystalline powder. Even timed released vitamin c supplements are available. Some vitamin c supplements contain synthetic vitamin c while others contain plants that naturally contain vitamin c. Out of all these choices, which is most beneficial for the body?
Synthetic Vitamin C Supplements
Most synthetic vitamin c supplements are now supplied by China. Like most everything else these days, china can produce artificial vitamin c cheaper than anyone else. Thus, the vitamin c supplements that you can buy in Wal-Mart, Target, and even Whole Foods are synthetically produced in China. Can you be sure that mass produced, snythetically-manufacutured vitamin c is the healthiest for you?
Natural Vitamin C Supplements
Most natural-health doctors teach that nature knows best. Thus, despite popular belief, this means NOT all vitamin c supplements are equal. The natural sources with the highest concentration of vitamin c are plants. The kakadu plum has 3100 mg of vitamin c per 100g. To put this in perspective, an orange has just 50 mg of vitamin c per 100g. A widely used plant for natural vitamin c supplements is the rosehip. Rose hips contain 2000 mg / 100g. By taking a vitamin c supplement from a natural source, you know that your body will recognize and be able to utilize the vitamin.
To find a good vitamin c supplement search for a vitamin c supplement made from rose hips. Mortersupplements.com provides a good vitamin c supplement from rose hips (http://mortersupplements.com/chewcberry1.html). A Google search will likely turn up other possibilities. Expect to pay about $20 a bottle for a natural vitamin c supplement. And remember, if the bottle doesn't say where the vitamin c comes from, it's likely a synthetic source. Also, if the amount of vitamin c per tablet is higher than 200 mg it's virtually always from a synthetic source (and probably from China).
If you'd like more accountability in your vitamin c supplement, look for one that's made from a natural source, like rose hips.About the author:
Brian Balster writes for The Healthy Times, a Health