Could the famous ascorbic acid a molecular compound written next to most Vitamin C supplements, not actually be Vitamin C ?

When we take a closer look we discover that Vitamins are not individual molecular compounds. Vitamins are biological complexes. They are multi-step biochemical interactions whose action is dependent upon a number of variables within the biological terrain.

Vitamin activity only takes place when all conditions are met within that environment, and when all co-factors and components of the entire vitamin complex are present and working together.

Synthetic vs Natural Nutrients

What are the differences between natural and synthetic nutrients ?

• Natural nutrients: These are obtained from whole food sources in the diet.
• Synthetic nutrients: Also referred to as isolated nutrients, these are usually made artificially, in an industrial process.

Synthetic nutrients do not include “whole food supplements,” which are made from concentrated, dehydrated whole foods.

The majority of supplements available on the market today are made artificially. These include vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and amino acids, among others.

They can be taken in pill, capsule, tablet, powder or liquid form, and are made to mimic the way natural nutrients act in our bodies.

To figure out if your supplement is synthetic or natural, check the label. Natural supplements usually list food sources or are labeled as 100% plant or animal-based.

Supplements that list nutrients individually, such as vitamin C, or use chemical names like Ascorbic acid, are almost certainly synthetic.

Vitamins cannot be isolated from their complexes and still perform their specific life functions within the cells. When isolated into artificial commercial forms, like Ascorbic acid, these purified synthetics act as drugs in the body. They are no longer vitamins, and to call them such is inaccurate.

A vitamin is “a working process consisting of the nutrient, enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants, and trace minerals activators.” – Royal Lee “What Is a Vitamin?” Applied Trophology, Aug 1956.

Is Ascorbic Acid Vitamin C ?

Ascorbic Acid is NOT Vitamin C. A great analogy to explain what Ascorbic acid is to compare it to an egg. Ascorbic acid is like the outer shell of the egg. It protects what’s inside. The healthy part of the egg is what’s inside and same goes with the Vitamin C complex. Here’s what the Vitamin C complex looks like.

The Ascorbic acid portion of the Vitamin C complex does play a role. Vitamin C gets oxidized so easily that it often disappears in storage of citrus fruits and vegetables. This is the primary function of Ascorbic acid and that is to protect what’s inside the complex.

So for Vitamin C to be Vitamin C it must contain, in addition to Ascorbic acid: rutin, bioflavonoids, Factor K, Factor J, Factor P, ascorbinogen, ascorbinogen bioflavonoids, and tyrosinase. Ascorbic acid is the “antioxidant wrapper” that protects the functional parts of the vitamin from rapid oxidation or breakdown.

Additionally, mineral co-factors must be present and in proper amounts. If any of those components are missing, there is no Vitamin C––no vitamin activity. And when only some of them are present in the body, the body has to draw on its own stores to make up the difference.

So you can see that Vitamin C activity can only take place when all conditions and co-factors are present.

Would you like to know what Ascorbic acid is made from? It’s a derivative from cornstarch and sulfuric acid. In your body it acts as a drug with toxic effects. Mega doses can actually increase your white blood cell count.

White blood cell (our protector against disease) is higher in Vitamin C than any other cell of the body

Our body doesn’t want the Ascorbic acid but rather it wants the C Complex that is protected by it. The Complex is so much more important than the Ascorbic acid. Your White Blood Cells without the C complex will fail in function and be unable to fight and destroy infectious organisms.

How Come Patients Feel Better When They

Take Several Grams of Ascorbic Acid?

According to Dr. Frazetta there are 2 possibilities:

1. Ascorbic acid is an acid and most people who are sick with the cold or flu are too Alkaline. The Ascorbic acid serves as a system acidifier. Most pathogenic bacteria flourish in an alkaline environment and the Ascorbic acid will lower the PH.
2. The body had a stored supply of “other factors” that comprise the C-Complex and the Ascorbic acid just recombined with those factors and made it whole again.

 

Why getting vitamin C through Ascorbic acid is a problem ?

According to an article in The Healthy Home Economist, Ascorbic acid is actually synthetic vitamin C, usually derived from GMO corn. And, there is a growing body of evidence that those consuming high doses of Ascorbic acid should have reason to worry.

The Winter 2009 edition of Wise Traditions cites 3 studies, which give pause about large doses of vitamin C. The first study (from the Jun 15, 2001 issue of Science) showed that “synthetic vitamin C may contribute to the formation of genotoxins that can lead to cancer.” A second study presented to the American Heart Association showed a link between consumption of only 500mg of vitamin C per day and a greater propensity toward thickening of the arteries (Los Angeles Times, March 3, 2000).

Even more recently, athletes taking 1000mg of vitamin C per day showed reduced endurance capacity from interference with antioxidant enzymes (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Jan 2008).

Instead of getting extra vitamin C through Ascorbic acid, the article recommends non Ascorbic acid vitamin C supplements. There are several brands available on the market. Here are 3 of the best to choose from:-

Conclusion

After discovering that Ascorbic acid is just the outer shell of Vitamin C, we may be inclined now to resort to natural ways of consuming real vitamin C. There are many natural foods that are rich in Vitamin C but if our diet is not sufficient, it would be a good idea to supplement with Whole-Food Vitamin C rather than absorbic acid.