Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
Did you know that ascorbic acid is actually synthetic vitamin C? What’s more, it is usually GMO vitamin C, which means it was derived from GMO corn.
If you are learning this for the first time, it can be a rather shocking realization as almost all vitamin C supplements on the market use isolated ascorbic acid separated from a whole food source. The manufacturing process that produces synthetically derived vitamin C leaves all the beneficial co-factors behind!
Even more disturbing, ascorbic acid is frequently marketed as natural vitamin C and added to organic foods as a natural preservative. Truly natural forms of vitamin C and synthetic ascorbic acid seem to be used interchangeably.
How confusing for the consumer!
Nearly all juices and fruit products are loaded up with ascorbic acid, even many organic, healthfood store versions. It seems that if a product is labeled “high in Vitamin C”, consumers buy more of it.
A lot of folks are being fooled by these misleading semantics. There is a growing body of evidence that those consuming high doses of ascorbic acid should have reason to worry.
Three Studies Suggest Caution with High Dose Ascorbic Acid
The journal Wise Traditions cites three studies that give pause about large doses of vitamin C. The first, 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 500 mg of vitamin C per day and a greater propensity toward thickening of the arteries (Los Angeles Times, March 3, 2000).
More recently, athletes taking 1000 mg of isolated ascorbic acid per day showed reduced endurance capacity from interference with antioxidant enzymes (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Jan 2008).
This information should give pause to anyone who is actively taking synthetic vitamin C supplements such as those Emergen-C packets that are available everywhere, from pharmacies and health food stores to even gas stations!
Supplements like these are NOT boosting immunity and are NOT good for you!
Synthetic vitamins such as ascorbic acid act more like drugs in the body rather than whole food nutrients with all the available co-factors. Taking any synthetic vitamin can cause imbalances in the body and should be avoided.
Another worrisome and popular trend is the recommendation of some alternative health professionals to do a “vitamin C flush” during illness. This therapy (if you can call it that) calls for large doses of ascorbic acid until the onset of diarrhea.
This approach to regaining wellness has never made any sense to me. Now, with more studies indicating the danger of high doses of vitamin C, caution seems well-founded.
Fan of Linus Pauling? Consider This…
If you are a fan of Linus Pauling who popularized the notion of huge doses of Vitamin C for the common cold in the 1970s, consider this. GMO Vitamin C did not exist when Pauling was conducting his studies. GMO derived Vitamin C is what most people are unwittingly taking today!
What’s more, the studies indicating the danger of high doses of vitamin C over long periods of time had not been done yet. They were conducted long after Pauling died in 1994.
What about High Dose, Intravenous Ascorbic Acid?
What about high dose, intravenous ascorbic acid for the very ill? Note that vitamin C for IV use is almost always derived from GMO corn as well as being extremely high dose and synthetic ascorbic acid only.
Under certain circumstances and for the very ill, high dose GMO ascorbic acid therapy can be beneficial. For example, my husband used IV ascorbic acid therapy immediately after each amalgam removal. This prevented any released mercury from getting stored in the tissues. Not doing this risks the development of autoimmune disease.
However, synthetic vitamin C especially when genetically modified shouldn’t be a regular feature in anyone’s diet or supplement regimen.
Whole Food Vitamin C is Naturally Low Dose
The best way to get vitamin C on a daily basis is from whole foods sources. This will provide you this critical nutrient at a low dosage that will do no harm over the long term.
When you get the whole foods version of vitamin C, you don’t need much at all. A truly natural vitamin C supplement with no isolated ascorbic acid is naturally low-dose and yet highly effective.
Don’t forget about the benefits of fresh grassfed milk – a great source of vitamin C. The vitamin C in milk is mostly destroyed by pasteurization, along with many other nutrients. This is why buying fresh and local is so important.
Fresh and lacto-fermented fruits and vegetables (such as traditional sauerkraut) are other excellent sources of the whole vitamin C complex.
Perhaps folks feel the need to take large doses of synthetic vitamin C because all the processed foods they are eating are so devoid of the nutrient in its whole form. Switching to whole foods and dumping those vitamin C supplements in the trash would be a much better approach to boosting immunity!
Ascorbic Acid is Usually from Genetically Modified Corn
What’s worse is that ascorbic acid is not just synthetic. Remember that it is also usually derived from genetically modified corn! More on that GMO vitamin C travesty fooling millions of consumers every single day in the linked article.
Another vitamin scam harming consumers concerns synthetic folate commercially known as folic acid.
The pushing of beta carotene as true vitamin A by food manufacturers and supplement companies is another nutritional falsehood scamming millions of consumers and worse, seriously harming their health.
What to Look for in a True Vitamin C Product
To give you some idea of what to look for in a vitamin C supplement, here are the ingredients of the one I use. Notice that there is no isolated ascorbic acid or other ascorbates and no additives. Just pure food Vitamin C sources. Please note that this is not the only Vitamin C supplement that qualifies as totally pure. There are a few others.
Pure Radiance C ingredients: camu camu berry extract, manioc root, acerola berry extract, amla berry extract, buckwheat sprouts, freeze-dried berry blend, blueberry, raspberry, cranberry, cherry, rose hips fruit, lemon peel, black pepper berry extract.
I also use the Amla C Plus. Here are the ingredients: Organic Amla berry, organic spirulina.
Notice that the words “ascorbic acid” are not listed in either of these products!
Want to know where to find a complete line of whole food Vitamin C supplements from a variety of whole food plant sources?
Click here for several carefully vetted brands to choose from.
I looked for the Nutrilite Acerola C chewables and they are only in Phillipines? So where do you get them or have you switched to another since you’ve posted that?
Thanks so much! I’m really upset I spent a lot on Vit C thinking it was the non synthetic kind and just looked and it was ascorbic acid 🙁
What’s this world coming to? … Perpetrators should be held accountable! How can raw milk be illegal and stuff like this isn’t? I don’t get it!
Where do you purchase the Nutrilite Acerola? I can’t seem to find them.
Hi Sarah, Thanks always for your blog. I thought I might add that many “natural” food companies add ascorbic acid to their products. (I think as a sort of preservative and to help maintain color). We discovered it in baby food several years ago such as peaches and bananas. (which I know now is not the best food anyhow…we have been making adjustments accordingly) My son would have severe regurgitation after consuming anything with ascorbic acid in it. He has a graphic tongue (as do I) and it would make it flare up. We just ended up switching to fresh fruits or those that I cooked myself. We have a new little girl in the family and I hope to avoid those problems by using traditional foods methods!
Kim
New here as well;0)
Thank you for an interesting piece.
I am trying to get my paws on a natural vitamin C but even though they call themselves “natural”, “natures only” etc. there is nothing *natural* in sight!! The amounts of misinformation (lies) we are meet by daily are simply shocking!
Kathrine, Denmark
ascorbic acid is not vitamin c ,L- ascorbic acid is vitamin c. their molecules are of a different rotation,the first is synthetic L ascorbic acid is natural
1000 mg of vitamin C twice a day is not a good idea for anyone, least of all a child, in my opinion. It is obviously a synthetic version of vitamin C also if the dosage is that high. We use Nutrilite Acerola C chewables which are 30mg per tablet and a whole food source of C.
Hi Sarah,
I would like to find a chewable real food vitamin c supplement
I don’t know of one … the one I link to in the article is a powder you can mix with a bit of water and it tastes great. Would that do?
Hi Sarah,
I would like to find a chewable real food vitamin c supplement for my daughter (2.5 yrs) to take during winter and when sick. I looked at the ingredients on the Nutrilite brand and it contains hydrogenated cottonseed oil. 🙁 Do you still give it to your kids evaluate the benefits outweigh the risks? Or do you have another chewable brand to recommend? My other option is to buy a powdered variety like Pure Radiance C. Does it dissolve well in cold liquids? My Camu Camu does not dissolve AT ALL. Thanks in advance! Love your blog!
Kassia
Sarah,
I am new to you blog, and am very interested in your July GAPS postings. Our son was recently started on Vitamin C 1000mg 2x a day, after reading this post I am definitely questioning the advisability of this dose, especially since Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride in Gut and Psychology Syndrome also recommends keeping supplements to minimum. Do you have a good recommendation for a whole food vitamin supplement? Thanks and I look forward to your future posts.
Hi! My name is Amy. I am a new reader of your blog and have loved everything that I have been reading and watching. I just recently bought myself Nourishing Traditions and am excited about reading through it. I have borrowed it from the library a few times to read some. I have a suggestion for you: I listen to Jack Stockwell. He is a holistic physician / chiropractor. He airs a health show Wednesday morning 7-9 in Utah. He talks about nutrition and about a product brand called Standard Process. They are whole food vitamins. I take that for Vit. C. Anyway, I would love to call you my friend. It is nice to find someone who believes as I do and has knows even more than I do and can teach me. I am going to try soaking my 10 grain mix flour that I make for my baking.
Welcome Amy! So glad to have you along on this adventure with me!
Here are some sources for several brands of whole foods based vitamin C: https://www.radiantlifecatalog.com/category/119/?a=58537
Unfortunately, they don’t sell either of those on their site anymore. They do have other options, but they do not have chewables. I’ve tried finding chewables around the internet and it’s virtually impossible. Haven’t found any that are sold in the US. Would you know of anywhere else to look?
Yes, the only acerola they carry is cut with ascorbic acid, the stuff sold in the infant formula package. Too bad it doesn’t say at what ratio either. Also, mega dose vitamin C has become a new thing, not that “you don’t need that much if it’s natural”. They’re not downing that much vitamin C to maintain health, they’re downing that much vitamin C in an attempt to fix problems. I think this is also used as part of cancer treatment now. My parents got real big into it, and my brother also tried it, but they all have to take breaks off of the supplements because they develop kidney problems. I’m still trying to convince them to stop. http://www.naturalnews.com/030599_vitamin_C_mega_dose.html
Show us the proof that vitamin c develops kidney stones? I have never seen one study proving this.
Why don’t you do some actual research? Instead of demanding commenters spoon feed you.
http://www.livesuperfoods.com carries an acerola that has a non corn maltodextrin for texture.
I looked up the NOW brand, it is a powder that states it uses maltodextrin from corn or rice. I did not see non-GMO stated.
I would like to bring another brand to your attention – Himalaya Organic Amla -it meets all the criteria as far as I can tell. I am familiar with the company and have faith in their products.
Thank you for all you do to bring healthy living to the attention of so many people!
The maltodextrin from NOW acerola powder is nonGMO last I checked. That said, I prefer other brands like Pure Radiance C that don’t have any maltodextrin at all. https://www.radiantlifecatalog.com/product/pure-radiance-c/vitamin-complexes/?a=58537