WHAT TYPE OF VITAMIN C IS BEST ABSORBED?

Cold or flu season is all over these days, so we need to stock up on a substantial amount of vitamin C supplements. This is because it is supposed to be the best natural way to keep sickness at a bayThis vitamin is known to boost our immune system. Also, it’s a very powerful natural antioxidant with a lot of other benefits, including suppressing inflammation.

Our body is unable to produce vitamin C itself. Therefore we need to take vitamin C from external sources like diet or supplementation

The following considerations regarding the types of vitamin C will definitely help you to choose the best supplements for your health:

Vitamin C is present in nature in many forms. It is present either in a pure form or is bonded to minerals forming "ascorbate" compounds. The following are the common types of vitamin C supplements available in the market:

Ascorbic acid

To be more specific, L-ascorbic and L-ascorbate is the best available supplementary form of vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is the purest form of vitamin C. It displays the highest bioavailability among all the other forms. This means that it gets readily absorbed into our body via the bloodstream.

Sodium ascorbate

Pure L- ascorbic acid can become acidic for some individuals' stomachs and may cause heartburn and uneasiness. In such cases, one must opt for an ascorbic acid that is bonded to a sodium molecule. This minimises the consequent acidity very effectively. However, one who is suffering from high blood pressure issues, must not consume this form of vitamin C as it may raise his/her blood sodium levels, thereby further increasing the blood pressure.

Calcium ascorbate

In this supplementary form of vitamin C, the vitamin is present as a compound in bond with calcium. Such a formulation also helps in neutralising associated acidity like sodium ascorbate. Calcium ascorbate is an ideal choice for the ones who have extra-sensitive stomachs, have compromised gut health, or can't tolerate other forms of this micronutrient.

Other mineral ascorbates

In the market, you can find a lot of vitamin C formulations with ascorbic acid bound to various essential minerals like in multivitamins. These minerals can be magnesium, zinc, chromium, manganese, or molybdenum. However, when you purchase any such mineral-bound ascorbate form (including sodium and calcium), one must pay attention to its label to analyse the mineral content you are going to take in. This is because the amount to be ingested should not exceed the recommended daily allowance of that particular mineral.

Types of Vitamin C supplements based on formulation

Vitamin C supplements are available in the following different forms majorly: 

• Pills (tablets and capsules)
• Chewables
• Lozenges
• Powders
• Sustained-release capsules
• Liposomal gels/softgels

Among all the above-listed forms, one must go for liposomal preparations either in gel or softgel form. This is because of the following listed benefits which make this option stand superior among the rest:

• Being enclosed in Lipid spheres, vitamin C remains intact in any kind of gut medium (varying pH & enzymes) and outsmarts degradation before absorption.
• Shows enhanced absorption and bioavailability (up to 95%) in comparison to other formulations of this vitamin.
• Have the capability to dissolve in blood bloodstream. So, it can substitute Intravenous Vitamin C administration for high doses. Therefore, discomfort associated with the IV intake of vitamin C can be prevented.
• Can be taken for high doses also without undergoing associated abdominal distress.
• Also provides essential phospholipids that are needed during cell repair processes in our body.
• Helps in preventing Vitamin C exposure to atmospheric oxidation and therefore, the vitamin's antioxidant character can be retained for a longer time, unlike powder vitamin C forms.