We all know to reach for vitamin C when seasonal bugs become more common. After all, its long been touted as an immune booster, and for good reason: vitamin C's protecting superpowers have been well documented. But did you know that it's also an A-list antioxidant and skin enhancer?
Vitamin C supplements have a number of other surprising skills — and it matters whether the vitamin C comes from chemicals or from plants. To help you appreciate the full range of what it can do for your health, let’s take a look at the many benefits of vitamin C, the difference between synthetic and natural vitamin C, and the best sources of this mighty vitamin.
TOP 12 HEALTH BENEFITS OF VITAMIN C
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is probably most popular for supporting seasonal respiratory wellness. But there's so much more to this well-loved vitamin. Check out these 12 remarkable ways vitamin C can support you and your well-being.
1. Collagen
Vitamin C is required for the synthesis of collagen, which is not only great for healthy skin but is an important structural component of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and bone.
2. Mood
Vitamin C supports the natural and healthy production of feel-good chemicals to support healthy mood levels.
3. Energy
Vitamin C is necessary for healthy energy production. It does this on a cellular level by supporting the beneficial process of turning fat into energy.
4. Brain Health
The brain requires a regular supply of vitamin C to stay healthy. It will literally steal vitamin C from other parts of your body—that’s how important it is for supporting healthy neuron development and neurotransmitter production.
5. Memory & Cognition
As you get older, higher vitamin C levels in your body may support healthy memory and cognitive function.
6. Blood Flow
As an antioxidant, vitamin C supports healthy blood vessel integrity for your heart and whole body.
7. Histamine
Histamine is a reactive compound produced by your body in response to an irritant or allergen and is involved in allergies. Vitamin C can offer support to help stabilize healthy histamine levels.
8. Exercise Recovery
As an antioxidant, vitamin C can mitigate free radicals caused by exercise, thereby supporting a healthier recovery.
9. Enzyme Cofactor
Vitamin C contributes to many important and healthy enzyme reactions. These reactions lead to your body’s unique natural manufacturing of many beneficial compounds, such as norepinephrine, carnitine, amino acids, and several important hormones.
10. Blood Pressure
With key antioxidant support for blood vessels from head to toe, Vitamin C can help maintain healthy blood pressure balance, which supports both cardiovascular health and overall health.
11. Iron Absorption
Iron is an essential nutrient that helps red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. But even if you eat an iron-rich diet, you may not be getting enough because iron is hard to absorb. Vitamin C, though, helps your body absorb even more iron from your food.
12. Immune Health
Last but not least, research supports the use of vitamin C to support a healthy immune response during cold & flu season, especially when the body is under extra stress.
Sources of Vitamin C: Food and Supplements
Vitamin C is truly a superstar among vitamins. And here’s a little-known fact: humans are one of the very few mammals (along with guinea pigs and monkeys) that cannot manufacture vitamin C in our own bodies.
If we can’t make it on our own, where do we get vitamin C? Two sources: food and supplements.
Foods rich in vitamin C include strawberries, broccoli, papaya, citrus fruits, red and green peppers, kale, brussels sprouts, and most fruits. And then there are the superfoods like camu camu, acerola cherries, and amla berries, that carry high concentrations of vitamin C.
Vitamin C is often manufactured in a lab. In the 1930s, Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Dr. Szent-Gyorgyi discovered ascorbic acid and figured out how to synthetically replicate this naturally occurring molecule. Today, the majority vitamin C used in supplements is chemically produced as ascorbic acid (often derived from genetically modified corn sugar). This substance can also be further modified using minerals like calcium and magnesium to dampen its acidity and reduce digestive side effects.
Natural Vs. Synthetic Sources of Vitamin C
While there might be a time and place for these types of synthetic vitamin C products, there’s a caveat. Vitamin C in these laboratory-produced forms is an “isolate.” This means that, unlike in food, vitamin C is hanging out all by its lonesome. In nature, vitamins never exist as single components that act in isolation. Instead, they work together in synergy with other important plant compounds to nourish and protect the body and produce the desired health benefits.
The nourishing fruit and plant-based compounds that accompany natural vitamin C play a very important role. There’s the flavonoids called quercetin, rutin and hesperidin—the trio often found in tangy citrus fruits. There’s anthocyanins and proanthocyanins—the darlings of darkly pigmented berries. And this is just the tip of the iceberg; there are dozens and dozens of these remarkable compounds that support the body.
Although isolated and chemically produced vitamin C has value as an antioxidant, research clearly shows the importance of whole, natural sources of vitamin C. Unfortunately, too many supplements are made from synthetic vitamin C, which means our bodies are missing out on the full potential of this amazing vitamin.
That’s where Pure Radiance C comes in. Made with organic whole foods, including super-charged camu camu and acerola cherries, our supplement offers the best of this vitamin.
Pure Radiance C: A Natural Supplement
Organic vitamin C is a powerful compound and essential for life. It helps protect our cells, skin, hearts, immune systems, and more. Load up on foods that are rich in natural vitamin C, which contain a cornucopia of flavonoids and other nutrients that support optimal health.
When it comes to supplementation for everyday wellness support, Pure Radiance C is an organic vitamin C supplement derived from natural whole-food sources. Research clearly shows there’s a powerful synergy in the real thing. Nature knows best.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
