THE PLANT-BASED VITAMIN C

Walk into a chemist, pharmacy or health food shop and you’ll see shelves full of vitamins. The range is enormous, and almost every brand claims to be “natural”. But what are the actual differences when it comes to vitamin C, and what should you look out for? There are several choices to make. Do I want a plant-based vitamin C or a synthetic vitamin C?

SYNTHETIC VITAMIN C

Examples of synthetic vitamin C include:

• ascorbic acid

• calcium ascorbate (Ester-C)

• magnesium ascorbate

Most of the isolated forms used today are synthetically produced. They are made in a pharmaceutical laboratory and have little to do with the complexity and wholeness of Mother Nature. Most synthetic vitamin C products provide 1000 mg per tablet. Ascorbic acid is made from glucose (a sugar).

PLANT-BASED VITAMIN C

Examples of truly plant-based vitamin C include:

• Camu Camu

• Amla

• Acerola

• Rosehip

Do you see the difference in naming compared with synthetic forms? The key difference is that plant-based sources provide not only vitamin C, but also hundreds of other nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids, enzymes and bioflavonoids. The body recognises these substances, resulting in maximum absorption and effectiveness.