Ascorbic Acid or Calcium Ascorbate Calcium ascorbate and ascorbic acid are both forms of vitamin C. Calcium ascorbate, being alkaline forming in the blood, will alkalize the blood; where ascorbic acid, being acid forming in the blood, will acidify the blood. It is absolutely necessary that the venous blood ph be maintained in the very close proximity pH of 7.46. Anything below this would be acid; anything above this would be alkaline. Why is it necessary to have your pH be around 7.46? This is the ideal pH which optimal absorption and utilization of enzymes and trace nutrients takes place. If your pH is too far off one way or another, you will not be able to properly metabolize these precious nutrients. A practical example that happens is when I do nutritional reinforcement for cancer patients. Generally cancer patients venous blood is alkaline. I find most of these patients are taking the ascorbate form of vitamin C, which is further alkalizing their blood. This means they are not able to utilize many of their enzymes or trace nutrients.
Certain vitamins and minerals are either acid or alkaline forming in the blood. The scope of this report is to just focus on vitamin C. When the conversion is made to further acidify their blood, higher energy is usually observed. This is true for mostly everyone. Most people are confused about the pH systems of our body. When the urine pH is acid, the blood is generally alkaline and vice versa. Taking a pH reading of your urine after a fifteen-hour fast will give some indication of the acid alkalinity of your blood. Type A personalities, lean people, and compulsive behavior are individuals with alkaline blood. If your nature is to gain weight easily, hard to wake up in the morning, and be less disciplined, you are probably an acid blood type. Acid blood people have to snack in between meals. These are all generalities. The best way of determining your blood type is by biochemical testing which is done by a number of us. In conclusion, you should now have a good idea which Vitamin C is right for certain individuals.
You should now understand why the pH is so critical for optimal health. It might even be possible now for you to figure out which Vitamin C is right for you.It is true that studies have shown so-called Ester-C® will enter cells faster and therefore less of it is required to ward off scurvy in guinea pigs. However, we are wary of any form of vitamin C that does not match what animals make "naturally" in their livers or kidneys. We agree with Linus Pauling that the true and best form of vitamin C is L-ascorbic Acid (C6H8O6). Patrick Holford, formerly of the British Institute of Optimum Nutrition (ION) tells us how animals make vitamin C, ascorbic acid: According to Robert Cathcart,MD, the physician with vast experience with high dose vitamin C protocols, mineral ascorbates are generally not as effective therapeutically as ascorbic acid: Another of our concerns is balancing the exaggerated hype against the following down-side about the Ester-C manufacturing process, as expressed by people experienced in the field, who wish to remain annonymous:
It is true that Ester-C reaches cells and enters them faster. with ties to the U.S. biological weapons program told us: That is to say there might not be serious conditions where Ester-C is indicated. We have seen an impressive argument for Ester-C in an anti-cancer patent based on the work of former Pauling associate R. Jariwalla. However, since Ester-C also seems to trap vitamin C, and perhaps other toxins in cells, using Ester-C with Chemotherapy is problematic. Some respected authorities are now claiming that L-ascorbic acid is not vitamin C! (However, if this were true, Linus Pauling was wrong, and 80,000 research studies are fatally flawed.) We are unaware that Pauling's HOW TO LIVE LONGER AND FEEL BETTER (1986) treastise on vitamin C contained any errors what so ever! Back to the Vitamin C FoundationMany of us have been trained to think that natural is always better, and perhaps, generally speaking, this is a good rule of thumb to follow. Generally true, however, is not absolutely true.
This fact becomes abundantly clear when looking at vitamins. In past posts we’ve compared the synthetic and natural variations of vitamins A and B, and this week we’ll take a look at vitamin C. Believe it or not, all vitamins, whether they are delivered via a supplement or fortified in food–synthetic or natural– are made in a lab. A synthetic vitamin is one that has been wholly made in a lab, and among them there are two types – those that are molecularly identical to their natural counterpart, and those that are not. Natural vitamins, meanwhile are sourced from plants, fruits, animals, and minerals, and then refined and processed in a lab. To be worthy of the label “natural” a vitamin supplement need contain only 10% plant or fruit derived ingredients. The other 90% could very well be synthetic. The question remains: which is better? To answer that, we’ll need to look at 3 different ways to get vitamin C – via food, via a whole foods supplement, and via a wholly synthetic vitamin.
Vitamin C From Food vs Supplements Most will not be surprised to hear that getting vitamins from our food – if possible – remains best. Yet a September 2013 study published in Nutrients journal had some surprising results on the topic when it comes to Vitamin C: experts gave 36 men 50 mg of Vitamin C either in the form of kiwi, or in supplements containing vitamin C. There were no significant differences in the amounts of vitamin C measured in body fluids and tissues, regardless of the form of vitamin C they took. Two other studies also found no significant difference in absorption rates of supported that natural food sources of vitamin C were not better than synthetic sources. Vitamin C is found in many foods, mostly fruits and veggies, such as: If you eat your 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies, you’re bound to get enough vitamin C, right? The problem is that vitamin C is subject to change when exposed to light, air and heat. So, when our vitamin C-packed foods are cooked, they lose some (and sometimes more than some) of their vitamin C power.
Further, a landmark study published in 2004 in the Journal of American College of Nutrition studied U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional data from both 1950 and 1999 for 43 different vegetables and fruits, finding “reliable declines” in the amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and vitamin C over the past half century. Today’s fruits and veggies were found to contain 30% less vitamin C than your grandparents’ fruits and vegetables. This is not to suggest one forego the fruits and vegetables. Even though many may be less nutrient dense than those from a generation ago, a bite of broccoli still contains not only vitamin C but also vitamin A, calcium, vitamin K, iron, and several other nutrients. Each fruit and vegetable is, in its own way, a multivitamin. Natural vs. Synthetic Vitamin C: Supplements Ascorbic acid is the chemical name for vitamin C and gets that name from the disease it treats – scurvy (a signifies no, and scorbutus is the latin word for scurvy).
Many animals can produce their own vitamin C and so do not need to get it from food, but humans require it as part of our nutrition. It primarily comes in two forms – L-ascorbic acid and D-ascorbic acid. The L variety, which can come in both natural (found in fruits and vegetables, and also whole food vitamins) and synthetic forms (found in most other supplements), is synonymous with vitamin C and carries all its benefits, while the D carries identical antioxidant properties but not the vitamin C content of L and is not used in any form of vitamin supplement.* Between the natural and synthetic varieties of L-ascorbic acid there are no known differences in how they affect The l-ascorbic acid found in an orange is the same l-ascorbic acid found in a whole food vitamin C tablet is the same as the l-ascorbic acid found in a gummy multivitamin you bought at Walgreens. Their vitamin C content is all chemically and molecularly identical. D-ascorbic acid, meanwhile, does not exist in nature and, though chemically identical to its counterparts, is molecularly different.
It is this molecular difference that makes D-ascorbic acid impossible to be synthesized by your body and unusable in a vitamin supplement. Ascorbic acid supplements may cause an upset stomach in a few people. For these, “mineral ascorbate” forms of ascorbic acid may be recommended. These alternate forms are buffered, less acidic, and potentially easier on the stomach. Research, however, is inconclusive as to whether or not these alternate forms of vitamin C upset the stomach any less than ascorbic acid for those who are sensitive (if ascorbic acid is causing difficulty for you, your healthcare practitioner can help you find the right solution). Vitamin C and Your Health It is relatively rare to be outright deficient in vitamin C, and the problem seems to be getting better — according to the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), covering the period 1988 to 1994, 13% of the US population was found to be vitamin C deficient. According to the CDC’s analysis of the fourth NHANES report covering the period up to 2004, vitamin C status improved, and the prevalence of vitamin C deficiency was significantly lower.