Subscribe to EcoWatch's Top News of the day By Sharon MoalemMice do it, cats do it, dogs do it and even elephants do it. For some unknown reason humans and our primate cousins (and, yes, guinea pigs, too) are the only mammals that cannot make their own vitamin C. While the rest of the mammalian world happily and effortlessly takes glucose and turns it into vitamin C, we have been condemned to get ours from food alone.ShutterstockWe actually still have the same gene used by other animals to make vitamin C from glucose (in humans it's called GULOP)—it's just that our version looks genetically like someone cut out parts of it to make a paper napkin snowflake. This means that no matter how hard our DNA and body try, we're not going to be making vitamin C anytime soon. It's also one of the major limitations on our species' ability to travel long distances without a fresh supply from food.We haven't figured out a way to fix the GULOP gene yet and so until then you are completely dependent on consuming this key vitamin to shelter you from the damage caused by oxidative stress to your body.
Thanks to advanced research studies, we now know that certain genes some people inherited also make them require more vitamin C because these genes don't work as well to prevent oxidative damage that can then harm their tissue and DNA.So to get your necessary daily dosage of vitamin C daily—90 milligrams for men, 75 milligrams for women—reach for these surprising foods: Adapted from The DNA Restart.This article was reposted with permission from our media associate Rodale Wellness. 6 Vegan Alternatives to Honey 14 Health Benefits of Eating Dark Chocolate California Judge Rules Against Monsanto, Allows Cancer Warning on Roundup International Women's Day: These Women Are Winning the Fight Against Industrial Agriculture Detroit's Death Wish Comes Roaring Back as Trump Vows to Lower Emission Standards Trump Lied: Keystone XL Now Allowed to Be Built Using Imported Steel 5 Ways Trump Continues His Assault on People and Planet House Passes Bill to Ban Fracking in Maryland
Elon Musk Tweets Offer to Fix Australia's Energy Crisis in 100 Days Fossil Fuel Defendants Join Trump in Move to Appeal Kid's Groundbreaking Climate Lawsuit Scientists Link Fracking to Explosion That Severely Injured Texas Family Judge Threatens to Sanction Monsanto for Secrecy in Roundup Cancer LawsuitsActivated C Food Complex Whole-Food Cultured Vitamin C for Immune Support*Available in 60, 90 and 180 tablet sizesMade with organic vegetables and herbsProbiotic-Cultured NutrientsCan be taken on an empty stomach Search for a retailer near you: CLICK HERECLICK HERECLICK HERECLICK HERECLICK HERECLICK HERECLICK HERE product information for activated c food complexDelivers essential nutrients in a safe and active form within the infinite complexity of food. Activated C Food Complex contains whole-food cultured Vitamin C along with Elderberry and organic Astragalus to support healthy immune function.* Whole-food cultured Vitamin C combats oxidative stress and supports normal cell growth with complementary organic Chamomile, organic Schizandra and Elderberry.*Probiotic-cultured nutrients provide a broad spectrum of phytonutrients and ferment metabolites, including isoflavones and beta-glucans.*Once-daily formula is easy to take and can be taken anytime—even on an empty stomach!
GLUTEN FREECertified Organic by International Certification Services, Inc., Medina, ND, USACan be taken anytime, even on an empty stomach. Supplement Facts Amount per 1 Tablet % Daily Value Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid from culture media) 250 mg 417% Stress and Energy Support Blend (from culture media)Organic Schizandra (berry), Organic Maca (root), Organic Chamomile (flower) 37.5 mg • Immune Support Blend (from culture media)European Elder (berry) Extract, Organic Eleuthero (root), Organic Astragalus (root) 30 mg • Ginger (rhizome) hydroethanolic extract 0.8 mg • Organic Turmeric (rhizome) powder (from culture media) 0.68 mg • Organic Ginger (rhizome) supercritical extract 0.2 mg • Organic Turmeric (rhizome) supercritical extract 0.2 mg • • Daily value not established Other ingredients: Culture media (organic soy flour [including isoflavones], organic gum acacia, organic Saccharomyces cerevisiae [active and inactive, including beta-glucans], organic orange peel powder, lactic acid bacteria [L. acidophilus, B. bifidum, L. rhamnosus], papain [deactivated], bromelain [deactivated] and organic molasses), organic gum acacia, silicon dioxide, lac resin, carnauba wax and maltodextrin.
Contains: Fermented soy and fermented wheat (as food source for Saccharomyces cerevisiae).†† The wheat has been processed to allow this food to meet the Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) requirements for gluten-free foods.no artificial flavors or colors.Caution: As with any dietary or herbal supplement, you should advise your healthcare practitioner of the use of this product. If you are nursing, pregnant, or considering pregnancy, you should consult your healthcare practitioner prior to using this product. There are no reviews. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.Please call our toll free number to discuss ordering. 7:30 am - 10:00 pm CST Mon-Fri 8:00 am - 8:00 pm CST Sat-SunJust like skin, the condition of your hair is an outward sign of inside health. The cells that make up each strand of hair require a regular supply of key nutrients.Many 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.