A closer look at Vitamin C

Vitamin C might just be the most well known of the Vitamins. We know to dose up if we are worried we might be getting ill, we know that glass of orange juice will be doing something good for those Vit C levels and most of us have heard of scurvy, the old time disease of sailors who weren’t getting enough Vit C.

Little side note and mini history lesson : When James Lind, a surgeon’s mate in the 18th century, witnessed the dreadful effects of scurvy he ran the first recorded clinical trial in an attempt to find a cure. He separated the sick crew into pairs and gave each group one of the different cures that had been proposed over the years. The sufferers who were given lime juice recovered. It took 42 years after Lind published his findings for lemon juice to be officially issued by the Navy.[1] Once Lind’s discovery was accepted, the Royal Navy began to distribute limes to sailors on long journeys to ensure they would have enough Vitamin C.

OK back to the science. Being a holistic medicine, acupuncture works best by also managing your diet to keep balance. So why is Vitamin C, ascorbic acid, so important?  One of its attributes is as an antioxidant and these are molecules that boost the immune system. They do so by protecting cells from harmful molecules called free radicals.[2] Free radicals are compounds that can cause harm if their levels become too high in your body. Vitamin C has also been shown to reduce the incidence of certain cancers.[3]

Humans, unlike most animals, are unable to make vitamin C, so it is an essential dietary component. It is found in citrus fruit, such as oranges and orange juice, peppers, strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, brussel sprouts and potatoes.[4] To function effectively as an antioxidant, relatively high levels of this vitamin must be maintained in the body.

Vitamin C is also really important for the absorption on iron. [5] So if you are struggling with an iron deficiency, supplementing Vitamin C as well as iron is going to be important and always the recommendation for these patients.

Due to the instability of vitamin C, it can be lost during cooking, hence why your morning lemon water should be warm from the tap and not boiling from the kettle. Temperature actually has a serious negative effect at over 60 degrees Centigrade. [6] Combined with its relatively poor intestinal absorption and ready excretion from the body, the physiological availability of this vitamin is quite low.[7]  According to Web MD it is just not practical for most people to consume the required servings of fruits and vegetables needed on a consistent basis, whereas taking a once-daily supplement is safe, effective, and easy to do. Nevertheless it may still be difficult to absorb sufficient quantities and high intakes can lead to diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal cramps, and other gastrointestinal disturbances. [8]

Another way to take Vitamin C is in liposomes; liposomal Vitamin C.  Liposomes are tiny vesicles that are created from the exact same material that cellular membranes are made of. Perhaps the most characteristic example of a liposome that occurs naturally is human breast milk. Because of their natural origin and their simple, yet genius structure, liposomes are superior to any other form of conventional oral drug delivery system.[9] It has been shown in a number of studies that there is a more effective delivery of Vitamin C into the blood stream using it encapsulated in liposomes.[7, 10, 11, 12] There are numerous places to buy lisposomal Vitamin C and whilst it may be a little more costly than basic Vitamin C tablets the research shows the more of this important vitamin will be absorbed.  Even with these little bubbles packed with Vitamin C doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still eat your greens though!

1.    https://www.imarcresearch.com/blog/bid/340950/1747-James-Lind

2.   https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-c-benefits

3. Free Radicals, Antioxidants in Disease and Health. Pham-Puy et al. Int J Biomed Sci Vol .4 No. 2 June 2008

4. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-c/

5. Interaction of vitamin C and iron. Lynch SR and Cook JD. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1980 355: 32-44

6. Degradation of vitamins probiotics and other active ingredients cause by exposure to heat, water and sunlight. Nutraceutical Business Review Aug 2018

7. Liposomal-encapsulated Ascorbic Acid: Influence on Vitamin C Bioavailibility and Capacity to Protect Against Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury. Davis et al. Nutrition and Metabolic Insights2016:925-30

8. https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-benefits-of-vitamin-c#1

9.  https://www.goldmanlaboratories.com/en/blog/liposome-n12

10. Enhanced Resorption of Liposomal Packed Vitamin C Monitored by Ultrasound. Prantl et al. J.Clin. Med. 2020,9,1616; doi:10.3390/jcm9061616

11. Evaluation and clinical comparison studies on liposomal and non-liposomal ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and their enhanced bioavailability. Gopi S. And Balakrishnan P. Journal of Lisposome Research Vol. 31 2021 Issue 4

12. Liposomal and Non-Liposomal Formulations of Vitamin C Comparison of the Antihypertensive and Vascular Modifying Activity in Renovascular Hypertensive Rats. Khalili et al. Iran J Med Sci Vol 45, No 1, January 20