▲ When the price of the same item fluctuates greatly, there must be a lot of articles behind it.
Director Online Press +
Simply supplementing a single vitamin cannot maximize nutritional value. Paying attention to a balanced diet with various nutrients and eating more fruits and vegetables is the best. The synergistic effect of vitamins is better, and the body’s functions can perform at their best, so eat well.
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Please give me a bottle of Vitamin C
There are effervescent tablets, chewable tablets, gummies…
That day, after a meal of yellow braised chicken, I woke up the next day feeling a burning pain on my upper lip. I realized I needed to supplement with Vitamin C. I glanced at apples priced at 5.8 yuan per jin at the supermarket and immediately turned to the pharmacy. Indeed, taking Vitamin C tablets directly is simpler and more straightforward.
“Please give me a bottle of Vitamin C.”
The clerk quickly took a jar that looked like a happy growth flower jar from the top shelf and placed it in front of me. “This is a pure natural extract, fruit-flavored chewable Vitamin C, chew six tablets a day, this bottle is 68…”
“Not this one, I want that small bottle.”
“We only have this kind of medicine to supplement Vitamin C, and there’s another one for 98, chew it a day…”
“No, I mean the white bottle with a dosage of 100mg of medicinal Vitamin C.”
“That kind of Vitamin C shouldn’t be taken casually; you should take the one I recommend.”
Unable to withstand this roundabout negotiation, I cut to the chase.
“I want that Vitamin C that costs 2 yuan a bottle.”
The clerk rummaged through the bottom shelf for a long time and finally pulled out a small bottle of white tablets. I handed her 2 yuan, and as I turned to leave, I heard her add, “This kind of Vitamin C shouldn’t be taken often, it can harm your body.”
After taking it for two days, my oral ulcer completely healed.
For the speedy recovery of those with oral ulcers, today I want to discuss the efficacy, cost, and ingredients of health supplement Vitamin C versus medicinal Vitamin C.
First, let’s introduce Vitamin C. This is a magical vitamin that, in my view, can do anything and cure all diseases.
This vitamin is essential for a strong immune system, the formation of bones and collagen, energy production, and is also a powerful antioxidant.
It was first discovered because it cured the notorious scurvy, and later its effects were widely discovered and applied.
It is said to be magical because it plays a crucial role in combating various cancers, cardiovascular diseases, as well as common colds and oral ulcers. It helps prevent gum recession and bleeding, prevents arteriosclerosis, protects the body from free radical damage, boosts immunity, and detoxifies.
The national recommended daily allowance (RDA) for Vitamin C is only 60mg, which is just the amount found in one orange. The optimal daily allowance (ODA) is 2000mg, which is a difference of 1800mg, enough to determine two completely different health levels.
For optimal health, the RDA is not enough; the ODA we need is often ten times higher than the RDA. But this greatly helps you maintain vitality and health.
Since 2000mg is equivalent to 22 oranges, it’s clear that most people cannot eat that many oranges in a day… so taking additional Vitamin C supplements is necessary, as it will at least make your body more energetic.
Because of this reason, the health supplement market has started to make a big fuss, and Vitamin C supplements vary widely. If you pay attention, you will find effervescent tablets, chewable tablets, pills, and even gummy forms of Vitamin C. The price fluctuates greatly, ranging from 19.9 to 118 yuan, not including my 2 yuan a bottle Vitamin C.
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When the price of the same item fluctuates greatly
there must be a lot of articles behind it
First of all, medicine is certainly not tasty. The same goes for Vitamin C; it is also known as ascorbic acid. Looking at the molecular structure of VC, it has four hydroxyl groups (OH) connected to carbon. The covalent bonds between CO are relatively tight and not easily broken; while H is more likely to separate from O and hydrolyze. The higher the concentration of H ions in the solution, the more acidic it becomes.
So, this thing, if taken directly, can be said to be sour to the point of making one’s face contort.
How can something that is so sour it’s hard to swallow actually be made into chewable tablets that are orange-flavored, tasting like candy? How is that possible?
01. Chewable Vitamin C Tablets:
▲ The ingredient list of a certain Vitamin C chewable tablet.
In addition to the main Vitamin C, there are additives like maltodextrin, orange flavoring, silicon dioxide, and lemon yellow that make it chewable. This means that in products close to 100 yuan, these additives account for about 80% of the content.
However, this is considered relatively honest; although it’s a bit expensive, each tablet still contains 100mg of Vitamin C, the same amount as pure Vitamin C tablets. (Although it is at least five times larger than a pure Vitamin C tablet.)
02. Vitamin C Gummies
As for these so-called Vitamin C gummies, they are really just a jar of candy, containing only 100mg of Vitamin C per 100g. This 100g has dozens of candies, which is less than what a small 3g Vitamin C tablet contains.
After finishing this 100g of candy, you also consume over 80 grams of carbohydrates, equivalent to a meal.
03. Vitamin C Effervescent Tablets
As for effervescent tablets, the description is indeed very persuasive, and it is true. But with the time spent dissolving this in water, wouldn’t it be better to eat an orange?
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Reasons to Choose Oranges
1. Absorption
The easiest to absorb Vitamin C.
2. Safety
Vitamin C that can be taken by the whole family, easy to take, good taste, suitable for children, the elderly, and those who have difficulty swallowing tablets can drink it as juice.
3. Portability
Oranges are small in size, easy to carry and transport, very suitable for business people and travelers.
4. Efficacy
Meets the daily Vitamin C requirement for the human body. I could also add “natural” and “healthy,” and it’s a good medicine again. Replacing it with Vitamin C tablets is essentially just a universal template.
Most of these Vitamin C products are classified as health supplements, while the Vitamin C sold in pharmacies has the drug label, indicating that it has therapeutic effects on diseases and is legal to have this label, so the review process is very strict, and it is almost not allowed to have additives unrelated to treatment mixed in.
Therefore, the ingredients of health supplement Vitamin C and medicinal Vitamin C are completely different. Health supplements are just foods with added Vitamin C, while medicinal Vitamin C is precisely Vitamin C down to the molecular structure.
So if you really just want to supplement Vitamin C, it is recommended to buy the Vitamin C with a drug label from the pharmacy. If it’s for gifts or just for fun… as long as you’re happy.
Why do health supplement Vitamin C products sell so well? One reason is that the public is unaware; these supplements are inherently vague in their effects. Without obvious symptoms, if you say that taking chewable tablets makes your immunity stronger or your skin whiter, I have no way to refute that. The primary role of health supplements is psychological.
The reason why clerks at pharmacies always recommend the more expensive Vitamin C is that the higher the price, the higher their commission. What commission can there be for a 2 yuan Vitamin C tablet? Of course, they don’t want to recommend it to you. Another reason is that taking large amounts of Vitamin C can lead to toxicity. Due to the high concentration of medicinal Vitamin C, one tablet contains 100mg of Vitamin C, so clerks might think taking this directly is unsafe.
However, in general, only taking more than 5g of Vitamin C at once, which is 5000mg, that is, 50 tablets of medicinal Vitamin C, can lead to toxicity. Who would take that many Vitamin C tablets for no reason…
As for health supplement Vitamin C, one tablet might not even contain 80mg, and since these health supplements are so expensive, people are reluctant to take several tablets at once…
In summary, Vitamin C is a good thing. Even if you’re not sick, supplementing a bit more is very beneficial. However, if you buy very expensive health supplement Vitamin C that has added a lot of colorings and flavorings, supplementing just a little Vitamin C while consuming a lot of additives would be counterproductive.
So what is the difference between the 98 yuan Vitamin C and the 2 yuan Vitamin C? What are the gaps between the same items? To summarize:
First, the difference lies in the additives such as colorings, gels, white sugar, starch, etc., which have nothing to do with health, and secondly, there’s a 96 yuan intelligence tax.
For supplementing Vitamin C—50-100mg per day. I usually take one tablet a day, and sometimes it doesn’t matter if I forget; if I have an oral ulcer, I will take two tablets until I recover.
For treating Vitamin C deficiency—300-600mg per day, which is not common.
It is best to eat more fruits and vegetables, as the synergistic effect of vitamins is better. Simply supplementing a single vitamin cannot maximize nutritional value. Paying attention to a balanced diet with various nutrients is essential for the best performance of bodily functions, so eat well.