In recent years, various Vitamin C products have become popular in the market, with many businesses promoting the benefits of Vitamin C, which plays an important role in everything from cardiovascular diseases to colds, oral ulcers, and even beauty and skincare.
However, the natural Vitamin C that businesses highly advocate can cost hundreds for a small bottle. What is the difference between this and the Vitamin C that costs just a few yuan? Is natural Vitamin C really better than synthetic Vitamin C?
01What is the Role of Vitamin C?
Vitamin C (Vitamin C) is also known as “ascorbic acid” and is an essential nutrient for the human body. A long-term deficiency of Vitamin C can lead to scurvy, causing gum bleeding, tooth loss, skin problems, and in severe cases, can be life-threatening.
Image Source: Visual China
During the Age of Exploration hundreds of years ago, many sailors died at sea from a disease called scurvy, which was later found to be due to a lack of Vitamin C, hence Vitamin C was named “ascorbic acid”.
02Do We Need to Supplement Vitamin C?
According to survey data from China, the average daily intake of Vitamin C for residents aged 65 and above is 71.8 mg, with a median level of 59.5 mg/day; adults aged 18 to 35 have an average daily intake of 56.41 mg/day, while the recommended healthy intake for the human body is 100 mg/day.
It can be seen that many people have insufficient Vitamin C intake, mainly due to not eating enough fruits and vegetables.
Therefore, consuming an appropriate amount of Vitamin C daily is not harmful and may even be beneficial, as Vitamin C is water-soluble and has a relatively high safety profile.
03Natural vs. Synthetic: What is the Difference?
There are many Vitamin C products on the market, some costing two or three yuan per bottle, while those costing two or three hundred yuan usually claim to be natural and more effective. So, is there really a difference between natural Vitamin C and synthetic Vitamin C?
In fact, from the perspective of human supplementation of Vitamin C, there is fundamentally no difference between natural Vitamin C and synthetic Vitamin C.
Firstly, from a structural standpoint, natural Vitamin C and synthetic Vitamin C have the same chemical structure; they only differ in their sources. Natural Vitamin C is extracted from food, while synthetic Vitamin C is manufactured using artificial synthesis methods to produce vitamins with the same components.
Many people believe that synthetic Vitamin C uses chemical reagents; however, extracting Vitamin C from plants also requires chemical reagents. Moreover, Vitamin C is a chemical substance, and the human body is composed of various chemical substances; water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and all other substances are chemical substances. There is no need to be overly alarmed by chemical substances; they are ubiquitous and essential for the human body.
Secondly, in terms of function, natural Vitamin C and synthetic Vitamin C are completely identical. Vitamin C itself is a chemical substance, whether it is chemically synthesized, produced through fermentation, or extracted from natural foods, as long as the structure is the same, the function is entirely the same.
Research has compared the effects of natural Vitamin C and synthetic Vitamin C, summarizing analyses from both animal and human study models, and the result is that there is no difference in the nutritional effects of natural Vitamin C and synthetic Vitamin C on the human body.
In reality, the biggest difference between natural Vitamin C and synthetic Vitamin C is the price; natural Vitamin C is generally more expensive, while Vitamin C that costs 2 yuan per bottle is already sufficiently good.
04How to Supplement Vitamin C?
■ Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables contain the most Vitamin C. According to dietary guidelines, eating 500 grams of vegetables and 250 grams of fruits daily can provide sufficient Vitamin C. For example, vegetables like bell peppers, kale, pea shoots, and cauliflower, and fruits like jujubes, winter jujubes, kiwis, hawthorn, and strawberries are all rich in Vitamin C, so it is advisable to consume more of them.
Vegetables and fruits not only contain Vitamin C but also carotenoids, Vitamin E, B vitamins, iron, zinc, and various vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Many nutritional studies have found that eating more fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of various chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
■ Take Vitamin C supplements appropriately
If you are concerned that the Vitamin C obtained from fruits and vegetables is insufficient, you can take 100-200 mg of Vitamin C supplements daily, but there is no need to take more than that.
■ Supplement in moderation, do not exceed the limit
It is worth noting that whether it is natural Vitamin C or synthetic Vitamin C, taking more is not necessarily better; excessive intake is also detrimental to health.
The maximum tolerable intake of Vitamin C for adults is 2000 mg per day, but if taken in such large amounts for a long time, it may increase the risk of urinary system stones. Therefore, it is recommended not to exceed this amount.
Do you know which foods are high in Vitamin C?
How do you usually supplement Vitamin C?
Feel free to share in the comments!
Cover Image: Visual ChinaSource: CCTV News, Science Popularization ChinaEditor: Li Jinjing, Lan Mingyue
Duty Review: Huang Yue, Wang Dongmei
Supervision: He Li, Tu Shanmao
General Supervisor: Yu Miao
Sponsored by: Yongchuan District Committee Propaganda Department, Yongchuan District Government News Office
