[Vitamin C Episode 4] Should I Eat Vitamin C Naturally? | Dr. Esther Yeo

Vitamin C can be both natural and synthetic. Each has a different position of support. The group that emphasizes synthetic vitamin C emphasizes research showing that vitamin C does not differ in its benefits, such as bioavailability, whether synthetic or natural. It is clearly different from vitamins A and E, which emphasize naturalness. It is wrong to say that vitamin C is synthesized from coal tar, which is a by-product of making petroleum. This is related to the process of making some vitamin supplements, such as B vitamins, and has nothing to do with vitamin C. Today, vitamin C is usually synthesized by fermenting glucose from corn or potatoes. That's why those who emphasize synthesis emphasize that even synthetic vitamin C is made from plant-based sources.

However, those who emphasize natural criticize the claim that vitamin C = ascorbic acid. In addition to ascorbic acid, vitamin C must be combined with various forms of plant components such as flavonoids and coenzymes to be effective. Vitamin C is also a natural vitamin supplement that is as close to the form of food as possible. Natural vitamin C formulations are made from real fruits, such as acerola and lemons, and are packaged in pills. Naturally, the cost is high, and the size of the pills is large, making it difficult to swallow. Best of all, natural vitamin C has too little of the actual vitamin C in a single pill. Low purity is one of the disadvantages of natural vitamin preparations.