Whole food vitamin C versus Vitamin C supplements: which is better?

Maybe put the pill down

Vitamin C is a critical nutrient and powerful antioxidant that we cannot make in our bodies, and must get from food. Flu season is upon us, which means you might be looking for more than what fruits and veggies can provide, so you reach for the supplement. Is that the right move, though?

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Whole Food Vitamin C

Whole food vitamin C merely describes the vitamin C found in food. Foods with some of the highest amounts of vitamin C include acerola cherries, peppers, lemons, berries, and oranges.

Synthetic Vitamin C

Most supplement versions of vitamin C are purely ascorbic acid. It is typically made from corn, which usually shocks some people to hear.

Which is better?

Is one healthier than the other? You might be wondering this. In short, whole food vitamin C is better because it also contains all the benefits that eating whole plant foods has. When you eat a kiwi, you not only get vitamin C, but fiber, additional vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants. You don’t get these perks in supplement form. Most people also don’t need any more than 100-200 mg of Vitamin C per day, which is easily attainable if you eat a couple fruits and veggies everyday.

Studies consistently show that the body will recognize and process the ascorbic acid in a supplement and food similarly, but the supplement is only one part of the whole picture. This is why opting for food sources is best.

Additionally, there isn’t a real use in taking a bunch of vitamin C at once through supplements because orally ingested vitamin C will simply be excreted via urine once your body has enough.

When vitamin C could be a healer

There’s ample research to support that vitamin C be used for the treatment of sepsis and wound healing in the setting of critical illness, as such needs may increase.

Studies are also beginning to look more and more at IV vitamin C being a supportive care measure for cancer. Some studies have shown benefit while others have not shown clinically significant findings. However, there isn’t nearly as much research as there should be on the subject. It’s definitely worth exploring more so that there can be clinical standards put in place to support oncology patients and strengthen their care, if there’s enough research to back it up.

Summary

You’re probably better off with just eating whole fruits and vegetables. You will not only get vitamin C, but you will get additional nutrients that a supplement would not provide you. Vitamin C is a heavily studied nutrient, particularly with general health maintenance and certain critical illness states.

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It is not so much well-studied as a form of healing or treatment in cancer, although some health gurus swear by it. To strengthen clinical knowledge, more research would be great.