If there’s one key staple that belongs in everyone’s home health supply kit, it’s vitamin C. Useful year-round, this vitamin stands in a league of its own.
Unfortunately, vitamin C is often overlooked for newer, trendier supplements. This renowned vitamin continues to prove its worth, and the research backing its potential benefits only grows each year.
What makes vitamin C so valuable? Considered the “grandfather” of antioxidants, vitamin C plays a dual role in your body – it functions as a powerful antioxidant and acts as an essential nutrient.
Together, these two roles fuel many health benefits, as vitamin C potentially:
- Supports collagen synthesis, an important structural component of your bones, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments and skin.*
- Promotes heart and vascular health.*
- Supports healthy blood pressure levels already within the normal range.*
- Supports immune system function.*
- Helps protect against damaging free radicals.*
- Supports your healthy metabolism.*
- Helps maintain healthy bones and teeth.*
- Aids in healthy eye support.*
- Supports healthy hormone production.*
- Helps promote healthy uric acid metabolism.*
- Helps your body better absorb iron.*
- Supports brain health by aiding the production of neurotransmitters.*
- Boosts the actions of other antioxidants.*
Those are just some of the many benefits and reasons why this potent antioxidant is one you never want to be without.
Why You May Have Low Levels of Vitamin C
While severe deficiencies are rare today, many people have low levels of vitamin C.
According to recent estimates, only 1 in 10 adults eats the recommended amounts of vegetables and fruits.
Because these food groups include the best dietary sources of vitamin C, finding a high-quality supplement is an option worth considering – especially if you belong to any of the groups below:
- Older individuals due to normal absorption challenges associated with aging
- Students and others who may be eating a less varied diet
- Smokers due to increased oxidative stress from cigarette smoke and a decreased ability to absorb vitamin C from foods
- Pregnant and breastfeeding moms due to an increased requirement for vitamin C
- Anyone with an impaired ability to digest and absorb food
Vitamin C – A Powerful Water-Soluble Antioxidant
Antioxidants are your body’s natural mechanism to help neutralize free radicals – those byproducts created when your cells burn fuel for your body’s needs. Free radicals can damage cells and tissues throughout your body.
Research suggests antioxidants support your overall health, especially your heart and immune health.* They may also play a role in helping to reduce some of the symptoms of normal aging.*
There are two types of antioxidants: water-soluble and lipid-soluble. Because each one targets different types of cells and tissues for free radical scavenging, your body needs both:
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Water-soluble antioxidants – Present in your blood, intracellular and extracellular fluids, these include vitamin C, resveratrol, glutathione and catechins.
Lipid-soluble antioxidants – These are found in your cellular membranes and lipoproteins as they protect membranes from lipid peroxidation.* Vitamin E and astaxanthin are two of the most potent examples.
Getting both types of antioxidants from diverse sources is the best way to protect your cells from oxidation, or free radical damage. When taken together, water- and lipid-soluble antioxidants work synergistically, offering powerful support and protection.*
Want to learn more about why antioxidants are so important for your health? Watch this short video…
When it comes specifically to vitamin C, it stands out as a powerful antioxidant because it:
- Is a major "electron donor" in your body’s battle against oxidation.*
- Helps maintain optimal electron flow in your cells.*
- Can help protect vital molecular elements in your body such as proteins and lipids.*
Earlier we explained how vitamin C plays a dual role in your body. Now let’s see how it can potentially affect your heart and vascular health as a nutrient…*
Could a Daily Dose of Vitamin C Provide Support for Your Heart?
No matter your age or physique, regular exercise is key to not only looking and feeling good but also for optimal cellular health and important body functions – there’s no replacement for it.
That said, some of the most exciting research to emerge in recent years about vitamin C suggests this nutrient might be a good way to complement your daily exercise routine for potential heart health benefits.*
In a three-month study of 35 sedentary, overweight or obese adults, researchers tested the effects of vitamin C supplements on blood vessel function. Obese and overweight adults tend to have higher levels of activity of a certain protein that constricts blood vessels, putting them at higher health risk.
About half of the participants did regular aerobic exercise training, such as walking, and the other half took a 500 mg dose of oral vitamin C daily. Measuring markers for the vessel constricting protein activity, the researchers found that both groups responded in a positive manner.*
What may be one of vitamin C’s most important benefits for your heart health are your plasma levels.* Plasma – the fluid and largest part of your blood – takes nutrients, hormones and proteins to the parts of the body that need it.
Eating a vitamin C-rich diet daily or supplementing regularly with vitamin C can potentially raise plasma levels, offering support for your heart and vascular health.*
3 Ways to Give Your Body the Vitamin C It Needs
Unlike most mammals, humans have lost their ability to produce their own vitamin C.
According to world-renowned vitamin C expert, Dr. Ronald Hunninghake, with the exception of humans, primates and guinea pigs, every creature can greatly increase their body’s own production of vitamin C when needed.
The interesting thing is you still have the gene that converts glucose to vitamin C – it’s just not functional. That leaves you on your own to acquire enough vitamin C.
Fortunately, there are three ways to provide your body with the quantities you may need:
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Eat vitamin C-containing vegetables and fruits– This includes cherries, berries, citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, melons, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
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Take an oral vitamin C supplement – There are many, many options available here from a multitude of sources. One challenge with taking an oral vitamin C supplement is that your body typically absorbs only a small percentage of the nutrient.
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Have vitamin C administered intravenously (IV)– Obviously, this requires the services of a health care professional and can be time-consuming, not always practical or affordable.
My favorite natural source of vitamin C is acerola, or Barbados cherries. I have several large acerola cherry trees that produce fruit nine months out of the year.
During the peak season, I harvest more than a gallon of these delicious cherries every day from my organic garden. Each acerola cherry is about the size of a gumball and loaded with about 80 mg of natural vitamin C.
So, why are these cherries so special?
Zero Sugar and 9 Times the Vitamin C as an Orange
The acerola cherry (Malpighia glabra), also known as the Acerola, Barbados cherry, or wild crepe myrtle, is a type of cherry native to the West Indies, Mexico, Central and South America.
Found in abundance throughout the Bahamas and Bermuda as well, the acerola cherry grows on a large shrub or tree with a short trunk exhibiting evergreen, slightly wavy leaves.
Each tree produces up to about 62 lbs. of cherries that offer a sweet-to-tart flavor. The fruit itself grows into a wide shape when it's ready for harvesting. Each cherry contains a bright red, thin skin and comes packed with juice.
Acerola is rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C and anthocyanins. A published study that examined the vitamin C content of fruits like pineapple, araçá, cashew, guava, kiwi, orange, lemon and strawberry, found that acerola packed more of the nutrient than any other fruit (except camu camu).
In addition to having about nine times the amount of vitamin C as a typical orange, acerola is also a rich source of vitamin A, according to published research.
Typical nutrition data associated with a single acerola cherry (1 cm by 1.5 cm) includes:
- Calories – 1
- Fat – 0 g
- Sodium – 0 mg
- Carbs – 0.4 g
- Fiber – 0.1 g
- Sugars – 0 g
- Protein – 0 g
Acerola are not only one of the richest sources of vitamin C and A, but they’re also a healthier choice over other fruits due to their very low sugar content per cherry.
An Organic Acerola Vitamin C Source You Can Trust
![Vitamin C with Acerola]()
If you live in the sub tropics and have the time and available space to grow and harvest your own acerola cherries, then you can certainly take advantage of the potent-packed natural source of vitamin C.
However, this is clearly impractical for most.
So, what’s a healthy alternative?
Finding a good supplement formulated from acerola cherries would seem like a logical next step. But many acerola-based vitamin C supplements are not certified organic and don’t use whole food sources in the formula.
One popular source of whole-food vitamin C used in supplements is amla, also known as gooseberry. However, many of these amla supplements have been found to contain adulterated ingredients added by the manufacturer to save money.
Adulteration of dietary supplements typically involves one of two patterns: economic adulteration, which uses a less expensive ingredient in place of a more expensive one listed on the label, or pharmaceutical adulteration, which includes an active drug in a purportedly botanical supplement.
When it comes to an effective vitamin C supplement you can trust, our Vitamin C Acerola Cherry provides you a top-notch formula that:
- Is Certified USDA Organic.
- Comes from whole-food acerola cherries from Brazil.
- Avoids adulterated and synthetic ingredients.
- Provides effective absorption with a low dose sufficient to reach 100% daily value (DV) of vitamin C.*
A clinical study comparing the absorption and excretion of synthetic vitamin C and acerola vitamin C discovered that some component(s) of acerola juice favorably affected the absorption of and minimized the excretion of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) via urine.
With the challenging absorption issue with oral vitamin C, this is an important finding associated with acerola cherries.
Our Exclusive Partner Delivers Consistent High-Quality Vitamin C from Acerola
Just as you would never hire a contractor or an employee without checking their credentials, we believe it’s equally or more important to highly scrutinize the credentials of the company making our supplements.
Without a high-quality, innovative partner, Organic Vitamin C would fall short from what you’ve learned to expect from our supplements. One of the most experienced and top-quality acerola vitamin C producers in the world, our exclusive Organic Vitamin C Acerola Cherry partner:
- Sources the finest acerola cherries from the North East region of Brazil.
- Grows the acerola on small plantations and by individual farmers primarily using regenerative agriculture.
- Harvests the cherries by hand at different maturity stages to help ensure the naturally occurring vitamin C content is the highest.
- Ensures traceability of acerola from field to factory, all through their long-term partnerships with suppliers and growers.
- Utilizes high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to analyze vitamin C levels and phytonutrients, from raw material to the finished product.
- Analyzes vitamin C content after the drying process for consistency and conformity to their specifications.
- Promotes environmental stewardship with preservation of soil, water and native flora, and support for use of natural defensives against insects.
- Is committed to social responsibility by supporting local community projects and health checkups for employees and families.
Why settle for second best, when you can take advantage of Organic Vitamin C Acerola Cherry produced by this phenomenal partner?
Don’t Let Your Vitamin C Levels Fall Short
![Vitamin C with Acerola]()
From collagen synthesis to your heart and vascular health, to optimal immune function and much more – vitamin C works as a powerful antioxidant and essential nutrient in your body to support your overall well-being.*
That’s why you can’t afford to have low levels, like many people do today.
If you fall into any of the groups we highlighted, or if your diet isn’t teeming every single day with vitamin C-rich vegetables and fruits, you should consider supplemental vitamin C.
When it comes down to a trusted, organic vitamin C formula produced from whole-food acerola cherries, Organic Vitamin C Acerola Cherry takes the grandfather of antioxidants to a whole new level.
Give your body the support it may need, and order your supply today.