Vitamin C vs. Ester-C®

So which is better?
First of all I really hope you read all of this article but I am not going to settle the debate of which is better here (so yes the article title is somewhat misleading). First of all I don’t have the doctorates to do so, and second of all, from what I have found there is really quite a divided field of belief on this issue.

What I do hope to provide you with in this article is some good solid information on both vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and Ester-C® which is a patented formulation of Calcium Ascorbate, which is created when ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is buffered with calcium.

Ester-C®
I felt pretty stupid the other day when I had a pharmacist suggest this to me when I was inquiring about a good brand and form (chewable, time release, tablet, etc) of Vitamin C to take. The pharmacist informed me that Ester-C® was a form of vitamin C that was more bioavalable and would last longer in the blood than regular vitamin C which is often flushed quickly via the kidneys. This pharmacist also mentioned that this form of C is easier on the stomach. Wow, sure sounds like its amazing to me, I mean its enough that vitamin C is already flouted as pretty super fantastic nutrient.

So what is Ester-C®?
Ester-C® is a form of calcium ascorbate (a mineral ascorbate) which has undergone a patented process that uses a proprietary water based manufacturing process. This blending with mineral ascorbates is often referred to as ‘buffering’ and in the case of Ester-C® makes it ph neutral, and is the main reason that this form of vitamin C is easier on the stomach.

This process also produces other active Vitamin C metabolites which aid in absorption. Apparently these metabolites do not exist in any other form of Vitamin C including calcium ascorbate by itself.

The manufacturers of Ester-C® claim that it functions biologically like all other forms of Vitamin C and provides all its numerous benefits as well.

So far as I can see the benefits are quite clear in choosing Ester-C®, but what do the vitamin C people think about this new kid on the block (actually its not that new its been around in one form or another for close to 20 years). I found this article in regards to Ester-C® to be an interesting and somewhat informative.

So what is Vitamin C?
Well I could send you off to a link to some medical or pharmacological site and if you are anything like me you will find it a bit too intellectual and filled with long and unpronounceable latin names, and fancy medical/science jargon, so I am going to try to distill it down into something hopefully we can all understand.

The nutrient known as Vitamin C is l-acsorbate and also known by its chemical compound ascorbic acid.

Quite simply Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for us humans because somewhere down our genetic history through some mutation we lost the ability to manufacture Vitamin C and we must rely on our supply from dietary sources. Most living organisms with the exception of a few species, and higher primates (which includes us of course) can make this themselves. Lucky them.

Vitamin C is really important as its availability in our system allows for a wide range of necessary metabolic reactions. These reactions are required in all living organisms both animals and plants.

You better eat your veggies or you will get scurvy young man!
I am sure everyone has had a parent say that to them at some stage in their lives, and if you are a parent now you may find yourself repeating those words to your own kids. Scurvy is a pretty nasty disease that is caused by the lack of Vitamin C in one’s diet.

“scurvy is an avitaminosis resulting from lack of vitamin C, as without this vitamin, the synthesised collagen is too unstable to meet its function. Scurvy leads to the formation of liver spots on the skin, spongy gums, and bleeding from all mucous membranes. The spots are most abundant on the thighs and legs, and a person with the ailment looks pale, feels depressed, and is partially immobilized. In advanced scurvy there are open, suppurating wounds and loss of teeth and, eventually, death…” ~ Wikipedia.org

If you have heard the term “Limey” it comes from the British Navy’s use of the lime in the daily diet of their soldiers and sailors to prevent scurvy during extended sea voyages. The lime was chosen as it was more available to them and thus far less expensive than the lemon.

Fortunately for us today we can easily get vitamin C either from the drugstore off the shelf or in fresh fruit and vegetables, potatoes, and lots of other food. The problem most North Americans suffer from is not scurvy but from not getting enough of the wonderful vitamin to see the other benefits it has to offer.

Vitamin C is a highly effective antioxidant, as well as being responsible for helping the synthesis of carnitine (responsible for transport of fatty acids into cells for the generation of ATP). Among other things it also helps in the biosynthesis of norepinephrine from dopamine . Okay I used some scientific terminology, sorry I couldn’t resist, I promise not to do so again.

So how much Vitamin C should we take?
There really is no easy answer for that, you have the conservatives and then those that advocate taking mega doses like Linus Pauling (Nobel, and Nobel Peace prize winner and general all around genius). Dr. Pauling was taking several grams (1000s of mg) per day and was very happy with the results, and is central to his popular book How to Live Longer and Feel Better.

The daily recommended dose set by our governments are generally accepted to be the required minimums to prevent scurvy. So if we want to enjoy the immune system benefits, and the antioxidant benefits (just to name a few) we need to take in more…how much more? Who really knows – those amounts have not really been determined. What I can tell you though is I usually take in the range of 1000-2000mg per day when I do take it on any regular basis.

In the past with regular vitamin C supplements I must admit I saw a lot of that come out in a fluorescent green-yellow stream as very expensive urine. However I always found that I felt better and my training and recovery was improved when taking these doses. I have recently started taking Ester-C® to see what all the fuss is about and I must admit it is gentler on my stomach (I am sensitive to acidic things) and I haven’t noticed very much wastage in the urine either (at least from a visual standpoint I haven’t actually had it tested).

Important Note:
Please make sure you visit your family physician or a doctor before you make any decisions on increasing your Vitamin C intake dramatically, as larger doses may have complications with other conditions.