Vitamin C- Natural vs Synthetic

Is Natural Vitamin C better than synthetic Vitamin C? How can we get more Vitamin C into our diet?

Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient that we can only get from what we eat- our bodies don’t make it for us. We need 45mg per day to meet our RDI (Recommended Daily Intake).  Vitamin C is water soluble which means it can’t be stored in our body so we must consume it every day to help maintain our health and prevent diseases. We get our Vitamin C naturally when we eat lots of fruit and vegetables or synthetically (made in industrial processes) when we take Vitamin C supplements.

Which is better? Many studies have shown that the bioavailability of natural and synthetic vitamins are the same, however some studies have shown a slightly higher bioavailability with natural Vitamin C. (Bioavailability means how much the nutrient is absorbed by the small intestine 

and able to be used in the body.) We also have to note the fact that a lot of powerful companies produce Vitamin C supplements and fund studies so there are a lot of studies you can find on the bioavailability of synthetic vs natural- not so many on the benefits of consuming natural Vitamin C with other  nutrients (in consuming whole foods) vs synthetic Vitamin C alone. 

When Vitamin C is consumed naturally from fruits and vegetables, you are also consuming many other micronutrients, flavonoids and vitamins which can work together with Vitamin C to maintain health and prevent disease. Our regular readers already know that the native fruit Kakadu Plum has the highest Vitamin C level of any fruit in the world! Our Kaiyu Superfoods Kakadu Plum powder has a minimum of 155mg per gram (344% RDI). But the flesh of Kakadu Plum also has many other powerful nutrients and antioxidants such as ellagic acid, folic acid, lutein, Vitamin E, magnesium and potassium to name a few.  These all work together to maintain health and prevent disease. Research is ongoing into these powerful interactions. 

There’s also energy and environmental factors to consider. Fruit and vegetables are powered by the sun and synthetic Vitamin C is produced in an industrial setting using coal fired power and chemicals- so contributing to climate change. We will keep researching to find out more about the difference in energy consumption and effect on climate change and the environment- stay tuned!

To sum up, it’s better if you can get your Vitamin C naturally through fruits and vegetables and our Kaiyu Superfoods Kakadu Plum powder is an easy way to get a multi nutrient packed Vitamin C dose! However if you can’t get any of these in your diet, synthetic Vitamin C would be an option. 

Always consult your medical practitioner if you have medical concerns and before trying new foods.