VITAMIN C/ASCORBIC ACID
A whopping 80 per cent of the world’s vitamin C comes from China, where ascorbic acid is chemically processed and fermented from the glucose in cornstarch. GMO activists haven’t been particularly thrilled that the microbes involved in the processing are often genetically engineered. However, the bigger concern is the corn. Natural Factors says its Chinese ascorbic acid is from non-GMO corn. Though it does contain carboxymethyl cellulose, one of two vitamin fillers recently linked to inflammation (see Nature Notes).Notably, Chinese vitamin C factories were deemed to be so polluting that they were forced to shut down in a pre-Olympics emissions crackdown.
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JAMIESON EXXTRA-C
Like most supplement makers, Jamieson generally gets its vitamin C from ascorbic acid manufactured in China. The exception is Exxtra-C, one of the rare examples of European-sourced, high-potency C on shelves. Its trademarked “Quali-C” is made in Scotland by the multinational materials/life sciences corp DSM. Like most lab-made C, it’s synthesized from corn glucose, but Quali-C gets its corn (and “starter materials,” i.e. microbes) from non-GMO European sources. These capsules also contain organic sugar and a bunch of vitamin fillers like magnesium silicate, aka talc. Note: not veg-friendly the gelatin is bovine. Twice the price of run-of-the-mill C, but still more affordable than Navitas or MegaFood.
SCORE: NN
MEGAFOOD/NEW CHAPTER
Looking for a poppable form of C that’s a little more natural? Most supplements marketed as food-based capsules of freeze-dried fruits and veg still contain isolated synthetic vitamins (like synthesized ascorbic acid) to “top up” their c content. Megafood says the source of that synthetic vitamin is “proprietary” but that its C is Non-Gmo Project-Verified, as is New Chapter’s (now owned by Procter and Gamble). The rest of the C in these two brands is squeezed out of certified organic fruits, veg and herbs tested for pesticides. They come in fairly low dosages – 250 mg per capsule – and will cost you $25 to $50 for 60 caps. New Chapter’s capsule isn’t vegan. It has shellac.
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NAVITAS NATURALS CAMU POWDER
Deep in the Amazon basin grows one of the most vitamin-C-dense berries on earth. Not surprisingly, camu camu is being marketed as a super-food, but just how is it being harvested? The Rainforest Conservation Fund told me camu camu’s popularity has been stressing wild populations in Peru. (Most of the stuff on shelves is wild-picked.) The best way to avoid taxing these wild sources is to buy sustainably cultivated certified organic camu like Navitas’s. In powdered form (no junky fillers here), a teaspoon gives you a whopping 700 mg of C. It’s pricier than synthetic C, but this tart powder is an all-natural way to boost your C in smoothies.
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DIY C
Those of us raised on chewable Flintstones vitamins are used to getting our nutrients on the go. Nearly two-thirds of Canadians take vitamins. I’ve got a cupboard full of supplements myself and use a lot of them on a regular basis, but the best source of vitamins is still real food. You can easily make your own vitamin C supplement: just chop up some kale, Brussels sprouts, raw red cabbage and lightly cooked broccoli. You’ll get the most C from red peppers (even more than oranges and kiwis). Just make sure those peppers and kale are organic, since they tend to be high in pesticide residues.
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