As a doctor, I find myself getting the same questions from patients about nutrition and supplementation. People know they need vitamins. However, they are unsure of the correct amount to take, what is the recommended brand, or if they really need it when they eat “pretty good”. Here are a few typical questions I receive about Vitamin C: “How much Vitamin C is good for optimal health?” “What if I am fighting a depressed immune system?” “How do I choose which Vitamin C is ideal?”

Here is my simple recommendation for Vitamin C…make sure that the vitamin C that you are consuming is complete. To know how complete your supplement is, simply read the ingredients. Read to ensure that ascorbic acid is not the main ingredient. It is an important part of the vitamin but not the only. It is like saying a roof is a house. It is part of a house and an important part, but it is not the house.  More beneficial Vitamin C supplements have many components to make it as close to a food so that our bodies can absorb and utilize it. Such components are bioflavonoids and rutin, which strengthen vascular integrity. There is also an enzyme called tyrosinase, which is an organic copper that activates the adrenals.

One of Vitamin C’s additional functions is enhancing iron absorption into its most absorbable form. Increasing Vitamin C may assist individuals with poor iron status. Iron deficiency anemia is common in the United States and #1 worldwide.

Nobel laureate Dr. Linus Pauling agrees that Vitamin C is vital to the immune system when he did his research.

According to Contemporary Nutrition: A Functional Approach, “a person who consumes between 15-200mg per day will best absorb it…” The RDA is 90mg for men and 75mg for women.

The Vitamin C supplement that I recommend to my patients is from Optimal Health Systems. Whole C chewable (1) a day for everyday use and (2) a day for repair or to give immune system support. Standard Process also has a product called Cataplex C recommended (3) a day.

It is best to seek a Chiropractor that is familiar with nutrition and follows along with your short and long term goals. At AFCW we can arrange a nutritional consult.

Activated Family Chiropractic & Wellness is located at 13140 Coit Road, STE 514, Dallas, Texas 75240. Please call 972-925-0384 or check us out on our website www.activatedfcw.com .