(20-05-13) Synthetic vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, kills beneficial probiotic bacteria in the gut and cannot confer vitamin activity in the body

by Zach Calantini-Miller

(NaturalNews) Most people nowadays are well informed about the numerous health
benefits of vitamin C, and find ways to incorporate it in their diets, either
by taking supplements or eating more foods that contain the vitamin. While the
many benefits of vitamin C are well-documented, such as its ability to boost
the immune system, there are less well known facts about the synthetic version
of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid, the synthesized version of
vitamin C, has been proven to kill bacteria effectively, which makes it
effective in killing parasites and infections. Unfortunately, it does not
differentiate between the good and bad bacteria in the gut, and wipes out good
bacteria in the gut which is mandatory for vibrant health.

Ascorbic acid defined
Synthetic vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is not found in nature. It does not
grow naturally in plants or trees and cannot be grown on a farm. It can only be
made in a lab. Contrary to popular belief, ascorbic acid and vitamin C are not
the same thing. Ascorbic acid is not a complete vitamin, but really only the
outer layer of the complete complex known as vitamin C. The complete complex of
vitamin C as found in natural food sources is composed of these elements:

- Rutinbiofavonoids (vitamin P) factor K

- Factor Jfactor P Tyrosinase

- Ascorbinogen ascorbic acid

All of the above elements must be present in order for the body to absorb and
benefit from the vitamin complex. Since synthetic ascorbic acid does not
contain the full complex, your body must either gather the missing components
from the body's reservoir, or simply eliminate the ascorbic acid from the body
through the urine without benefit to the body.

You'll find ascorbic acid in all sorts of products, from vitamin C supplements
to bottled tea drinks and fruit juices such as apple juice. The straightforward
method to confirm its presence in a product is to simply read the ingredient
label. However, as founder of AGM foods in Brisbane, Australia Alan Meyer found
out, many times ascorbic acid can be found in foods even though it's not listed
on the ingredient label.

The microbe-neutralizing properties of ascorbic acid and its source of origin
Mr. Meyer had been following a recipe to make a fermented apple drink. The
recipe called for pure apple juice, so he bought a bottle of organic apple
juice. After running some tests on his concoction, he found that the apple
juice had killed the friendly microbes in it even though according to
ingredient label on the bottle there was nothing in the juice but organic
apples. He ran the process again to confirm that it wasn't just a fluke and
sure enough the microbes were destroyed once more. After calling the company he
found out that they were indeed adding ascorbic acid to the juice as a
preservative to kill off bacteria. Unfortunately, ascorbic acid doesn't just
kill harmful bacteria, but also kills beneficial bacteria. Ascorbic acid has
the same effect in our bodies as it does in juice.

Ascorbic acid is synthesized from corn syrup. So not only do we need to be
concerned with its impact on intestinal flora, but with its potentially
disastrous GMO corn-based origins. These days, if you cannot verify that any
corn-based food that you consume is certified organic, you risk ingesting GMO
corn, the health risks of which are well-known by knowledgeable NaturalNews
readers.

The real vitamin C solution
Naturally-occurring vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables. Vitamin
C has the curious habit of breaking down when heated. This means that when food
is heated, the vitamin breaks down and becomes useless. Since pasteurization is
a form of heating (boiling to kill bacteria), any pasteurized beverage
therefore becomes void of natural vitamin C complex. Ascorbic acid was
therefore invented as a synthetic replacement of the natural form of vitamin C
which is destroyed by heat. Unfortunately, ascorbic acid simply cannot replace
the real, natural vitamin complex. Add to that the bacteria-neutralizing
behavior of ascorbic acid which destroys health-critical beneficial microbes,
and you have a substance which we'd all be better off to avoid as health-minded
individuals.

So what is the solution to all this? The thing to do is avoid vitamin C
supplements, pasteurized products, and pre-bottled teas and juices containing
ascorbic acid. Get your vitamin C from natural, organic, uncooked fruits and
vegetables. Some foods that contain the highest amounts of vitamin C are:

- Strawberries

- Citrus fruits

- Acerola Cherry (fresh or powdered forms)

- Black Currant

- Papaya

- Kiwi fruit

- Bell Pepper

- Guava

- Melons

- Brussel Sprouts

- Kale, chard, and spinach

- Broccoli

- Cauliflower

- Tomatoes

Again, remember to consume foods in their raw form. If heated, the natural
vitamin C complex is destroyed.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.thedoctorwithin.com

http://www.natural-health-and-healing.com

http://www.realvitaminc.com/ascorbic-acid.html

http://www.shanti.com.au/body/probiotics.htm

http://www.naturalnews.com/032058_synthetic_vitamins_supplements.html

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com

News

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