How To Check Vitamin C Levels
It took nearly 300 years for doctors and scientists to figure out what was causing it. It was a disease that was so dreaded, it became an insulting adjective. And it took the lives of nearly 2 million seafarers between 1492 and the early 1800s.
You might even say that scurvy – a severe deficiency of vitamin C – was legendary, finding its way into famous literature like Moby Dick and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Everyone knew it was a danger for those who set out to sea.
But it wasn't until the British physician, Sir Gilbert Blane, started requiring sailors to use lemon juice and fresh foods in 1779 that the menace of scurvy finally began to retreat.
By the time vitamin C was isolated in the 1930s, scurvy had long been a thing of the past. And since its discovery, science can barely keep up with the research uncovering all the vital functions it serves in the body.
What makes vitamin C so valuable? Considered the "grandfather" of antioxidants, vitamin C plays a dual role in your body. First, it functions as a powerful antioxidant. Second, it acts as an essential nutrient. Together, these two roles fuel many physiological processes:
- Supports collagen synthesis, an important structural component of your bones, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments and skin*
- Supports heart and vascular health*
- Supports healthy blood pressure levels already within the normal range*
- Supports immune system function*
- Acts as an essential cofactor in enzymatic reactions*
- Helps protect against damaging free radicals*
- Supports healthy metabolism*
- Helps maintain healthy bones and teeth*
- Aids in healthy eye support*
- Supports healthy hormone production*
- Helps your body absorb iron*
- Supports brain health by aiding the production of neurotransmitters*
- Boosts the actions of other antioxidants*
And those are only a few of the things for which your body depends on vitamin C. Vitamin C is a nutrient you want to ensure you get plenty of…
Many People Have Low Levels of Vitamin C… Take Action to Make Sure Yours Stays High
While severe vitamin C deficiency is rare today, many people still have lower than optimal levels.
According to recent estimates, only one in 10 adults eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. These food groups are the best dietary sources of vitamin C, so if you're missing these in your diet it's very likely you will have low levels in your body.
There are other factors that can affect a person's vitamin C levels as well. Certain demographic groups are more likely to have lower levels of vitamin C than others. These groups include:
- Anyone with an impaired ability to digest and absorb food.
- Older people, as the capacity to digest and absorb food naturally decreases with age.
- Students and others who may be eating a less varied diet.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding moms, who have an increased requirement for vitamin C.
Unlike most mammals, humans don't have the ability to produce their own vitamin C. According to world-renowned vitamin C expert Dr. Ronald Hunninghake, every creature is able to increase its body's own production of vitamin C when needed except for guinea pigs, primates and humans.
Interestingly, you still have the gene that converts glucose to vitamin C. It's just non-functional.
That means you need to be proactive about getting enough vitamin C. Basically, there are three ways to provide your body with the quantities you need:
- Eat vitamin C-containing fruits and vegetables, such as berries, citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, melons, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
- Take an oral vitamin C supplement. Be sure to do your research on how to choose a supplement that has optimal bioavailability.
- Have vitamin C administered intravenously (IV). Obviously, this requires the services of a health care professional and can be time-consuming and costly.
A challenge with taking a traditional oral vitamin C supplement is that your body typically absorbs only a small percentage of the nutrient. Some estimates say it may be as little as 20%. The rest of it stays behind in your colon and attracts water, which can result in loose stools.
This is the cause of another potential challenge with traditional oral vitamin C…
It has the potential to cause occasional gastrointestinal distress. Traditional oral vitamin C supplements are typically not well tolerated in higher doses. They tend to cause intestinal discomfort.
Thankfully, cutting-edge science has developed an advanced way to deliver vitamin C to the body that eliminates most of these hassles. This extraordinary type of oral vitamin C allows your body to get the maximum benefits without the gastrointestinal issues.
Cutting-Edge Liposomal Technology Helps You Get More Mileage and Comfort Out of Your Vitamin C*
Sometimes, it's a good idea to take a higher dose of vitamin C than your typical daily dose. Current research supports taking higher doses at times when you may need it most, such as when you feel a cold coming on.*
With traditional oral vitamin C, increasing your dose can be problematic because it can cause the gastrointestinal problems we just discussed.
Fortunately, an innovative new technology has recently come on the scene that radically increases absorption of supplemental nutrients. It's called liposomal technology.
An example of liposomal nutrient delivery actually occurs in nature with krill oil. The omega-3 fats in krill oil are bound to phospholipids. This binding process radically increases absorption of the omega-3 fats when compared to fish oil, which doesn't have the liposomal structure.
Liposomal technology mimics that process, binding nutrients to phospholipids to improve absorption in your body.
To understand this process, you need to know that phospholipids are:
- The building blocks for your cell membranes.*
- Regulators of cellular transport, functioning as "gate-keepers" to your cells.*
- Protectors of cell membranes, guarding them against free radical assaults.*
- The same cellular complex found in egg yolks and krill oil.*
With liposomal technology, the phospholipids in the capsule can form liposomes in your stomach. A liposome is like a tiny sac of phospholipids. It surrounds a nutrient and carries it through your gut lining and into your cells.
Studies show the movement of water is all that is needed to create some liposomes. With stomach fluids in near constant motion, there is the potential to create large amounts of liposomes right in the stomach.
Since liposomes can help the nutrient gain entry across your gut membrane to its target, organs and cells, the creation of more liposomes could lead to an increased rate of absorption in your body.
The research is quite clear. One of the best and most practical ways to supplement your diet with oral vitamin C, especially when higher doses are needed, is with a liposomal form of vitamin C.
Liposomal Absorption Is Radically Different From Intestinal Absorption – Here's How
Traditional oral vitamin C has a significant shortcoming… Much of it can go through your digestive system unabsorbed.
But when vitamin C is delivered using liposomal technology, its bioavailability increases significantly. Here's how liposomal absorption is superior to intestinal absorption:
With intestinal absorption…
- Food and nutrients must first be broken down by your digestive system and then the nutrient fragments enter your bloodstream through your small intestine.
- Many vitamins and micronutrients lose much of their potency before they can reach the cells in your body.
- Your body's ability to break down and absorb the nutrient can be affected by digestive problems such as low stomach acid.
However, with liposomal technology…
- Phospholipids coat the nutrient to form liposomes, which protect the nutrient and aid in its transport.
- The liposomes are absorbed directly and easily from your gastrointestinal (GI) tract into your bloodstream.
- Absorbed liposomes penetrate your cellular membranes and targeted tissues more effectively.*
The liposomal process helps reduce the potential gastrointestinal distress that can accompany higher levels of traditional oral vitamin C.* And scientific research suggests that liposomal vitamin C may increase bioavailability over what was previously thought possible with oral vitamin C delivery.*
To better understand how liposomal technology works, watch the video below.
Now that we know the significant benefits of liposomal vitamin C, let's take a closer look at what healthy levels of vitamin C can potentially do for you…
Reaping the Benefits of Vitamin C as an Antioxidant
Antioxidants are your body's natural mechanism for neutralizing free radicals – the natural byproducts created when your cells burn fuel for your body's needs. Without antioxidants to keep them in check, free radicals can damage cells and tissues throughout your body.
Research suggests antioxidants support your overall health, especially your heart and immune health.* They may also play a role in reducing some of the symptoms of normal aging.*
There are two types of antioxidants: water-soluble and lipid-soluble. Your body requires both. Each type targets different cells and tissues in your body for free radical scavenging:
- Water-soluble antioxidants – Present in your blood, intracellular and extracellular fluids. They include vitamin C, resveratrol, glutathione, and catechins.
- Lipid-soluble antioxidants – Found in your cellular membranes and lipoproteins, as they protect membranes from lipid peroxidation.* Vitamins E and astaxanthin are prominent in this group.
It's important to get both types of antioxidants from as many sources as possible. Each type of antioxidant has its own special function in helping repair and protect your cells from free radical damage.* And when taken together, the efficacy of water- and lipid-soluble antioxidants can be enhanced even further.*
Want to know more about how antioxidants work and why they are so important for your health? Watch this short video.
So, what makes vitamin C stand as a leading antioxidant? It:
- Is a major "electron donor" in your body's battle against oxidation, neutralizing free radicals through its molecular action.*
- Can help protect vital molecular elements in your body, such as proteins and lipids.*
- Helps regenerate other important antioxidants, such as vitamin E.
Now that we know about vitamin C's impressive function as an antioxidant, let's take a look at the other role it plays – its role as an essential nutrient. Let's look specifically at what it does to benefit your heart and vascular health as a nutrient…*
Could a Daily Dose of Vitamin C Actually Be as Good as Exercise for Your Heart?
Some of the most exciting research about vitamin C to emerge in recent years highlights its potential positive effects on your blood vessels.
While regular exercise is always a wise choice for a healthy lifestyle, it appears that a daily dose of vitamin C might offer some additional benefits for heart health and be a smart lifestyle strategy, especially for sedentary adults.*
Keep in mind, no matter your age or physical shape, daily exercise is key to not only looking and feeling good but also for healthy operation of all your cells and body functions. In my opinion, there's no replacement for exercise. If you're just starting out, take it slowly to build up your endurance.
And while you steadily work on following a sensible, regular exercise plan, consider the role vitamin C might play to enhance your health right now.
Here's what they found in that vascular health research… Researchers wanted to take a closer look at earlier findings that vitamin C supplements have a positive effect on blood vessel function.*
In a three-month study of 35 sedentary adults, researchers tested the effects of vitamin C supplements on blood vessel function. Sedentary adults tend to have higher levels of activity of a certain protein that constricts blood vessels, putting them at higher health risk.
About half of the participants did regular aerobic exercise training, such as walking, and the other half took a 500 mg dose of oral vitamin C daily. Measuring markers for the vessel constricting protein activity, the researchers found that both groups responded in a positive manner.*
What may be one of vitamin C's most important benefits for your heart health are your plasma levels.* Plasma – the fluid and largest part of your blood – takes nutrients, hormones and proteins to the parts of the body that need it.
Eating a vitamin C-rich diet daily or supplementing regularly with vitamin C can potentially raise plasma levels, offering support for your heart and vascular health.*
4 Reasons Why Liposomal Vitamin C Should Be Your Go-to Source for the 'Grandfather' of Antioxidants
Liposomal Vitamin C offers outstanding benefits for your health and wellbeing. Among them, Liposomal Vitamin C:
- Utilizes liposomal technology to maximize bioavailability and minimize gastrointestinal discomfort.*
- Liposomes, which can form in the stomach, may allow this form of vitamin C to be absorbed better than traditional oral vitamin C.*
- Includes sunflower lecithin as an emulsifier instead of soy lecithin.
- Is produced by a high-quality manufacturer to ensure you receive nothing but the best liposomal vitamin C.
Just as you would never hire a contractor or an employee without checking their credentials, we believe it's equally or more important to highly scrutinize the credentials of the company making our supplements. So, that's exactly what we did…
You Can Trust Liposomal Vitamin C to Meet Your Vitamin C Needs
When selecting a top-notch manufacturer to produce Liposomal Vitamin C, the quality of their manufacturing processes was a major item of consideration. Making sure you have the very best vitamin C product possible required that we make a very careful selection.
Here is a little of the history behind this innovative company:
- Developed the concept of sealing a capsule without "banding" in response to consumer safety concerns in the late 1980s
- Spent more than 15 years developing the unique Licaps® capsule design and processes
- Has been a world-leader in capsule manufacturing for more than a century with 10 manufacturing sites running 24/7 in the Americas, Asia and Europe
- Manufactures over 50% of all two-piece capsules on the market today, with more than 180 billion capsules produced on an annual basis
Liposomal Vitamin C is delivered using a Licaps hard shell capsule instead of a softgel. Licaps use innovative "Fusion Technology" to seal the capsule without the use of banding.
This extraordinary liquid capsule technology provides many beneficial advantages over others because it:
- Reduces oxidation potential by flushing the liquid formulation with nitrogen during the capsule-filling process, creating a "freshness bubble."
- Ensures two-piece capsules are hermetically and tightly sealed to significantly reduce the potential for leakage.
- Enhances shelf-life through these exemplary filling and sealing processes.
The bottom line with Licaps hard capsules… the contents inside retain freshness while the possibility of leakage is virtually reduced to zero.
Liposomal Vitamin C: An Extraordinary Way to Complement Your Dietary Vitamin C Needs
Liposomal Vitamin C is an exceptional and practical way to meet your needs for a high-quality vitamin C. Here's a quick summary of the outstanding qualities of this exceptional formula:
- Delivers liposomal vitamin C, which can be transported with ease across your gut membrane and into your bloodstream, where it targets the cells and organs that need it
- Incorporates phospholipids to help protect your cell membranes and aid in the formation of liposomes in the stomach*
- Utilizes liposomal technology for maximizing bioavailability and minimizing intestinal discomfort*
- Includes a sunflower lecithin emulsifier, thereby totally avoiding soy
- Utilizes high quality, tightly-sealed Licaps capsules, providing superior leakage protection in comparison to other oral delivery systems*
- Comes from a world-leading quality manufacturer with over a century of experience and innovative delivery technologies
- Provides a more practical and effective way to supplement your diet with vitamin C, especially when higher doses are desired
In fact, we measured the liposomes in the lab using a technique called dynamic light scattering. With repeated studies at a number of independent testing labs, on average, more than half of the product formed liposome sized particles under lab conditions.
Liposomal Vitamin C is a reliable and convenient way to complement your diet with a vital nutrient your body needs for health and vitality.
Kids Need Vitamin C Just as Much as You Do
If you're a parent or a grandparent, you know it can be challenging to get kids to eat the right types of foods, especially vegetables. This can put them at risk for low vitamin C levels as well…
Healthy individuals typically have high concentrations of vitamin C in their immune cells. Children's immune health gets tested year-round, so it's important to provide their immune cells with adequate supplies of vitamin C.
However, support for a healthy immune system isn't the only reason kids need vitamin C.*Vitamin C is needed for optimal growth and development of your child's body and mind.* It's especially essential for the formation of:
- Neurotransmitters and other important brain and nervous system chemicals.*
- Collagen, blood vessels, muscle, ligaments, cartilage, skin and other tissues.*
- Carnitine for energy production, as it transports fatty acids into the mitochondria to produce energy and carries out wastes.*
Liposomal Vitamin C for Kids offers a dosage level of the same high-quality vitamin C that's in our Liposomal Vitamin C but in a tiny capsule that's just right for kids four years old and over.
Start Enjoying the Benefits of Liposomal Vitamin C and Liposomal Vitamin C for Kids
Remember that long list of functions that vitamin C supports? From collagen synthesis, to your vascular health, to optimal immune function, vitamin C works non-stop in your body to support vibrant health.*
It's one of the key nutrients you want to always ensure you're getting enough of.
If you fall into any of the specific demographics listed earlier, or if your diet isn't teeming every single day with vitamin C-rich vegetables and fruits, you may benefit from supplemental vitamin C. To get the most from your vitamin C supplement, take advantage of the superior delivery system of Liposomal Vitamin C and Liposomal Vitamin C for Kids.
Liposomal Vitamin C takes the grandfather of antioxidants to a whole new level. Now, you can start supplementing your diet or taking a higher dose without having to deal with some of most unpleasant potential side effects of traditional oral vitamin C.
Just ask Sir Gilbert Blane or Captain Ahab… This is one super-antioxidant you want to have on hand at all times. Order your supply today.
Source: https://products.mercolamarket.com/vitamin-c/
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