Which Vitamin C tabs is better for us?

@enelym001 (8322)

Philippines

May 21, 2012 2:30am CST

I don’t religiously take vitamins but lately I’ve been coughing and felt like I’ll have cold. Once in a while I eat Nature Made Vitamin C, whenever I remember taking a tablet. It’s like once in a month or once in two months or whenever I feel I’ll get sick.

Recently a friend who said she was advised not to take any vitamins anymore gave her full (and still close) bottle of Ascorbic Acid Vitamin C. The brand is generic (RiteMed) and only then I notice the one I’m taking before (Nature Made) is also Ascorbic Acid. Previous years I took a sodium ascorbate vitamin C. Now I am actually confused that Vitamin C can either be sodium ascorbate or ascorbic acid. Not sure which one would be better for me, there were different opinions for both on the internet. Taking Vitamin C too? Ascorbic acid or Sodium Ascorbate? Which is better?

3 people like this

15 responses

@SIMPLYD (90722)

• Philippines

21 May 12

I always take vitamin C jazel , the ascorbic acid one. Though, i always take it along with my other vitamins after breakfast before i go to work. That way, my stomach wouldn't get upset. It is my experience that whenever i am not able to take Vitamin C for at least 3 days, my gums would weaken, making it painful to eat in my dentures. Thus, i never fail in taking it everyday, and i take 1000 mg of it. The alternative doctor of my father, who was treated for his cancer , told us that we always take vitamin C as high as 1500 mg. To test if your stomach can take as much vitamin C, try taking it in a higher dose and if you will have diarrhea, it means that its too much for you to take. And i have noticed that i easily catch colds whenever i don't take vitamin C for a number of days.

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@SIMPLYD (90722)

• Philippines

21 May 12

Oh i forget jazel, Rite Med for me is wa epek. When i bought this brand because my brand was out of stock , my gums weakened though i was regularly taking it. Thus, i gave it to our maid. Though what i buy is the Rhea or United Home brand 500 mg. I take 2 tablets in the morning.

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

22 May 12

hi binggaling, actually I have told SimplyD about my name already in another discussion. It's funny that she mistaken me for jazel again

@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

22 May 12

Hi SimplyD, So that means the ascorbic one is okay, true with the NatureMade I am sometimes taking because I feel like it doesn't upset my stomach. And once I noticed how it helped me get away with cold. I am not sure about RiteMEd though. I don't know whether it's psychological... but when I take RiteMed after reading different responses here... I had a stomach ache.. don't really know whether I am hungry or something's twisting my intestines

I ended up eating at McDonalds to fill my stomach with foods.

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@albto_568 (1268)

• Costa Rica

4 Jun 12

I don´t know wich one is better for the body, or, if it is the same, for what I have read, Ascorbic acid seems to have more favorable opinions, but, very few of them from medics or speciallists. The thing I wanted to ask you though, is if you have consider to take the daily dosis of Vitamin C from natural sources instead?, Every morning, I make a juice of carrot, orange and beet, in addition to that, some other season fruits, wich are always handy in the place I live, and, this along with tasty, suplies me most of the vitamins and minerals I need. I think that Vitamin C is easily taken from fruits and other foods, and, appeal to suplements only on doctor´s advice.

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@albto_568 (1268)

• Costa Rica

5 Jun 12

Indeed, I understand sometimes there are little time, you can try, eating some more fresh fruit instead, bottled juice is not always that bad either, as long as it is made out of actual fruits and not concentrates. There are also other sources of VC, this page may help you, if you wish. http://www.ehow.com/about_5349078_natural-sources-vitamin-c.html

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

6 Jun 12

Kiwi and green grapes are two of my favorite fruits mentioned in the article. I also like strawberry while papaya is what I eat when constipation strikes

. I guess I better buy and eat some of those at least once or twice a week.

Thanks for the comment and providing the link, albto!

@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

4 Jun 12

You are right on doing that. I haven't tried too and haven't got time to do such every day. I normally buy juice on bottles so it's still not natural. That is why I try to take the tab whenever I can. Not everyday, but I try to take it to at least boost my immune system.

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@marguicha (215189)

• Chile

21 May 12

I stopped eating vitamins after I read about them at a scientific journal that unless a doctor gave you pills for a special illness, there was no point in taking them as our body does not process them. If we need vitamin C, we must eat food that is rich in vitamin C. Oranges and kiwis as some of the fruits that are rich in vitamin C. As veggies goes, I think the best is broccoli (steam it and make it al dente). I would check online which fruits and veggies (maybe some nuts too) are rich in vitamin C and spend your money there. Take care.

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@marguicha (215189)

• Chile

28 May 12

I eat whole grains of boiled corn as a salad to have less digestive problems. Try that. I also make once in a while oatmeal cookies.

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

23 May 12

Hi marguicha, I love kiwi, but am not eating it lately. I just bought a fresh kiwi juice the other day. Oranges is really but it makes my stool hard so I try to stay away from eating too much of it. Hopefully I can add broccoli on our menu one day

don't know that it is also rich in Vitamin C.

@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

28 May 12

Really? corns can help too... will try to eat some as I like corns

@jaiho2009 (39142)

• Philippines

21 May 12

en

I am not a chemist nor in a medical field. but, as far as I know, our body don't have the ability to produce ascorbic acid. I am also taking ascorbic acid- known good to stabilize the oxidation of red blood cells- so it's good to prevent high blood pressure and heart problem as well. Better you take ascorbic acid and eat healthy foods, fruits and veggies for other vitamins instead of taking vitamin pills. Sports people are taking ascorbic acid than any other vitamins.

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

22 May 12

Hi jai

Which brand are you using? I am now hesitant taking the RiteMed that was given to me as my stomach felt a bit different after taking it. But I never had that feeling with the other brand I am sometimes taking. Healthy foods... hmmm hopefully, need to buy fruits then.

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@jaiho2009 (39142)

• Philippines

23 May 12

Rhea is a good one. You should start taking 500mg every 4 hours and you should feel stomach upset. If you don't feel any stomach upset, increase the intake to 1000mg the next day. After taking 1000mg and still you don't feel like going to the restroom- add another 500mg the following daya - means- you need to have stomach upset to know your body level intake. Let's say, after taking 1500mg you run to the restroom to relive your upset stomach, that means, you have to take 1500 everyday. You don't need to drink the whole 1500 at once- you can take it every four hours -one tablet 500mg every four hours or every 8 hours.

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

23 May 12

Oh my that would mean, 3 tabs a day???

I think I'll be okay taking a (500 mg) tablet a day or every other day

@thesids (22180)

• Bhubaneswar, India

21 May 12

Hi godmom

The only vitamin Cs I know of are Chocos and Coffee

nothing beyond...

Okay! for the cold and cough thing, I take some homeopathy medicines as these other tabs dont go well with me because of my other health issues. However, if the cold and cough are persistent with you, I would definitely recommend consulting a doctor and avoiding the self-medication as many a times, the real issues and causes may never get diagnosed and it might lead to complications later...

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

21 May 12

Hi godson

Chocos and Coffee

Over eating chocos will give me a bad headache... don't know how it is for you. Actually the cough and cold isn't that bad. I just wonder how it comes normally in the evening and morning... And sometimes in the mid of the day - but it happens very rarely. Just thought of taking vitamins to get rid of morning and evening cough and cold.

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@thesids (22180)

• Bhubaneswar, India

21 May 12

That situation is the perfect one for a homeopathy medicine by the name - Dulcamara. This kind of cold and cough is mostly because of the seasonal changes and the climate of today's world.

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

22 May 12

I guess so... because at home the AC is so cold and going out feels like you're in an oven ready to be cooked.

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@Mashnn (4501)

•

21 May 12

I do not take any vitamins and I do not plan to take in the near future. This is because I believe that what I eat is healthy enough to give me the right amount of vitamin C needed for my body. Infact, our bodies only requires very little amount of each vitamin which we can get by eating healthy diet. The rest is just taken out of your body.

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@BetterDays4Me (3777)

• Philippines

21 May 12

I agree in a way with you that getting vitamin C in foods rich in vitamin C is a good way to get that kind of vitamins in our body. Although I think there is no harm in adding Vitamin C in tablet or capsule form to give the body stronger immune system, and in this case I find sodium ascorbate type to be a better source of vitamin C. I'm not sure about the brand names that all of you have mentioned, but in my country and in my family's case, the brand name of Vitamin C that really works extremely well for us is Fern-C and having large doses of it would help your immune system a lot and even prevents and cures sicknesses like bad colds and fever as well.

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

21 May 12

Hi Mashnn, Like BetterDays I also agree with you. The natural vitamin C that we can get with the foods we are consuming are enough for our body. However, there are still benefits we can get from taking vitamins sometimes for our immune system just like BetterDays have said. Previously, I took sodium ascorbate for a month and stopped.

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

21 May 12

Hi BetterDays, I have tried the same brand Fern-C. It was my mom who gave that to me. But because I am a person who don't take vitamins on a regular basis - I gave all of those to my brother. Now that I got an ascorbic acid from a friend I was thinking whether to take this daily or not. Or whether there will be side effects.

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@lynboobsy11 (11343)

• Philippines

21 May 12

I'm a ascorbic acid taker too, I have to take it to boost my immune system and to defend my self from viruses since our air is not that clean any more that anytime if our immune system is low we can catch viruses fast.

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

23 May 12

Hi lyn, Yes that is one of my reason too. I want to boost my immune system because I can easily catch a virus from people with cough or cold.

@1hopefulman (45123)

• Canada

22 May 12

The best vitamin C is the one found in fruits and vegetables and greens. Just eat fresh fruits, vegetables an greens each day and you'll never have to worry.

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

23 May 12

Willl try to do that 1hopefulman

Right now, I am trying to eat properly to make myself healthy and be away from all those viruses and bacterias

@hsofyan (3446)

• Jakarta, Indonesia

21 May 12

Sorry, I'm trying to reduce / avoid taking vitamins are made from chemicals. I can get vitamin C easily, by eating certain fruits. I think that chemicals are not good for the body.

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

22 May 12

Hi hsofyan, Yes chemicals aren't good for the body but we can be sure that these supplements can help us to getting the proper vitamins that we cannot get sometimes from the foods we eat. Eating fruits and veggies are a good source of vitamins.

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befrindwithme26

@befrindwithme26 (5805)

• Philippines

21 May 12

Hi, i don't know what vitamins you are to take.For me, i have lemon juice to drink if ever i feel to have sip on or cough. But i do not not if helps,but i notice later it helps but not so..

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

21 May 12

Hi befriend, I mentioned that it's RiteMed Ascorbic Acid. And I was getting confused whether it is a good source of Vitamin for me. Lemom juice, as far as I know can help when we have cold or cough especially if it's mixed on a hot water with a little honey. Lemon alone can trigger itchiness therefore there is a possibility of coughing a lot.

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@airkulet (2700)

• Philippines

21 May 12

look for vitamin c in the form of ascorbate that is more absorbent and can take even on an empty stomach, I take Fern-C as I can know legal brand that is ascorbate, note I'm not connected with that company I'm just consumer

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

21 May 12

HI airene, I have tried Fern-C before but as I read some articles on the net. It has sodium - too much of it can develop other things. While ascorbic acid - too much acid is also bad... LoL! Still getting confused... if I will I might not finish the whole bottle. Will take the vitamins only when I remember. But the vitamins will be on my table which means I would always remember taking it.

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sourabharoy1992

@sourabharoy1992 (730)

• India

21 May 12

Hello friend, You can eat fruits where you can get this. And it is natural vitamin C like tomato, orrange,apple e.t.c. Have a nice day.

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

22 May 12

Hi sourabharoy, Yeah that's true. We can get Vitamin C from those fruits

Thanks for the response.

@god_is_good (683)

• Philippines

26 May 12

Before, I was taking ascorbic acid as vitamin C. When I was educated about vitamin C, I don't like those ascorbic or ascorbate vitamin C anymore. I prefer to take the best source of vitamin c called Roselle. It comes in two varieties: one is in the form of tablet and the other is in the form of juice. I take both alternately when I can but by God's grace, I'm healthy, even without taking them. I hope and pray you'll be a hundred percent healthy as well.

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

27 May 12

Hi, Thanks for sharing the vitamins that you are taking. I haven;t heard of it yet but it's good to know different brands of vitamin c.

• India

31 May 12

Ascorbic acid does not present as separate always in nature. It would be in combine with something to present as like salt. It is advisable to take citrus fruits like lemon, orange than taking those medicines with different generic name.

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@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

1 Jun 12

Yeah that is true... but in the absence of those natural vitamins that we get from taking citrus fruits, we can still take those supplements or vitamins

• India

1 Jun 12

No the vitamins taken in supplements as artifical one is always harm to our body than it is good for health.

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@asliah (11137)

• Philippines

22 Apr 13

actually my first Vitamin c was ascorbic acid,and i used this until in my high school life,but when i was in college i used to drink Enervon C as my vitamin C supplement for my immune system,and i took it until my first work.

@enelym001 (8322)

• Philippines

23 Apr 13

That's nice to know =) I wonder if you're still taking vitamins. Cos if you'll ask me now... I am no longer taking it. Only when I feel that I will have cough or cold. LoL.