Question

Vitamin C is found naturally in a number of fruits, particularly citrus fruits. It is also an organic compound that can be synthesized in large quantities in the laboratory. Is there any difference between the natural material and the synthetic material in terms of structure and chemical properties that would depend upon its source? Explain

Answer 1

A natural source contains co-factors that come with the nutrient in nature. For instance, some co-factors that are usually found with Vitamin C are various bioflavonoids. It is concentrated from its natural source as carefully as possible. No extreme heat, pressure, or possibly toxic solvents are used. There are no sugar or chemical tablet coatings. The nutrients are prepared from high quality raw ingredients. No artificial chemicals are added. Harsh binders and fillers do not hinder absorption.

Synthetic vitamins are made in a laboratory setting from coal tar derivatives. No co-factors are present. Most of the food supplements sold on the market today are synthetic and often cheaper to produce than natural vitamins.

It primarily comes in two forms – L-ascorbic acid and D-ascorbic acid. The L variety, which can come in both natural (found in fruits and vegetables, and also whole food vitamins) and synthetic forms (found in most other supplements), is synonymous with vitamin C and carries all its benefits, while the D carries identical antioxidant properties but not the vitamin C content of L and is not used in any form of vitamin C.

Between the natural and synthetic varieties of L-ascorbic acid there are no known differences in how they affect our bodies. The l-ascorbic acid found in an orange is the same l-ascorbic acid found in a whole food vitamin C tablet is the same as the l-ascorbic acid found in a gummy multivitamin you bought at Walgreens. Their vitamin C content is all chemically and molecularly identical. D-ascorbic acid, meanwhile, does not exist in nature and, though chemically identical to its counterparts, is molecularlydifferent. It is this molecular difference that makes D-ascorbic acid impossible to be synthesized by your body and unusable in a vitamin supplement.