Vitamin C

When we think of vitamin C, most probably we think of shorter colds or a stronger immune system. But you might not know that vitamin C is also a powerful way to slow the aging process. Not just the visible signs of aging like crow's feet or age spots, but the actual internal processes of aging, like inflammation, oxidative damage, and even chronic pain. 

But there's a catch…

Research has shown that only certain types of vitamin C actually have an anti-aging effect.
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So let’s review this in more details: 

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Oxidative Damage - The Real Cause of Aging

​One of the major theories for the reason we experience the signs of aging is a process called oxidative damage. In the simplest terms, oxidative damage is an imbalance between the damaging free radicals your body is exposed to and your body’s ability to deal with them effectively. 

A good way to think of it is as "internal rusting."
The older we get, the greater this imbalance becomes, and the more we start to see the signs of damage. Which can be everything from physical signs of aging (like gray hair) to internal processes like inflammation or chronic pain. Oxidative damage is linked to a variety of diseases and conditions associated with aging, including:

• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Alzheimer’s and dementia
• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Metabolic syndrome and obesity
• And more! 

Can Vitamin C Stop Oxidative Damage?

​With oxidative damage as the driving force behind aging and its associated health problems, scientists are constantly looking for anything that can slow or stop the process. One known way to do this is with antioxidants, which stabilize free radicals and take the burden off your body. And, of course, vitamin C is a fantastic source of antioxidants. 

But not all vitamin C is equal

​A study demonstrated this! Researchers took a group of habitual smokers and split them into two groups. One group got 1050mg of standard vitamin C tablets, and the other got 1050mg vitamin C from a whole food source - camu camu. After 7 days, the group that got the whole-food vitamin C from camu camu had significantly decreased signs of oxidative stress and inflammation. The group that got tablets of vitamin C had no changes. 

Why Whole Food vs. Synthetic Matters So Much

​As this study shows, the source of your vitamin C matters. But why? It has to do with something called synergy. Synergy is best described as "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts." It's about the magic that happens when things are mixed together. When vitamins are found in whole foods, they’re able to meet their full synergistic potential - but when they’re isolated or manufactured in a lab, they miss out on that "special something." And that can result in NO effect or even detrimental effects. 

In another study, 1000mg of isolated, synthetic vitamin C significantly reduced endurance capacity and decreased training efficiency. That's definitely not what we want! 

Keep Using Vitamin C - Just Choose Wisely

The take away from all of this is that whole-food vitamin C is a powerful anti-aging tool, maybe one of the best ones we have! Just don't waste your time or money on synthetic or isolated vitamin C supplements. If you're not sure you have the real-deal, just flip your vitamin C bottle around and look at the supplement facts. Does it say "ascorbic acid?" That's likely a sign it is NOT whole-food vitamin C. If you are using an isolated vitamin C, consider swapping it for a whole food source.
Look for whole food sources like amla berry, camu camu berry, and unripe acerola cherry.