NFH Ascorbates SAP, 180 Capsules
Description
Plain ascorbic acid is, chemically speaking, an acid — which is why higher doses can leave some people with an unsettled stomach. Buffering solves that by binding vitamin C to minerals, raising the pH. NFH Ascorbates SAP uses seven different mineral ascorbates rather than one, which is unusual even among buffered vitamin C products.
The seven forms
Calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, manganese and selenium ascorbates, plus ascorbyl palmitate. The first six are mineral-bound and water-soluble; ascorbyl palmitate is the fat-soluble form, which reaches parts of the body the water-soluble versions don't. Citrus bioflavonoids are included alongside — they occur naturally with vitamin C in whole fruit, which is why they're so often paired in supplements.
Minerals come along for the ride
Worth knowing: because the vitamin C is bound to minerals, you're also taking in calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, manganese and selenium. The amounts are modest, but if you're already supplementing any of these separately — zinc and selenium especially, since both have upper limits worth respecting — check your total daily intake across everything you take.
Where vitamin C actually matters
It's required for collagen synthesis, which is why it turns up in conversations about skin and connective tissue. It also markedly improves absorption of non-heme (plant-source) iron when taken in the same meal — a genuinely useful pairing if you eat little or no meat.
Format
180 capsules — the large size, and priced accordingly. Made in Canada, free from gluten, soy, dairy and artificial preservatives.
Before you start
Follow the label or your practitioner's direction. Speak to a healthcare professional first if you have kidney disease or a history of kidney stones (high-dose vitamin C is generally not advised), haemochromatosis or another iron-overload condition, or if you take any prescription medication. Very high doses can cause loose stools; reducing the amount usually resolves it.
Store cool and dry, away from direct sunlight, and out of reach of children.
About NFH
Nutritional Fundamentals for Health is a Canadian practitioner-channel supplement brand.
Further reading: NIH Vitamin C fact sheet