Differences Between Sodium Ascorbate And Ascorbic Acid

You can get vitamin C naturally, as well as through supplements.

Ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, is a water-soluble vitamin that occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables and is essential for the normal growth and development of the human body. Vitamin C is used for many normal bodily functions, such as healing wounds, forming scar tissue, repairing and maintaining cartilage, growing bones and teeth and forming the protein used to make skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. The body is unable to make vitamin C on its own, so it must be ingested from outside sources. Many fruits and vegetable, such as oranges and broccoli, contain vitamin C. The vitamin can also be ingested in the form of pills and supplements, such as sodium ascorbate pills.

Sodium Ascorbate

Sodium ascorbate can be taken orally, through a pill, or intravenously, through an IV. One gram of sodium ascorbate contains 889 mg of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and 111 mg of sodium. Sodium ascorbate is a popular way to get vitamin C, but due to its high sodium content, taking it isn't advisable to those on a low-sodium diet.

Purity

One obvious difference between ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate is in the purity of the vitamin. Ascorbic acid is pure vitamin C whereas sodium ascorbate is diluted with sodium so that you only get 889 mg of vitamin C for every gram of sodium ascorbate that you ingest. This means you would have to take more sodium ascorbate to get the same amount of vitamin C than you would get from taking pure ascorbic acid.

Acidity

One problem with ascorbic acid is that it, along with many of the foods that contain it, is very acidic. If a person has gastrointestinal problems, such as heartburn or acid reflux, the problems can be agitated by ingesting foods high in acid. Mineral ascorbates, such as sodium ascorbate, are diluted with sodium, so they are less acidic than pure ascorbic acid.

Consult a Physician

It is important to remember that even though vitamin C is naturally occurring and important to the development of the body, it is a medicine and can be dangerous in high doses. If you feel you have a vitamin C deficiency and you can't correct it by eating a balanced diet, be sure to see a licensed physician before starting a regimen of any vitamin C supplement.

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