Unived Acerola-C

Description

Acerola-C™ is a Whole Food based Vitamin C, derived from Organic Freeze Dried Acerola Berries. This is a full-spectrum natural organic vitamin C complex. Each serving of Acerola-C offers 150mg of vitamin C.

Acerola berries are an antioxidant-rich organic berry that yield a 100% natural form of vitamin C, and include many health-enhancing phytonutrients and cofactors that accompany whole-food sourced vitamin C. Acerola-C™ is non-acidic, free of corn-derived ascorbic acid, and perfectly pure and whole — just as nature intended.

A vitamin C supplement can provide powerful benefits. As one of the vitamins that the human body cannot produce itself, a natural vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins you can consume for optimal health. Commonly known for its immune boosting properties, it can offer daily support and protection but asides from its well known immune support, vitamin C can also support your whole body and encourage wellness, energy and vitality.

Vitamin C is essential for the production of carnitine – the amino acid that makes you burn fat for energy – and it helps the absorption of iron from your digestive system, which can assist your energy levels. On top of all this, a natural vitamin C aids the production of collagen and cell regeneration which helps support healthy skin, hair and nails.

Synthetic VS Organic Vitamin C

There are many vitamin C products on the market and all of them are produced using synthetically products Ascorbic acid, mostly derived from GMO corn. This is the cheapest form of vitamin C – but is it really vitamin C, or is it an imitation?

Ascorbic Acid is NOT vitamin C. It only represents the outer ring that serves as a protective shell for the entire vitamin C complex, much like an orange peel that serves as a protective shell for an orange.

Ascorbic acid is synthetic, not natural and is man-made in a laboratory. Although it is chemically similar to vitamin C, it is missing some of the vital elements that make natural vitamin C so beneficial – such as rutin, bioflavonoids (vitamin P), factor K, factor J, factor P, tyrosinase and ascorbinogen. It can also reduce our copper levels and cause an imbalance in our microbiome as it kills bacteria (hence why it’s used as a preservative), leaving your immune system short of the beneficial bacteria it needs to function at full potential.

Ascorbic acid is often synthesized from corn syrup which raises issues over genetically modified crops. Artificial vitamin C such as ascorbic acid and calcium ascorbate are highly acidic and can cause nutrient imbalances, inhibiting internal cellular activity. Furthermore, these synthetic ingredients can force your kidneys and liver to work over time while your body struggles to absorb them. Most of the synthetic vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is manufactured by BASF and Roche – from corn. This is what is widely sold across the pharmaceutical industry.

When you consume a synthetic vitamin C – which is just ascorbic acid, your body needs to gather these other components of the full spectrum vitamin C complex from your body’s tissues to really use & process the ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid does not provide the full range of benefits that a full spectrum vitamin C complex does.

Natural vitamin C complex

Natural vitamin C complex is not just vitamin C but it is a vitamin C Complex, as it is rich in various co-nutrients and co-factors, such as rutin, bio-flavanoids, P & J & K factors, tyrosinase, ascorbinogen, and ascorbic acid. This synergistic network delivers beneficial bioflavonoid food compounds that delivery organic nutritive effects to the body.

We use Organic Freeze Dried Acerola Juice Powder which is a natural & rich source and a whole food based vitamin C complex. The DPPH scavenging capacity of the frozen single-strength acerola juice was found to be 306.77 mmol TE for 100 mL juice. The ORAC value was found to be 8529 µMTE per liter of juice. This relatively high ORAC value coupled with the DPPH scavenging power suggest that acerola is a good source of antioxidant.

Organic Freeze Dried Acerola & Citrus Bioflavanoids

We have combined organic freeze dried acerola juice powder with citrus bioflavanoides.

Citrus Bioflavonoids (hesperidin, rutin, quercitine and tangeritin), sometimes called vitamin P, are substances that are not synthesized by body and have to be supplemented. Citrus bioflavonoids are found in citrus fruits such as lemon, orange, tangerine, and grapefruit. For instance, the white material found under the skin of an orange actually contains bioflavonoids.

R&D

Natural Vitamin C along with Bioflavonoids are 35% more bioavailable than Ascorbic acid. It also shows that Natural Vitamin C is slowly absorbed as compared to synthetic Vitamin C and acts as a time release formulation.(1)

The importance The DPPH scavenging capacity of frozen single strength acerola juice was found to be 306.77 mmol TE for 100ml juice. The ORAC value was found to be 8529 µtance MTE per litre of juice .This is relatively high ORAC value coupled with the DPPH scavenging powder suggests that acerola is a good source of antioxidant. (2)

The importance of vitamin C stems from its powerful antioxidant capacity. The term antioxidant has been defined as, “any substance that, when present at low concentrations compared to those of an oxidisable substrate, significantly delays or prevents oxidation of that substrate” [10]. Out of the three different antioxidant defense systems, vitamin C is classified as a chain breaking antioxidant; specifically, an aqueous phase chain breaking antioxidant [11]. As an antioxidant, vitamin C protects low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) from being oxidized, decreases damaging oxidation in the stomach, and facilitates the absorption of iron. (3)

It is highly effective antioxidant, due to its ability to readily donate electrons, thus protecting important biomolecules (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids) from damage by oxidants generated during normal cell metabolism and through exposure to toxins and pollutants (e.g. Cigarette smoke). (4)

The high cellular concentration of vitamin C and its rapid decline in plasma and leukocytes during stress and infection suggest a role in the process of immune response. Vitamin C was found to be a stimulant of leukocyte functions, especially of neutrophil and monocyte movement. (5)

Organic Vitamin C could modulate immune function through modulation of redox-sensitive cell signalling pathways or by directly protecting important cell structural components. For example, exposure of neutrophils to oxidants can inhibit motility of the cells, which is thought to be due to oxidation of membrane lipids and resultant effects on cell membrane fluidity. Neutrophils contain high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in their plasma membranes, and thus improvements in neutrophil motility observed following vitamin C administration.(6)

The skin has numerous essential functions, the primary of which is to act as a barrier against external insults, including pathogens. The epidermal layer is highly cellular, comprising primarily keratinocytes, whilst the dermal layer comprises fibroblasts which secrete collagen fibers, the major component of the dermis. Vitamin C is actively accumulated into the epidermal and dermal cells via the two sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter (SVCT) isoforms suggesting that the vitamin has crucial functions within the skin. (7)

Accumulation of millimolar concentrations of vitamin C into neutrophils, particularly following activation of their oxidative burst, is thought to protect these cells from oxidative damage. Vitamin C-dependent modulation of thiol-dependent cell signalling and gene expression pathways has been reported in T-cells. (8)

The role of organic vitamin C in promoting physical activity may relate to its antioxidant properties since oxidative stress is related to fatigue. Vitamin C also possesses neuroprotective properties and influences the brain’s oxidative fuel supply, processes that influence a sense of wellbeing. (9)

Vitamin C is required for collagen synthesis by acting as a cofactor for non-heme iron α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases such as prolyl 4-hydroxylase. Vitamin C stimulates all types of collagen synthesis by donating electrons required for hydroxylation of proline and lysine in procollagen by specific hydroxylase enzymes. (10)

Bioflavonoids have shown to improve the therapeutic action of vitamin C. In particular, bioflavonoids seem to have a synergistic role with vitamin C in strengthening capillary walls. This is an important consideration for individuals who bruise easily since brittle, fragile capillaries burst easily upon impact causing the characteristic discolouration of bruising. (11)

One recent study published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition demonstrated favorable outcomes in the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, lipid-lowering, and insulin-sensitizing properties of the bioflavonoid hesperidin. (12)

Bioflavonoids enhance absorption of Vitamin C and helps Stabilisation of Vitamin C. (13)

Primarily, antioxidants perform by delaying, preventing or removing oxidative harm to a target molecule. The comprehensive mode of action of flavonoids includes (1) quenching free radical elements, (2) chelating metal, (3) suppressing the enzymes associated with free radical generation, and (4) stimulation of internal antioxidant enzymes. The best-described antioxidant property of flavonoids derives from its ability to directly scavenge the reactive oxygen species. Flavonoids are able to chelate free radicals immediately by donating a hydrogen atom or by single-electron transfer. (14)

Citations

1. Comparative Bioavailability to Humans of Ascorbic Acid Alone or in Citrus Extract: Department of Chemistry, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, 18510, USA. Joe A. Vinson, PhD Pratima Bose, PhD. Reprinted from the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION Vol. 48, No. 3, pp 601-604. September 1988
2. Anthocyanin Identification, Vitamin C Content, and Antioxidant Capacity of Acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC) Juices: Lemâne DeLva* anD Renée m. GooDRich. University of Florida, IFAS, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, 359 Newell Drive BLDG 475, Room 329, Gainesville, FL 32611-2002.
3. Vitamin C: Is Supplementation Necessary for Optimal Health: Fabien Deruelle, Ph.D.,1 and Bertrand Baron, Ph.D., M.D.2. THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE Volume 14, Number 10, 2008, pp. 1291–1298.
4. Review – Vitamin C and Immune Function: Anitra C. Carr 1,* and Silvia Maggini. Nutrients 2017, 9, 1211; doi: 10.3390/nu9111211.
5. Immune Enhancing Role of Vitamin C and Zinc and effect on Clinical conditions: Eva S. Wintergerst Silvia Maggini Dietrich H. Hornig Bayer Consumer Care Ltd., Basel, and Reinach, Switzerland. Article in Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism · February 2006. DOI: 10.1159/000090495 ·
6. Review – Vitamin C and Immune Function: Anitra C. Carr 1,* and Silvia Maggini. Nutrients 2017, 9, 1211; doi: 10.3390/nu9111211.
7. Review – Vitamin C and Immune Function: Anitra C. Carr 1,* and Silvia Maggini. Nutrients 2017, 9, 1211; doi: 10.3390/nu9111211.
8. Review – Vitamin C and Immune Function: Anitra C. Carr 1,* and Silvia Maggini. Nutrients 2017, 9, 1211; doi: 10.3390/nu9111211.
9. Vitamin C Supplementation Slightly Improves Physical Activity Levels and Reduces Cold Incidence in Men with Marginal Vitamin C Status: A Randomized Controlled Trial: Carol S. Johnston,*, Gillean M. Barkyoumb and Sara S. Schumacher. Nutrients 2014, 6, 2572-2583; doi:10.3390/nu6072572.
10. Effects of vitamin C on health: A review of evidence: Article in Frontiers in Bioscience · June 2013 DOI: 10.2741/4160 · Source: PubMed
11. Vitamin C & Bio flavonoids: By Gene Bruno, MS, MHS – Dean of Academics, Huntington College of Health Sciences. Huntington College of Health Sciences
12. Citrus flavonoids and lipid metabolism”: Assini JM, Mulvihill EE, Huff MW. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition- Curr Opin Lipidol. 2013 Feb;24(1):34-40.]
13. Comparative Bioavailability to Humans of Ascorbic Acid Alone or in Citrus Extract: Department of Chemistry, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, 18510, USA.Joe A. Vinson, PhD. Pratima Bose, PhD. Reprinted from the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION Vol. 48, No. 3, pp 601-604. September 1988
14. Antioxidant properties of flavonoids: Sofna D.S. Banjarnahor, Nina Artanti. Med J Indones, Vol. 23, No. 4, 239 November 2014