Vitamin C should be the simplest supplement in the shop. Everyone has heard of it, it costs pennies to make, and yet the shelf has somehow become a battleground of liposomal this, buffered that, and prices ranging from two quid to forty. A customer asked me last winter why one vitamin C cost twenty times more than another when the label said the same thing, and the honest answer took ten minutes. This is that ten minutes written down: what vitamin C actually does, the forms explained without the marketing, how much to take, and when a supplement makes sense at all.
- Vitamin C is one of the few supplements where the official claims list is genuinely impressive.
- I sell supplements for a living and I will still tell you this: the NHS reference intake of 40mg a day is easy to hit from food.
What vitamin C actually does
Vitamin C is one of the few supplements where the official claims list is genuinely impressive. Under EFSA-authorised claims, vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system, to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin, bones, cartilage, gums, teeth and blood vessels, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, and to normal functioning of the nervous system. It also increases iron absorption, which matters if you take an iron supplement or eat little red meat. There is even a specific authorised claim that vitamin C contributes to maintaining normal immune function during and after intense exercise, based on 200mg a day on top of normal intake, which is why runners and gym regulars are steady vitamin C customers of mine all winter.
Note the wording: contributes to normal function. Vitamin C supports a healthy immune system. It is not a cold cure, and anyone who sells it as one is selling you a story.
Food first: do you even need a supplement?
I sell supplements for a living and I will still tell you this: the NHS reference intake of 40mg a day is easy to hit from food. One pepper, a couple of kiwis, a decent portion of broccoli, an orange, any of these gets you there. Your body cannot store vitamin C, so it wants a steady daily supply, but a halfway decent diet provides one.
Where a supplement earns its place is the gap between easy and actual. Smokers burn through vitamin C faster and need more. People eating few fruits and vegetables, which is more of my customers than would admit it, run a genuinely low intake. And people who want the higher intakes used in the exercise claim, 200mg plus, will not get there reliably from food alone. A supplement is a backstop and a top-up, not a licence to live on beige food.
The forms, explained without the marketing
Ascorbic acid is vitamin C, full stop. It is the standard form, it is well absorbed, and it is what the vast majority of the research used. Cheap does not mean bad here. If your stomach handles it fine, plain ascorbic acid at a sensible dose is a perfectly good buy.
Buffered vitamin C means the ascorbic acid has been bound to minerals, usually calcium, magnesium or zinc, to make mineral ascorbates. The result is non-acidic and noticeably gentler on the stomach. This is the form I steer people towards when they tell me plain vitamin C repeats on them or they want to take higher doses. You get a little less vitamin C per gram, and you pay a bit more, in exchange for comfort.
Vitamin C with bioflavonoids adds plant compounds that occur naturally alongside vitamin C in fruit. It is closer to how you would meet vitamin C in food, and it is a sensible mid-priced option, though the vitamin C itself is doing the heavy lifting.
Liposomal vitamin C wraps the vitamin in tiny fat bubbles, and the pitch is superior absorption. Some early research is interesting, but I will be straight with you: for most people taking normal doses, standard vitamin C absorbs perfectly well, and the liposomal premium is hard to justify. It has its fans, and I do not argue with anyone's own experience, but it is not where I would start.
Food-sourced vitamin C, from fruits like acerola cherry, gives you vitamin C in its whole-food context with naturally occurring cofactors. Doses per serving are lower, the cost per milligram is higher, and the people who buy it want a food-state product on principle, which is a fair enough principle to have.
How much, and when
The UK reference intake is 80mg for labelling purposes, and the NHS baseline of 40mg a day prevents deficiency. Common supplemental doses run from 200mg to 1000mg daily. Absorption gets less efficient as the dose climbs, so if you are taking more, splitting it into two doses with meals works better than one big hit. Stay at or below 1000mg a day unless advised otherwise: the NHS notes that taking large amounts over that can cause stomach pain, wind and diarrhoea, which is your gut telling you the excess is going straight through. Timing is unfussy. Vitamin C is water-soluble, take it whenever suits, with food if your stomach is sensitive, and daily consistency beats any clever schedule. If you have kidney problems, a history of kidney stones, or take prescription medication, check with your GP or pharmacist first.
What we stock at LSC
The everyday high-strength option is Viridian Extra C 950mg, a clean, properly dosed capsule from a brand that has never once let me down on label honesty. For sensitive stomachs the Terranova Vitamin C 250mg Multi-Ascorbate Complex is a buffered, non-acidic blend that my higher-dose customers get on with well. If you want the food-state route, Viridian's Acerola Liquid Vitamin C covers it. And the wider Immunity collection is where vitamin C sits alongside zinc, vitamin D and the rest of the winter counter regulars.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best form of vitamin C to take?
For most people, plain ascorbic acid at a sensible dose. Switch to buffered vitamin C if it bothers your stomach. Liposomal is optional luxury, not a requirement.
Is 1000mg of vitamin C a day too much?
For most healthy adults 1000mg is the sensible ceiling for daily use. Above that the NHS notes stomach upset becomes likely, and the extra is not absorbed efficiently anyway.
Should I take vitamin C in the morning or evening?
Whenever you will remember it. It is water-soluble and not stored, so a consistent daily habit matters far more than the time on the clock.
Does vitamin C help you absorb iron?
Yes, this one is an authorised claim: vitamin C increases iron absorption. Taking it alongside an iron supplement or an iron-rich meal is a genuinely useful pairing.