Why Buffered? – Ask Joe DiMatteo

Ever wonder what the difference is between regular Vitamin C and the more expensive Buffered Vitamin C? We’re glad you asked!

Regular vitamin C, especially in higher doses, can cause significant stomach upset. What’s more, the body doesn’t quickly absorb the quantities we often need. If you’re fighting off sickness, pregnant, nursing, or any of a dozen other conditions, you need a LOT of C. Regular (un-buffered) supplements are just not as bio-available. That’s a fancy way of saying your body won’t use it. In fact, you’ll probably just pass it in your urine.

Buffered vitamin C is created when a mineral salt is added to ascorbic acid. A highly absorbable form of vitamin C is combined with buffering minerals magnesium, potassium, and calcium which allow for higher doses without stomach upset and for supporting proper muscle relaxation and contraction. Because it’s buffered, it also resists changes in pH, producing a more suitable formulation for those with sensitive stomachs.

In short, the main difference between buffered C and unbuffered, or simply vitamin C, is that buffered C is less acidic and more usable.

So why are we talking so much about vitamin C?

Because it’s a nutrient and antioxidant that is one of the essential vitamins you need to consume on a daily basis.The National Institute of Health recommends that most adult women need around 75 milligrams of vitamin C per day and men need 90 milligrams per day.

However, smokers (and people regularly exposed to secondhand smoke) need more vitamin C than average; they should consume an additional 35 milligrams per day.

Pregnant women need to up their intake to 85 milligrams per day and nursing moms need 120 milligrams per day.

Of course, the best way to get your vitamin C in is through food, but a lot of people simply aren’t getting enough of it, but with most people not getting enough of it through food, they are turning to supplements.

Both buffered and unbuffered vitamin C have pretty much the same nutritional benefits, but since buffered vitamin C is less acidic, it means that it will cause less gastrointestinal irritation and it’s less likely to produce kidney stones, making it better tolerated as a supplement. It may also contain additional nutrients giving you an added nutritional boost.

Vitamin C is incredibly vital to your health because it’s a key component in all sorts of function in the body, including:

Improving fertility
Helping the body make collagen
Supporting wound healing
Helping the body absorb iron from plant-based foods
Supporting the immune system
Protecting cells from free radicals, which helps prevent disease
Preventing deficiency-related health problems, like scurvy
Preventing or managing urinary tract infections

If you’re not getting the recommended daily dose through your diet (and most Americans aren’t), we strongly recommend that you look into getting a buffered vitamin C supplement. Vitamin C packs a powerful punch and buffered vitamin C is the safest and most effective form of C available.