Size
Doctor's Best High Absorption Vitamin C Sustained Release
Doctor's Best High Absorption Vitamin C Sustained Release keeps it simple: a daily dose of vitamin C, in a tablets format, 60 tablets per pack.
Why people take it
- Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system
- Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin, bones and cartilage
- Vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
- Vitamin C increases iron absorption
How to use
Take as directed on the pack, ideally with food and at the same time each day.
Good to know
- Format: tablets
- Caffeine free
A food supplement, not a substitute for a varied diet and healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the stated dose. Keep out of reach of children.
At a glance
£0.36
per daily dose
Moderate
evidence for vitamin c
Our honest take
A slow-release vitamin C tablet: 500 mg each with 50 mg of citrus bioflavonoids, taken twice a day for 1,000 mg in total. Most people get the 80 mg reference intake easily from fruit and vegetables, and extra vitamin C has not been shown to prevent colds in the general population. Slow release is a nice idea, but there is little evidence it makes a real difference; a basic 500 mg tablet costs less.
- You eat little fruit or vegetables and want a steady vitamin C top-up
- You prefer a tablet that releases slowly through the day
- You eat fruit and vegetables daily: you probably get enough already
- You have had kidney stones or have haemochromatosis (iron overload), without your doctor's advice
- You want the cheapest vitamin C: a basic tablet or powder costs less per day
The science
Vitamin C· evidence: Moderate
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, or mineral ascorbates such as sodium, calcium or magnesium ascorbate) is an essential vitamin found in fruit and vegetables. Adults need about 40 mg a day in the UK, and most people who eat fruit and vegetables get enough. The body cannot store much, and absorption falls off at higher doses, so the extra from a 1,000 mg tablet is largely passed in urine.
The best evidence on colds (a Cochrane review) found that taking vitamin C every day does not stop most people catching colds, but may shorten them slightly. People doing very heavy physical exercise are the exception, where regular vitamin C roughly halved the number of colds in trials.
A supplement makes sense if your diet is low in fruit and vegetables, if you smoke, or around periods of hard training. Most people do not need mega-doses, and fancy forms (liposomal, ester or buffered) have little evidence of meaningful benefit over plain ascorbic acid, though buffered forms can be gentler on the stomach.
Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of bones. Vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Vitamin C contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. Vitamin C increases iron absorption. (Applies where a daily dose gives at least 15% of the NRV, i.e. 12 mg.) Vitamin C contributes to maintain the normal function of the immune system during and after intense physical exercise (applies where the daily intake is 200 mg in addition to the recommended daily intake).
Typical dose: The UK reference intake for adults is 40 mg a day (NRV on labels: 80 mg). Supplements commonly give 200 to 1,000 mg.
Safety: The FSA advises that 1,000 mg (1 g) a day or less from supplements is unlikely to cause harm. Higher doses can cause stomach pain, diarrhoea and wind. People with a history of kidney stones, haemochromatosis (iron overload) or kidney disease should speak to their GP before taking high doses. Chewable and powder forms are acidic and can affect tooth enamel.
Research we looked at:
NHS. Vitamin C. nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-c
Hemilä H, Chalker E. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013;(1):CD000980.
EFSA NDA Panel. Scientific opinion on dietary reference values for vitamin C. EFSA Journal 2013;11(11):3418.
Carr AC, Vissers MCM. Synthetic or food-derived vitamin C: are they equally bioavailable? Nutrients 2013;5(11):4284-4304.
Ingredients & nutrition
Always check the pack you receive, as manufacturers sometimes update recipes.
How to use
Price per dose & how it compares
| Product | Size | Price | Per daily dose |
|---|---|---|---|
| This product | 60 tablets | £10.99 | £0.36 |
| Applied Nutrition Vitality Vitamin C 1000 | from £9.49 | – | |
| Doctor's Best Vitamin C | from £17.42 | £0.29 | |
| Doctor's Best Pure Vitamin C Powder with Quali-C | from £23.99 | £0.10 |
Cost per daily dose lets you compare packs of different sizes fairly.Worked out from our current prices.
Food supplements should not replace a varied, balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. General information, not medical advice. Speak to your GP or pharmacist first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication.
Doctor's Best High Absorption Vitamin C Sustained Release keeps it simple: a daily dose of vitamin C, in a tablets format, 60 tablets per pack.
Why people take it
- Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system
- Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin, bones and cartilage
- Vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
- Vitamin C increases iron absorption
How to use
Take as directed on the pack, ideally with food and at the same time each day.
Good to know
- Format: tablets
- Caffeine free
A food supplement, not a substitute for a varied diet and healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the stated dose. Keep out of reach of children.
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