NOW Foods Vitamin C Crystals

Name: NOW Foods Vitamin C Crystals
Brand: NOW Foods
SKU: 733739007902
Price: 8.99 GBP
Availability: InStock

Brands: NOW Foods

£8.99

If you want a daily dose of vitamin C without a cupboard full of separate bottles, this powder option from NOW Foods is a sensible place to start.

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

Choose from 2 sizes: 227 grams / 454 grams
Format: powder
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.

Size: 227 grams

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Categories : Caffeine-Free Supplements, Everyday Health Supplements, NOW Foods, Vitamin C Supplements, Vitamins & Supplements

SKU: 733739007902

At a glance

£0.03

per daily dose

Moderate

evidence for vitamin c

Our honest take

Pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid) crystals with nothing else added: a quarter teaspoon gives 1,100 mg, and the 227 g tub lasts about 206 days, so this is one of the cheapest ways to take vitamin C. You can easily take less by using a smaller pinch. Most people get the 80 mg reference intake from fruit and vegetables, and extra vitamin C has not been shown to prevent colds in the general population.

You want the lowest-cost vitamin C with no fillers
You are happy to measure a powder and mix it into a drink
You have a sensitive stomach: plain ascorbic acid is acidic; a buffered form may suit you better
You have had kidney stones or have haemochromatosis, without your doctor's advice
You eat fruit and vegetables daily

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.

Authorised health claim
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

Per daily dose (1/4 level teaspoon, 1.1 g): vitamin C (ascorbic acid) 1,100 mg (1,375% NRV). 227 g = about 206 daily doses; 454 g = about 412 daily doses.

Ingredients: ascorbic acid. No other ingredients. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Always check the pack you receive, as manufacturers sometimes update recipes.

How to use

Mix 1/4 level teaspoon into juice or water once a day. Do not exceed the stated daily dose. Rinse your mouth with water afterwards, as vitamin C is acidic.

Price per dose & how it compares

Product	Size	Price	Per daily dose
This product	227 grams	£8.99	£0.04
This product	454 grams	£15.99	£0.03
Doctor's Best Pure Vitamin C Powder with Quali-C		from £23.99	£0.10
NOW Foods Magnesium Ascorbate		from £19.82	£0.09
NOW Foods Sodium Ascorbate		from £10.41	£0.09

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.