Natural C 1,000 mg tablets from Douglas Laboratories contain 1000 mg vitamin C with rose hips and an additional amount of bioflavonoid complex.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has numerous biological functions. Foremost, it is essential for the synthesis of collagen and glycosaminoglycans which are the building materials of all connective tissues, such as skin, blood vessels, tendons, joint cartilage and bone. Vitamin C is the required coenzyme for two groups of enzymes that catalyze the crosslinking of collagen fibers - lysyl hydroxylases and prolyl hydroxylases. As such, vitamin C is essential for normal wound healing and capillary health. It also participates in the biosynthesis of carnitine, serotonin, and certain neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine. Vitamin C is among the most powerful antioxidants in humans and animals. It is a water-soluble, chainbreaking antioxidant that reacts directly with superoxide, hydroxyl radicals, and singlet oxygen. Laboratory studies show that vitamin C completely protects lipids in plasma and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) against atherogenic peroxidative damage. In addition, vitamin C interacts with glutathione and alpha-lipoic acid, and regenerates vitamin E. The antioxidant functions of vitamin C appear to have clinical significance in providing protection from free radical damage to the eyes, lungs, blood and the immune system. Vitamin C is absorbed in the small intestine by a sodium-dependent transport process that is intake dependent. At normal dietary intakes of 60 to 100 mg, up to 80 or 90% of the vitamin C is absorbed. At higher intakes, absorption becomes less efficient. Absorption efficiency and vitamin C utilization may be greatly enhanced during conditions of physiological stress, such as trauma or infection. Bioflavonoids (also called flavonoids) are a class of phytochemicals that are potent antioxidants, which scavenge many potentially damaging free radicals. Another aspect of the antioxidant properties of bioflavonoids is their synergy with vitamin C, as well as their ability to bind to metal ions, preventing these metals from catalyzing enhanced free radical production. Many bioflavonoids support the health of the body’s circulatory system by helping maintain capillary blood flow and proper vascular permeability, integrity, and resiliency.