IS LIPOSOMAL VITAMIN C BETTER THAN REGULAR VITAMIN CCC

IS LIPOSOMAL VITAMIN C BETTER THAN REGULAR VITAMIN C, THEN WHY?

Vitamin C is a necessity for good health, and vitamin C supplements have been a reasonable alternative to provide our bodies. Unfortunately, the body does not absorb large amounts of standard vitamin C well due to its inability to support the body's digestive processes.

At best, the body only absorbs up to 20% of standard vitamin C at one time. The rest is quickly eliminated through the urine. Much higher doses can cause gastric problems, including gas, colic, and diarrhea.

Until recently, intravenous administration of vitamin C had detected the most effective form of absorption, but this method is expensive and impractical. However, liposomal vitamin C allows taking vitamin C orally and ensures that it reaches the cells they require.

Liposomal technology allows increasing the absorption of nutrients by capturing active ingredients within protective membranes called liposomes. These small liposomal bubbles have a double layer of phospholipid molecules (similar to the cell membranes of your own body) that protect the content they carry inside gastric juices to get vitamin C directly to the cells. The unique method of administration protects vitamin C from oxidation and degradation, avoiding gastrointestinal problems, and guaranteeing the availability of around 100%.

A significant number of studies have already documented the versatile benefits of using liposomes to deliver vitamin C to specific locations and achieve efficient absorption in cells.

VITAMIN C

Vitamins are organic substances necessary to sustain life. Among them, vitamin C participates in the development of connective tissues, the metabolism of lipids and vitamins, the synthesis of hormones and neurotransmitters, immune function, in wound healing, and acts in the detoxification process of free radicals.

Unfortunately, humans cannot produce vitamin C, so it must be incorporated through our diet (food) or vitamin supplements.

EFFECTS AND BENEFITS OF VITAMIN C IN OUR BODY

• Vitamin C favors the absorption of iron, calcium, and folic acid. What prevents allergic reactions
• A decrease in the intracellular content of vitamin C can lead to immunosuppression (reduction or cancellation of the immune response). Therefore, vitamin C supplementation is recommended during infection and stress.
• Vitamin C is essential for suppressing the production of interleukin 18, a regulatory factor in malignant tumors.
• Another essential quality is that vitamin C stimulates the formation of bile in the gallbladder and facilitates the excretion of steroid hormones.
• It also acts directly on the production of collagen and is an enzymatic cofactor of crucial enzymes for stabilizing type I and III collagen fibers.
• For the first time in 1969 that venous administration of vitamin C was reported in high concentrations could exert a pro-oxidant action on cancer cells. This theory has been revised in recent years, and it is reported that vitamin C could selectively kill cancer cells. However, this theory remains controversial in the scientific community.
• According to several studies, vitamin C is effective in treating hyperpigmentation, melasma, and sunspots.
• In 2018, the effect of vitamin C in the prevention of male infertility was studied. These results indicate that its use may be useful to prevent damage to seminal DNA.

BIOAVAILABILITY OF VITAMIN C

Compared to intravenous infusion of vitamin C, oral administration of vitamin C is usually less effective, in part due to the lower bioavailability of vitamin C in the presence of gastric acids.

After ingestion, the subsequent bioavailability of vitamin C is determined mainly by intestinal absorption rates, by renal reabsorption and excretion. Direct vitamin C infusion avoids dependence on intestinal absorption; thus, high circulating complications are achieved shortly after administration. Vitamin C infusion is an impractical mode for most of the general public. There is also a risk of infection, discomfort, and phlebitis (inflammation of the veins). Consequently, an alternative mode of adequate vitamin C supply is of apparent interest. In this sense, the consumption of vitamin C encapsulated in liposomes is a viable option.

LIPOSOMES are hollow microscopic spherical vesicles composed of a lipid bilayer. When used to transport pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements, liposomes are an effective method of drug/supplement delivery.

When ingested, the pharmacokinetic properties of intestinal liposome absorption override the usual absorption pattern of the encapsulated drug. That is, the administration of a drug/supplement with a slow or regulated absorption pattern, such as vitamin C, can be accelerated when encapsulated within a liposome.

LIPOSOMAL VITAMIN C

Liposomal Vitamin C is an advanced form designed for better absorption and utilization within the body. Liposomes have an internal compartment made up of water and water-soluble active ingredients. Vitamin C is protected within the inner chamber of the liposomal structure.

The main advantage of liposomal vitamin C is that it has better absorption. The bioavailability of liposomal vitamin C is significantly higher than that of regular vitamin C. It is absorbed by the body almost twice the level of daily vitamin C. Liposomal vitamin C is often promoted as an oral alternative to that of an intravenous dose of vitamin C.

FACTORS AFFECTING THE STABILITY AND RESERVES OF VITAMIN C

SMOKE

Smoking is a major source of oxidants, and estimates have suggested that each inhalation of a cigarette is equivalent to the inhalation of approximately 1014 tar phase radicals and 1015 gas-phase radicals. Not surprisingly, this significantly affects the body's antioxidant defense, as evidenced by a persistent association between tobacco smoke and poor antioxidant status in general and poor vitamin C status in particular. Active smoking generally depletes the vitamin C group by 25-50% compared to what they never smoke, while environmental exposure to tobacco smoke causes a drop of about half that amount. One study showed that quitting smoking immediately restored half of the vitamin C depletion observed from smoking.

PREGNANCY

Maternal vitamin C status has been shown to decrease gradually from the first to the third trimester. It is a change not only explained by the increased volume of distribution but rather by selective accumulation through the placenta. Doctors recommend an increase in vitamin C intake that ranges from an additional 10 to 35 mg of vitamin C to offset this increase in maternal resources.

Several preclinical studies have illustrated the importance of vitamin C in early development, particularly in the brain and cognition. In humans, studies have shown that poor maternal vitamin C status causes fetal oxidative stress, impaired implantation, and an increased risk of complications, including preeclampsia.

DISEASE

Many diseases, including infectious diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and sepsis, have been associated with reduced vitamin C status. Considerable studies have shown that vitamin C deficiency negatively affects risk factors—Independent of, for example, the development of cardiovascular diseases.

THE ROLE OF VITAMIN C IN THE IMMUNITY

Vitamin C affects various components of the human immune system; for example, vitamin C has been shown to stimulate the production and function of leukocytes (white blood cells), especially neutrophils, lymphocytes, and phagocytes.

 Specific measures of vitamin C-stimulated functions include cell motility and phagocytosis. Neutrophils and lymphocytes accumulate vitamin C in high concentrations, which can protect these cell types from oxidative damage. In response to invading microorganisms, leukocytes also release toxins, such as superoxide radicals; these reactive oxygen species kill pathogens. Leukocytes also produce and release cytokines, including interferons, which have antiviral activity. Other studies have reported that vitamin C improves the chemo-tactical and microbial destruction capacity of neutrophils and stimulates the proliferation and differentiation of B and T lymphocytes.

SOURCES OF VITAMIN C

Unlike plants and most animals, humans have lost the ability to produce vitamin C; therefore, we need to obtain it through our daily diet.

As shown in the following table, different fruits and vegetables vary in their vitamin C content, but five servings (equivalent to 2½ cups) of a variety of fruits and vegetables should average 150-200 mg of vitamin C.

DEFICIENCY

A severe vitamin C deficiency has been known for many centuries as a potentially fatal disease, SCORBUT. In the late 1700s, the British Navy was aware that scurvy could be cured by eating oranges or lemons. However, vitamin C would not be isolated until the early 1930s. Symptoms of scurvy include subcutaneous bleeding, poor wound healing, and easy onset of bruising, hair loss, tooth loss, and joint pain and swelling. Such symptoms appear to be linked to the weakening of the blood vessels, connective tissue, and bone, containing collagen. The initial symptoms of scurvy, such as fatigue, may result from decreased carnitine levels, the synthesis of which is needed to derive energy from fat. Scurvy is rare in developed countries because it can be prevented with a minimum of 10 mg of vitamin C daily. However, cases have occurred in children and the elderly with very restricted diets.

TOXICITY

Several possible adverse health effects of massive doses of vitamin C have been identified, mainly based on IN VITRO experiments or REPORTS OF ISOLATED CASES. They include genetic mutations, kidney stones, the increased stress of oxidative stress, excess absorption of iron, and dental erosion. However, none of these putative adverse health effects have been confirmed in subsequent studies. There is no reliable scientific evidence that vitamin C doses up to 10g / day are toxic to health.

Regarding kidney stones, two studies reported that consumption of up to 1,500mg of vitamin C did not increase the risk of kidney stone formation. On the other hand, two other extensive prospective studies reported that high vitamin C intake was associated with an increased risk of kidney stone formation in men. Despite conflicting results, it may be prudent for people predisposed to kidney stone formation to avoid high-dose vitamin C supplementation.

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient with antioxidant properties, but it also plays a vital role in people's general health. Both oral application and intravenous administration have their limitations when trying to reach and maintain saturated plasma levels. However, the liposomal packaging of vitamin C may be one way to overcome these limitations. It has already been shown that an oral application of vitamin C packed with liposomes can successfully raise and maintain plasma vitamin C levels, allowing the body to receive its full benefits.