Manufacture

The Vitamin C Foundation reports that Vitamin C is manufactured from glucose.

Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 14:17:32-500 (CDT)
From: Owen R. Fonorow
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Manufacturing Vitamin C

Hi,
I was wondering if you could help me on this? I need to know how to “make” vitamin C without having citrus plants available. Is there anywhere I can find this info?

Thank-you,
Bruce

Thank you for contacting the Foundation which is still largely in the organizational stage. I’ll pass this message along to individuals who may have an answer.

According to Patrick Holford in the first article in the first issue of Megascrobic Therapies, animals produce vitamin C in their bodies by converting glucuronic acid derived from glucose (sugar) into ascorbic acid (c6h6o8). Three enzymes are required to make this conversion. So the requirement is sugar (glucose) and not “citrus plants”.

I hope this helps.

Owen Fonorw
President and Co-Founder

I guess "humans" are the only "animals" that can't produce enough vitamin C.

Bruce.

You may know that rose hips (the seed pods of rose plants) contain abundant vitamin C; some people gather them when "ripe" (in the fall) and boil them in water to make a syrup. I don't know whether the ascorbate keeps its potency for long, even in the dark and well covered; it tends to convert quickly to its oxidized form. I'm sure there are other ways of making natural vitamin C from plant parts with high ascorbate content. Of course it would scarcely be pure; you'd be getting phytochemicals in the brew (such as bioflavonoids) as well as other substances.

The most convenient and economical way to "make" your own supply of pure vitamin C is to purchase in bulk (say from Bronson Pharmaceuticals in Missouri) the dry powder or crystal form of ascorbic acid or its "buffered" or mineralized variants: sodium, calcium, and potassium ascorbate. You can stir it into water or juice, or sprinkle it over freshly cut fruit (such as peaches or apricots) to prevent the fruit from turning brown. (I believe the commercial product "Fruit Fresh" is basically vitamin C.) It can be used in canning, freezing, and drying as well.

Barbara Marinacci
Executive Director
THE VITAMIN C FOUNDATION