| Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a white, crystalline, water-soluble substance found in citrus fruits and green vegetables. As an antioxidant, vitamin C scavenges free radicals in the body and protects tissues from oxidative stress. Vitamin C also promotes the absorption of iron, while preventing its oxidation. Vitamin C is a vital co-factor to the formation of collagen, the connective tissue that supports arterial walls, skin, bones, and teeth. It also assists in the production of thyroxin, the thyroid hormone that regulates metabolic rate. More vitamin C is contained in the adrenal glands than any other organ in the body and is required at higher levels during times of stress. Physical stresses on the body such as infections, cigarette smoking, extreme temperatures, ingestion of heavy metals, and chronic use of certain medications also signal the need for increased intake of vitamin C. Along with ascorbic acid, vitamin C also comes in at least two other forms: chemically bonded to minerals as ascorbates, and as the fat-soluble ascorbyl palmitate. Both of these forms are nonacidic. Ascorbyl palmitate is a fat (lipid) soluble form of vitamin C that can reach tissue areas in which ascorbic acid cannot. Even though this form is purely synthetic and is not found in nature, it has been shown to be beneficial for protecting the lipid areas of the body from peroxidation. Technically, the ascorbic acid "part" of ascorbyl palmitate is only 42% of the total weight. Since ascorbyl palmitate and ascorbic acid work in entirely separate areas of the body, however, the concentration of ascorbic acid by weight has little relevance to the benefits of ascorbyl palmitate, and therefore has not been included in the product contents description.
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