Mineral Ascorbates
Mineral Ascorbates are vitamin C (usually ascorbic acid) bound to one or more minerals. These minerals are typically calcium, magnesium, potassium, and/or sodium. Many people prefer the  mineral ascorbates, also known as buffered, forms of vitamin C since it is thought they may be better absorbed, easier on the system since they are less acidic, and more effective for combatting some maladies. Mineral ascorbates can also be used as a mineral supplement to supplement minerals like calcium and magnesium. However, most mineral ascorbates have but small amounts of the minerals since it only takes roughly 1 part of a base, alkaline mineral like magnesium or calcium (in the form of carbonate) to fully  react 10 parts of ascorbic acid.
There are two types of mineral ascorbates. One is the fully-reacted type , where the ascorbate reaction has already occurred. With this type, it is possible to have the product in capsule or tablet form, although they are often also available in powdered form. The other type is the non-reacted . It usually comes in a powder form and must be mixed with water so the reaction occurs. This is an effervescent reaction, with carbon dioxide forming as the ascorbic acid mixes with the alkaline mineral(s) to form the mineral ascorbates. The non-reacted type can also come in large tablets meant to be added to water to effervesce. One does  not want to make the mistake of swallowing a non-reacted type without first adding to water to let the effervescent reaction occur since if it occurs in the stomach, it is a painful and gassy experience!
There are many products of each type available. An example of the fully-reacted form is Ester-C, which is calcium ascorbate. Even when Ester-C comes in powder form, it is already reacted, although people who don't like to use capsules or tablets may prefer it in a powder anyway. The trademarked Ester-C formula is licensed to many different manufacturers and used in a wide variety of products. Another example of a reacted mineral ascorbate is Allergy Research Magnesium Ascorbate, which comes in capsule form. Some multivitamins contain vitamin C in the form of a mineral ascorbate, too, usually magnesium and/or calcium ascorbate. Although Ester-C is a trademark,  there are many other manufacturers of calcium ascorbate, too, and they are usually less expensive and just as high, or higher, quality. A good example of this is Now Foods Calcium Ascorbate. It comes in capsule or fully reacted powder forms and with about the same ratio of calcium to vitamin C as Ester-C.
Besides calcium ascorbate, Now has other reacted mineral ascorbates products in tablet, capsule, and powder form including magnesium ascorbate and sodium ascorbate, plus Now Ascorbate Minerals, which is an excellent tableted supplement with calcium, magnesium, zinc,. potassium, and manganese ascorbates. Many people prefer to use this type instead of Ester-C or plain calcium ascorbate since magnesium, for  example, is usually much harder to get in the diet so more people are deficient, so a more beneficial supplement than calcium.
 The other type of mineral ascorbate product is the non-reacted type. The most popular product of this genre is probably Alacer's Emergen-C. Emergen-C is highly regarded by Electroherbalism. They have an excellent formula with ascorbates of calcium, magnesium (more magnesium than calcium!), zinc,  manganese, chromium, sodium, and potassium. Emergen-C is also convenient and comes in small single serving packets which are easy to pack for travel, work, or whenever they might be necessary. Emergen-C comes in many varieties and for various purposes. One has MSM (1000mg per packet), another with glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin (called Joint Health), another with cranberry powder, and many others. Alacer also makes a couple of  products of the fully reacted mineral ascorbates tableted type including Super Gram II (with a formula similar to Now Ascorbate Minerals described above) and a multivitamin called SuperGram III.
Twinlab makes two non-reacted mineral ascorbates products called Ascorbate-C and Super Ascorbate-C. The Ascorbate-C has just calcium ascorbate with rose hips, bioflavonoids, acerola, and rutin, while the Super Ascorbate-C, a better formula, uses a mixture of minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, etc) instead of just calcium.
Nutribiotic, most famous for their line of grapefruit seed extracts,  makes a few excellent non-reacted mineral ascorbates powdered products. These provide high potency levels since they come in large canisters and the serving size is a teaspoon mixed in water. Their Ascorbate Bio-C contains 3g (3000mg) of vitamin C plus 300mg calcium, 150mg magnesium, plus potassium, zinc, manganese, chromium, selenium, and bioflavonoids. Even better is their Hypo-Aller-C, since it has a 1:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium  with 2600mg vitamin C, 350mg calcium, 350mg magnesium, and a few other minerals, although it does not contain bioflavonoids and selenium, which can prove useful.
Nutribiotic also makes a fully-reacted sodium ascorbate powder as well as an excellent product called Nutribiotic Meta-C. Meta-C is vitamin C bound to phytoplankton (chlorella) with calcium and bioflavonoids. It states as an ingredient "Biologically Active Metabolites and Dehydroascorbic Acid." Given that is combines chlorella with vitamin C, another good chelator, it may be a much more effective product for the detox regimens for which chlorella alone is often used. The problem with Meta-C powder is that it tastes awful plus does not mix well with water.  Luckily, it is also available in tablet form for those who wish to use it.
Also noteworthy is Nutribiotic's Essential Electrolytes, another excellent formula which although it is fully reacted, the capsules can be taken straight or broken  and mixed in water to provide a proper balance of electrolytes, not just a lot of sodium (and sugar) with a little potassium as in Gatorade. Alacer makes an electrolyte mix, too, called Electromix, a non-reacted type. Although it comes in small packets like Emergen-C and is convenient, it does not contain any sodium, which a good electrolyte mix should. Instead of vitamin C, Electromix uses citric and malic acids to react the minerals. A problem with Nutrabiotic vitamin C and mineral ascorbates products is that they are difficult to find. Nutribiotic has an online store, but the products are generally sold at list price. Much cheaper is HerbsMD, which stocks many of their products, while iHerb and Vitacost carry a few of them. Local health food stores which carry the Nutribiotic line  can usually special order their mineral ascorbates products, too.
Someone who does not like the nutrient ratios of the various mineral ascorbates  products described above can make their own formulation, too, using ascorbic acid mixed with magnesium, calcium, and/or potassium carbonates or bicarbonates. Calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate are easy enough to find since Now Foods carries powdered products of these. Potassium carbonate or bicarbonate is harder to find, but some chemical supply houses do carry it, usually for a high price when in ACS or USP food grade quality. A good product to use to make DIY mineral ascorbates is Cardiovascular Research Ecological Formulas Reagent Quality Tri-Salts Mineral Bicarbonates. Tri-Salts are carbonates and bicarbonates of calcium, magnesium, and potassium with 1/2 tsp providing 450mg calcium, 250mg magnesium, and 99mg potassium. This can be mixed in varying ratios with Now Ascorbic Acid, or other powdered ascorbic acid. When it is mixed with too little ascorbic acid, a tri-salts mixture will taste chalky and flat, but if one desires a very alkaline mineral ascorbates with a high pH, this could be done  easily, for example mixing 1/2 tsp or more of the tri salts with a tsp of ascorbic acid. Plain calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate can bemixed with ascorbic acid, too, to make calcium and/or magnesium ascorbates in whatever ratio one desires.
Note that while calcium carbonate is a pretty concentrated source of calcium (about 40% of calcium carbonate is calcium), there is not as much magnesium in magnesium carbonate - about  25% is magnesium. This means that a gram (about 1/4 tsp) of calcium carbonate contains about 400mg of calcium while a gram of magnesium carbonate (closer to 1/2 tsp since it is light and "fluffy") contains about 250mg.
Electroherbalism carries a few mineral ascorbates products, too. Most popular is their Mineral Ascorbates Heart and Circulation Formula, a comprehensive formula that contains large amounts of nutrients for the heart, including lysine, proline, hawthorn berry, resveratrol, taurine, TMG, bromelain, and many other helpful ingredients  in a base of high-magnesium mineral ascorbates. Electroherbalism also carries a basic Mineral Ascorbates product, too.
Other mineral ascorbate products of note include Airborne and Nutrition Now AirImmune Blast. These products are meant to fight  colds, flu, and other illnesses, especially those transmitted by coughs and sneezes. They are non-reacted tablets which come in a tube of 10 or 12, and like all non-reacted mineral ascorbates products, must be added to water to let effervesce before use. Besides a gram (1000mg) of vitamin C per serving, they also include some vitamins, amino acids, and herbs. Unfortunately, they also add questionable ingredients like the artificial sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame K, and even the petrochemical mineral oil, so they are not recommended for long term use, but are probably safe enough used short term by otherwise healthy people.
This article is also featured on the website www.MineralAscorbates.com |
