There has been somewhat of a debate over what form of vitamin C is better to take and more easily utilized by the body.  There are two forms currently available for Vitamin C, one is the Vitamin C Ester option, which is typically a bit more expensive because it is combined with another nutrient which is said to help the vitamin C absorb into the cell’s barriers more effectively, and then there is good, old fashioned ascorbic acid style vitamin C, which is absorbed normally into the body and is said to not penetrate the cell’s barriers and provide the same benefits as quickly as vitamin C ester can.

However, there is of course, as with anything else these days with our blooming knowledge of herbs and vitamins, somewhat of a controversy over which one is better.  Some people say that ascorbic acid is better because it doesnt’ penetrate the cell and therefore doesn’t leave the likelihood that it may also feed cancer cells, since it cannot penetrate cells.  Then there is the argument and Ester C is still better because it does pentrate the cells, even cancer cells, and vitamin C has been shown in some lab tests to actually be toxic to cancer cells.

Honestly, there is not much proof that ester C is not better than ascorbic acid, at least not enough that convinced me it may not be the superior product.  I do take Ester C for my vitamin C supplement personally, so maybe I’m a bit biased, but read for yourself the info that’s out there on the internet and see for yourself whether the arguments for either one are actually convincing.  Unfortunately there are just not enough controlled studies yet, instead the pharmaceutical companies concentrate on deadly treatments like chemotherapy rather than less toxic possibilities. 

Vitamin E in skin care products, whether they are lotions, oils or creams, has been considered an effective additive for anti-aging results.  As a moisturizer, vitamin E is used to treat and prevent rough and itchy skin and to protect skin from irritation.
Vitamin E, in a capsule, may be pierced open and directly applied on a dry irritation or even a minor burn.  The natural emollient action restores moisture and often promotes healing.  The disadvantage of opening the capsule and applying it directly on any skin irritation is that it is messy, oily and sticky.  However, it is often effective.
Since vitamin E is the major lipid soluble antioxidant of the skin, it is used in a multitude of skin irritations.  Vitamin E is often combined with aloe vera, emollients and collagen in topical preparations to promote wound repair and new tissue growth.  It is known as an extremely therapeutic agent to the skin, and is used many times of sunburns as an alternative to aloe vera, and is a soothing antidote to skin trauma sometimes as well.

Vitamin E is an effective means of reducing oxidative stress when consumed orally in the diet or via capsules.  Vitamin E helps support healthy skin tissue by it’s antioxidant qualities.  Foods naturally rich in vitamin E include Swiss chard, mustard greens, sunflower seeds, spinach and almonds.   In the year, 2000, the RDA established by the National Academy of Sciences was 15 milligrams per day for adults age 14 and older.
Vitamin E is helpful in protecting the skin from UV damage.  Vitamin E taken in the diet and applied topically help the skin cell membranes with this protective effect.  You still need sunscreen for sun exposure however.
Vitamin E supplements taken to excess can produce a toxicity with signs and symptoms including fatigue, intestinal cramping, muscle weakness and double vision.   If taking supplements, do not exceed the recommended dosages.  For the best results from vitamin E, eat a diet high in vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B3, selenium and glutathione.  All if these nutrients work well together for the optimal antioxidant effect.

Under the subject, antioxidants on the internet, I came across one type called the most powerful antioxidant in the world.  After clicking on the link, my curiosity led me to try to see how it differed from all the other antioxidants on the market today.
This food supplement consists of a combination of grape seed, bilberry, red wine, citrus extract biflavonoids and pine bark extracts.  All of the ingredients found in this particular supplement are powerful antioxidants. One ingredient of note in this supplement is Pycgnogenol, a potent biflavonoid.
According to the website, this antioxidant is an isotonic solution, which maximizes the body’s ability to absorb it.  The isotonic solution that it is based in resembles the fluid balance state of our plasma.  The end result is easy absorption by the small intestines to enhance optimal effectiveness in neutralizing free radicals.
Free radicals are structures that cause oxidation that in turn does damage to our cells.   The process of aging, other environmental factors and stress promote the production of free radicals.  Antioxidants fight the effects of these free radicals.  Vitamins A, C and E are examples of antioxidants that help reverse the damage of free radicals.
An endorsement by Dr. Steven Lamm who is a practicing internist as well as a faculty member of the New York University School of Medicine appears on the website.  Benefits of this particular supplement are plentiful from the condition of your skin improving to keeping levels of glucose healthier. 
Cholesterol levels should improve, menstrual symptoms and abdominal cramping should diminish and it has anti-inflammatory effects.  In addition, joints should increase their ease of mobility and cardiovascular health should improve.  Due to the pycnogenol and the isotonic solution this antioxidant is delivered in, it states that it is 20 times more potent than vitamin C and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E in neutralizing free radicals.

I think the whole world right now is enamored with antioxidants and what they can do for the body and overall health by protecting cells from free radical damage.  But is it all hype, or are antioxidants truly one of the best weapons against aging, cancer, degenerative diseases associated with aging and cell damage, skin deterioration, and organ deterioration? 

In my opinion, yes they are.  I can tell you from personal experience that when I make sure I am consuming a diet high in antioxidants which are not process such as brightly colored and darkly colored fruits and vegetables, almonds, certain grains which contain antioxidants, and even certain types of meats and fish which contain cell protectors, I hardly ever get sick, my energy goes through the roof, weight goes down and I look at least five years younger.

If that’s not personal proof enough that antioxidants live up to their good name, then I’m not sure what is.  Granted, that’s an anecdotal piece of evidence, however, more and more people are noticing what a huge impact high antioxidant intake, especially through diet has made on their lives and their health.  As I write this, I am sitting here eating a big bowl of chopped strawberries with some lowfat yogurt and slivered natural almonds, which is a highly antioxidant breakfast, and I feel great after eating it. 

The whole point of this post is that you must space out your antioxidants during the day to get maximum impact.  Studies have shown that antioxidant levels in the body are not easily maintained and need to be replenished frequently, which is why researchers recommend you get antioxidant fruits and veggies and other foods in with every single meal.  It follows logic, right?  If you think it’s hard, it really isn’t. 

You probably don’t even know most of the foods that are on the antioxidant powerhouse list, I know I didn’t.  For example, did you know that broccoli and cabbage contain high levels of certain types of antioxidants?  If you’re unsure of what foods you could eat throughout the day to maintain your levels and also enjoy a nice variety, look it up online and you’ll see an abundance of different, delicious foods that fit the bill.

In some more interesting studies and news as of late, it was found that a deficiency in a key B vitamin, otherwise known as folate, may trigger earlier dementia in elderly men and women.  The reason may be partly related to the fact the this vitamin is linked to creating new cells in the body, with brain cells being one of those purported to be created through this nutrient. 

Since folate, and the synthetic form of folate which you may find a bit more recognizable, folic acid, are linked to the creation of new cells in the body and the brain, it may help speed the brain’s cells, and a fast decline if brain cells creates the domino effect which leads to demential, among other defects like memory loss. 

Folate is a water soluble vitamin, which means that they are not stored in the body (and therefore you are less likely to “OD” on them as with some other vitamins), and they must be replenished on a daily basis.  This can prove tricky for the traditional western diet, much of which is not nutrient dense unfortunately, and may seriously lack this vitamin.

Natural sources of folate come in the following foods that you should definitely be getting in some form on a daily basis in your diet (we all know it’s a hundred times better to eat the food rather than try to get this through a vitamin or supplement) : Leafy green veggies like spinach, kale, watercress and other deeply green colored vegetables, citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, dired legumes, and a few other less notable and common foods.

You may notice that a lot of cereals and other pre-made foods feature labels boasting they are fortified with folic acid, the synthetic form of folate we mentioned earlier, or simply fortified with vitamin B, but this is not the same as eating the whole food with  the unblemished nutrient in it, where maximum absorption allows the nutrient to go to work and do what it does best in the body - keep those blood cells going!