Vitamin C is one of the most recognized nutrients out there—most people associate it with citrus fruits and cold season. But this essential vitamin does far more than help you bounce back from a sniffle. Behind the scenes, vitamin C plays a daily role in keeping your cells resilient, your energy steady, and your immune defenses sharp.

Despite its familiarity, many people underestimate just how much vitamin C the body needs to thrive—not just survive. And thanks to stress, pollution, and nutrient-depleted diets, your needs may be much higher than the standard guidelines suggest.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what vitamin C actually does in the body, why you might need more than you’re getting, and how to choose a supplement that delivers results you can feel.

The Basics: What Vitamin C Does in Your Body

Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient, which means it doesn’t stay in your system long—it needs to be replenished regularly. While it’s widely known for supporting immune function, its contributions go far beyond sick-day remedies.

• Antioxidant Protection. Vitamin C helps neutralize free radicals—unstable molecules that can damage cells and speed up aging. This antioxidant defense is especially important in today’s world, where stress, air pollution, and processed foods contribute to oxidative stress on a daily basis.
• Collagen Production. Vitamin C is essential for synthesizing collagen, the protein that gives structure to your skin, joints, bones, and blood vessels. Without enough vitamin C, your body simply can’t maintain strong connective tissue.
• Immune Function. This nutrient supports immune cells like neutrophils and lymphocytes, helping them respond more effectively to threats. It also helps regulate the inflammatory response so your body can return to balance after an immune challenge.
• Enhances Iron Absorption. Vitamin C improves the absorption of non-heme iron—the form found in plant-based foods—which can be a game-changer for individuals prone to low iron or fatigue.
• Recycles Other Antioxidants. Vitamin C helps regenerate other important antioxidants, such as vitamin E and glutathione, so your body’s defenses stay strong and active.
• Supports Adrenal Function. The adrenal glands, which help manage your stress response, contain some of the highest concentrations of vitamin C in the body. When stress levels rise, your need for vitamin C often rises with it.

Why You May Need More Than You Think

Even if you eat a reasonably healthy diet, you may not be getting enough vitamin C to meet your body’s true needs. That’s because vitamin C isn’t just a “bonus nutrient”—it’s involved in dozens of essential processes that can become depleted under modern conditions.

• Humans Don’t Make It. Most animals produce their own vitamin C, but humans lost that ability long ago due to a genetic mutation. That means we rely entirely on dietary sources or supplements to maintain healthy levels.
• Modern Life Depletes It. Physical stress, emotional stress, environmental toxins, poor sleep, injuries, infections, and even common medications (like aspirin and antacids) can increase your body’s demand for vitamin C. And because it’s water-soluble, any excess is excreted—so a constant supply is needed to keep up.
• Food Sources Aren’t Always Enough. Fresh fruits and vegetables do contain vitamin C, but their content drops quickly with exposure to heat, light, and air. Cooking, storing, and even just transporting produce can significantly reduce the amount you actually absorb.
• The RDA Is Just the Floor. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C—90 mg for adult men and 75 mg for adult women—is based on the amount needed to prevent scurvy, a deficiency disease. But preventing scurvy is not the same as achieving optimal health, energy, and immune function.
• Subtle Signs of Depletion. Low vitamin C levels don’t always show up as a dramatic illness. Instead, you might notice things like low energy, slow wound healing, frequent colds, bleeding gums, easy bruising, or just a general sense of poor recovery from stress or activity.

The Challenge with Common Supplements

Taking a vitamin C supplement may seem like a simple fix, but not all forms are created equal. In fact, some of the most widely available options can come with drawbacks that limit their effectiveness—or your ability to tolerate them.

• Not All Forms Are Bioavailable. Most vitamin C supplements use ascorbic acid, which is often a synthetic mix of d- and l- Only the l-form is biologically active and recognized by the body. That means up to half of what you’re taking may offer little to no benefit. In contrast, 100% l-ascorbate—what Dr. Jaffe calls Nature’s ascorbate—is fully bioavailable and usable by your cells immediately.
• Stomach Upset from Acidity. Ascorbic acid, true to its name, is acidic. At higher doses, it can cause gas, bloating, or heartburn in sensitive individuals. Buffered forms—where vitamin C is paired with essential minerals—are gentler on the stomach and more tolerable for daily use.
• Low Absorption with Common Forms. Many vitamin C supplements use forms that the body only partially absorbs, especially at higher doses. The unabsorbed portion passes through the digestive system and is excreted in urine, which means much of the supplement can go to waste. Frequent high-dose supplementation with poorly absorbed forms may also increase the workload on the kidneys over time. This is especially true for synthetic ascorbic acid forms that lack full bioavailability.
• Pill Fatigue. Swallowing multiple tablets or capsules every day can be burdensome—especially for those managing other supplements or medications. Some formulas also include unnecessary fillers, binders, or artificial colors that provide no benefit and may even interfere with absorption.
• Lack of Personalization. Most supplements offer a fixed dose—one size fits all. But your needs can vary depending on your stress levels, immune status, physical activity, or environment. A more flexible format lets you adjust your intake based on how you feel and what your body is facing on any given day.

How to Choose a Smarter Vitamin C Supplement

Choosing the right vitamin C supplement can make a big difference in how well it supports your health. Here are key factors to consider for a product that delivers real benefits without unwanted side effects:

• Buffered Mineral Ascorbates. Look for supplements that use buffered forms of vitamin C, such as calcium, magnesium, or potassium ascorbates. These reduce acidity, making the supplement gentler on your digestive system while improving absorption.
• Powdered Form for Flexible Dosing. Powdered vitamin C allows you to adjust your dose more easily than fixed tablets or capsules. This flexibility can help you personalize your intake based on your daily needs without swallowing multiple pills.
• Clean, Simple Ingredients. Avoid products with artificial colors, sweeteners, fillers, or binders. These additives add no nutritional value and may interfere with absorption or cause sensitivity in some people.
• Clinically Validated and Third-Party Tested. Choose brands that provide transparency through clinical validation and third-party testing. This ensures the supplement contains what it claims and meets high-quality standards for purity and potency.
• Formulated for Bioavailability. Select supplements designed for optimal bioavailability—meaning your body can efficiently absorb and use the vitamin C. This often involves using the biologically active L-ascorbate form and avoiding synthetic or mixed isomers.

Introducing PERQUE Potent C Guard™ Powder

PERQUE Potent C Guard™ powder was designed to meet the challenges many face with common vitamin C supplements. It uses 100% biologically active L-ascorbate, which Dr. Jaffe calls “Nature’s ascorbate,” ensuring your body can immediately recognize and use the vitamin C you take.

Unlike synthetic ascorbic acid, which is often a mix of both active and inactive forms, PERQUE’s pure L-ascorbate provides full bioavailability without unnecessary waste. Its buffered mineral formulation—combined with essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc—makes it gentle on the stomach, reducing the risk of discomfort often caused by acidic vitamin C supplements.

Because it comes in a powder form, you can customize your dose easily to fit your lifestyle and needs, whether you want to maintain daily wellness or support your body through periods of higher stress or illness. Plus, PERQUE Potent C Guard powder is free from artificial colors, fillers, and sweeteners, ensuring you get pure, clean nutrition with every serving.

To get the most out of your vitamin C supplementation, consider personalizing your intake with the Ascorbate Calibration/C-Cleanse protocol. This approach helps you find the optimal dose tailored specifically to your body’s current needs. Listen to DrJ discuss how often to perform this test.

Clinically validated and third-party tested for quality and potency, PERQUE Potent C Guard powder offers a smarter, more effective way to support your immune system, energy levels, and overall health every day.