Ascorbic Acid vs Ascorbyl Palmitate
How ascorbic acid and ascorbyl palmitate differ in potency, absorption, tolerance, and cost.
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Side by Side
| Ascorbic Acid | Ascorbyl Palmitate | |
|---|---|---|
| Active content | 100% ascorbic acid | 42.5% ascorbic acid |
| Absorption | High | Moderate |
| How it is absorbed | Absorbed by sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters (SVCT1). Absorption is 70-90% at 30-180 mg/day and falls below 50% above 1 g/day as transporters saturate. | Fat-soluble ester of ascorbic acid and palmitic acid; hydrolyzed in the gut to release ascorbic acid. |
| Typical dose | 75-500 mg daily | Used mainly as an antioxidant preservative in oils and softgels |
| Common uses | general supplementation, enhancing non-heme iron absorption | preservative in fish oil and fat-soluble supplements |
| Side effects | Diarrhea and GI upset above about 2 g/day. May raise kidney stone risk in susceptible people. | None at preservative levels. |
| Cost | Low | Low |
| Also called | L-ascorbic acid | vitamin C ester |
| Labels in index | 2,104 | 72 |
When to Choose Ascorbic Acid
Choose ascorbic acid when you want the reference form at the lowest cost. The reference form. The NIH ODS fact sheet notes that natural and synthetic ascorbic acid are chemically identical.
Ascorbic Acid
All the vitamin C most people can use, at the lowest cost.
What to look for: 100-250 mg tablets. Split larger daily amounts into two doses.
Find on iHerb Affiliate linkWhen to Choose Ascorbyl Palmitate
There is rarely a reason to choose ascorbyl palmitate as a vitamin C source: it is a preservative. Less than half its weight is vitamin C. Its presence on a label usually signals a preservative rather than a vitamin C dose.
Ascorbyl Palmitate
There is rarely a reason to choose ascorbyl palmitate as a vitamin C source: it is a preservative.
What to look for: Ascorbyl Palmitate named on the Supplement Facts panel, with the amount per serving stated.
Find on iHerb Affiliate linkProducts on Titrate
In Titrate's index of NIH label data, 2,104 labels named as vitamin C products list ascorbic acid and 72 list ascorbyl palmitate.
Vitamin C does not have its own search category yet. Each product above links to its full label in the NIH database.
Related
References
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
Levine M, et al. Vitamin C pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers: evidence for a recommended dietary allowance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996;93(8):3704-3709.
Padayatty SJ, et al. Vitamin C pharmacokinetics: implications for oral and intravenous use. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140(7):533-537.
Hemilä H, Chalker E. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(1):CD000980.
Thomas LD, et al. Ascorbic acid supplements and kidney stone incidence among men: a prospective study. JAMA Intern Med. 2013;173(5):386-388.
Davis JL, et al. Liposomal-encapsulated Ascorbic Acid: Influence on Vitamin C Bioavailability and Capacity to Protect Against Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury. Nutr Metab Insights. 2016;9:25-30.