By kattaadminIn Vitamins0 Comments

The “buffered” vitamin C: what is it and in which cases should it be taken?

vitamin c
Photo by Candace Mathers on Unsplash

To understand what a “buffered” form of vitamin C is, we must first understand what a non-buffered, or “normal” form of vitamin C is.

What is vitamin C in general?

Vitamin C is a type of acid, called ascorbic acid. It has many functions in the body, from tissue repair, to enzyme function and acting as a powerful antioxidant, just to name a few. With that in mind, it is no wonder that vitamin C is considered an essential vitamin, and one of the most popular health supplements to take.

There is, however, one small drawback that some people might experience from taking this supplement: if you’ve got a sensitive stomach, the slight acidity of this vitamin can cause some pretty unpleasant side effects for you. Experiences of nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and heartburn are some of the symptoms, and there have even been cases where people have reported getting bloody urine.* Some try to relieve some of the discomforts by taking the supplement together with meal, as the food can sometimes work as a buffer to the acid, but there is another solution: the buffered vitamin C.

What is a “buffered” vitamin C?

The buffered form of vitamin C is created when you have the ascorbic acid reacting with mineral carbonates (a salt of carbonic acid). As ascorbic acid prefers to bind with metals, this isn’t a very complicated process, and the end product is a white powder with a salty taste. The minerals combined with the ascorbic acid are usually sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, leading to sodium ascorbate (E301), calcium ascorbate (E302), potassium ascorbate (E303), and magnesium ascorbate. Out of these four, the most common ones to ingest as a vitamin C supplement are calcium ascorbate and magnesium ascorbate, while the other two are more often found as food additives.

What are the benefits of taking “buffered” vitamin C?

What is the benefit then, of choosing a buffered vitamin C supplement? After the mineral salts have been combined with the acid, it makes for a much less acidic version of vitamin C, meaning that even people who have a sensitive stomach can use this supplement without any discomfort. The buffered versions also contains minerals, which will give you not only the benefits of the vitamin C, but also to a certain degree that of the mineral. This is especially true when it comes to the combination of vitamin C and calcium, as the vitamin increases the body’s ability to absorb this bone strengthening mineral.

All in all, there is no downside to go for the buffered vitamin C supplement, only upsides. If you’re concerned that the vitamin C dose of the supplement will be too low, then you can put that worry to rest. All serious supplement companies will have listed declarations of the dosage per tablet on their products, and carefully thought through recommendations of daily intake. Just follow these, and you should be fine.

*in cases of painful urination or blood in the urine, please seek out medical help immediately, as this can be symptoms of more serious ailments, such as kidney stone.

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By kattaadminIn About Apoteum0 Comments

The Swedish Values

swedish flag

Hello, and welcome to our blog! Today we will be talking about some of Sweden’s moral values, and how we at Apoteum relate to them.

As a Swedish company, we have incorporated a lot of Swedish values into how we operate. But what are the Swedish values, then? 

Follow law and order

There are of course the standard ones, like to do right by yourself, follow law and order, know your rights and do your duty, and similar ones that can be found in many other countries. In accordance with these, Apoteum has a strong transparency policy, never bragging about things that we haven’t earned, but also standing proud when it comes to all the hard work that we have put in to make as healthy and pure supplements as possible, without cutting any corners. 

Believe in a joint welfare system

There are also more specific Swedish values. One of them would be how we, as a country, believe in a joint welfare system, where everyone has the equal right to a good life, be that children, the sick and elderly, or even the animals. Everyone should have the same opportunity to feel well, and with that in mind we always aim to keep a varied assortment of products, and keep exploring new ideas to ensure that no matter who you are, we will have something that fits your needs. We even have products dedicated for your pets! And as we are well aware that some of our clients have worked very hard for their money, we always offer full compensation for anything you buy, because we don’t want you to feel like it’s a gamble with your money when choosing our products; it should feel like a bargain.

Caring for the environment

Another Swedish value that has come in quite strong in the recent years, is to be aware of how your actions affect the world around you, especially the environment. As of today, Sweden is engaged in a long list of environmental works, from perseverance of endangered species, cleaning up waste along our shores to the Baltic Sea, to switching more and more into sustainable energies. Every Swede preaches recycling like it was one of the ten commandments, and recent studies have shown that many of Sweden’s youths are engaged in the topic of environmental issues, and that the majority of children are ready to change their lifestyles if that means that they can help make the future more sustainable. Oh, and let us not forget about Greta Thunberg, who has shaken the world with her strong will and no-nonsense attitude.

With this in mind, Apoteum is ready to do our part, and always make sure to keep an eye on how our production and shipping methods influence the environment. As our production happens in Sweden, we try to source as many ingredients as possible from either our own country, or from our neighbours. Only when we have no other choice do we look further away, but even then, we make sure to establish lasting relationships with the farmers we cooperate with, and only collaborate with trusted suppliers. Our aim is to offer good products with a clean conscience, and quality and sustainability is never far from our minds.

Well, there you have it, a little bit of information about Apoteum’s morale and work ethics. We hope you found it interesting, and look forward to our next blog post!