What 'pharmaceutical grade' mean with Vitamin C?

[orbitc]

What does pharmaceutical grade mean exactly with ascorbic acid? Does it go through specific national tests or something? Is it a better type?

How does it compare with the ascorbic acid that is 'all natural'? What exactly do these two labels mean and which is better?

[ofonorow]

I hope you have noticed that we devote an entire forum to this topic - So called Natural Vitamin C.

I'm not sure if/what the official purity definition is, but every "synthetic" product comes with an assay of its purity and what else (impurities) may be in the product, etc. Ascorbic acid comes in different grades, but as the number of producers has dwindled, I doubt there is all that much difference.

As far as the Foundation product, it is made in Ireland by Roche, is the highest quality vitamin C there is. We asked our bottler, Douglas Laboratories, if we can say pharmaceutical grade on the label, and they said yes.

One of the problems with so-called "Natural C" is that there is no grade on purity, because it is a plant extract.

[Cis4me]

I don't have a reference handy, but I believe that "pharmaceutical grade" basically just means that a given product meets standards of purity, documentation of manufacture (lot numbers, locations of all sources are known etc.) sufficent to be allowed to be used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. Food grade would imply that it is pure enough to use for making food or adding to food intended for human consumption.

I think pharma. grade is the more strigent of the two.

[pamojja]

[Dolev]

If anyone heard of ascorbic acid tested on toxins I'm very interested to hear.

You'll want Dr. Thomas Levy's book for that - Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases and Toxins. He has around 850 references. I once counted.

[pamojja]

Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases and Toxins

The title suggests this book is more about detoxifying with Vitamin C - than impurities or even toxins which might come with some Vitamin C Products. I'll order it anyway, thanks.

[Dolev]

Your language wasn't clear that you were talking about toxins IN vitamin C products. Out of the mistake, however, will come a very educational experience if you order the wonderful book.

I have seen lab tests of ascorbic acid from a Chinese company, and the material was quite pure.

[ofonorow]

Every manufacture provides a "spec sheet" which specifies the chemical properties and purity of their chemicals, in this case, ascorbic acid. The manufacture tests the products, and provides the assurance that the product contains less than some part per (million/billion) impurities. Others may run tests, and a company's reputation is on the line.

Now I haven't seen the DSM Quali-C spec sheet, but I have seen sheets from vitamin C that originate in China and the purities are very high, from 99.9% to 99.999% pure, etc. It is my understanding, and I am willing to be corrected, that Quali-C is 100% pure.