I Felt Super Drained & Couldn't Explain Why — Then I Got This Surprising Test Result

Consuming whole, natural foods is something that I prioritize in my day-to-day life. Whenever I can, I try to get balanced servings of vegetables, grains, legumes, etc. Considering I eat at least a full serving of fruit every day, you'd think my vitamin C levels would be A-OK. 

It had been a few years since I'd had a typical blood test done. I was going back and forth between pregnancy and breastfeeding for about five years, so any weariness I was feeling I naturally attributed to those factors. 

Not to mention, prenatal vitamins are packed with extra vitamins and minerals of all kinds. So if I was to test my blood at the time, my natural levels wouldn't be reflected, anyway. However, years later, I found myself feeling more and more drained without a solid clue as to why. 

So off I went to the doctor and received a full blood test—much to my surprise, my vitamin C levels were exceptionally low. I had joined the whopping 42% of the U.S. adult population1 that has insufficient vitamin C levels (not a fun club you want to be part of), even though I prioritized daily fruit intake. Once I learned the science behind how vitamin C is absorbed through food, though, I can't say I was too shocked. 

See, the form of vitamin C found in foods (and many supplements) is a form called ascorbic acid. Your body can handle around 300 to 400 milligrams of purely ascorbic acid at a time, which is a useful lower dose found in foods, multivitamins, and other multi-ingredient complexes. But I learned that if you are consuming ascorbic acid in high doses, it can be hard to actually absorb more than your body can handle. And because vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, your body won't store that excess for later use (unlike its fat-soluble cousins vitamins D, E, A, and K). It simply gets flushed out, which is a major bummer.

As the co-founder and co-CEO of mindbodygreen, I know how much time is spent thoroughly researching every single supplement we put on the market. I needed a supplement with optimal form and function—vitamin C potency+ certainly checks that box (along with many others). 

In terms of form, our formula utilizes a unique and clinically researched trio of vitamin C, lipids, and citrus bioflavonoids for this exact reason. Specifically, it features PureWay-C™, which combines citrus bioflavonoids (the compounds in fruits like oranges) with lipid metabolites (i.e., fatty acids from rice bran), which allows for C to pass through the lipid membranes of cells more easily. The result? A 233% higher cellular absorption rate2 of vitamin C than ascorbic acid.*† Yes, really.

Given this superior absorption, it's no wonder with just a few months of taking vitamin C potency+, my energy levels went back to baseline. Through my research, I learned that vitamin C aids in iron absorption and helps the body synthesize carnitine, both of which are major players in your energy levels3.*