About the Product
Life Pro Nutrition Vitamin C 1000 mg (Healthy line) is a food supplement in capsules with 1000 mg of L-ascorbic acid per capsule, formulated with a single ingredient at the most clinically used and studied dose in the context of supplementation. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an essential water-soluble vitamin — the human body cannot synthesize it endogenously due to the absence of the enzyme L-gulonolactone oxidase (which was evolutionarily lost in primates and some other species) — with multiple documented functions: first-line antioxidant, essential cofactor for collagen synthesis, immune support, improved non-heme iron absorption, and modulation of multiple metabolic pathways. 1 capsule/day, preferably in the morning. 90 capsules (90 days). Vegan (check the current packaging's capsule).
Benefits
Vitamin C as a first-line antioxidant: direct neutralization of free radicals and regeneration of other antioxidants:
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is one of the most potent and ubiquitous water-soluble antioxidants in the human body. In its reduced form (ascorbic acid, AA), it directly donates electrons to free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) — such as the superoxide radical (O₂•⁻), the hydroxyl radical (•OH), hypochlorous acid (HOCl), and peroxynitrite (ONOO⁻) — converting them into less reactive forms and being oxidized in turn to dehydroascorbic acid (DHA). DHA can be regenerated back to ascorbic acid by glutathione reductase (using GSH as a co-reducer) or by thioredoxin reductase, in an oxidation-reduction cycle that maintains intracellular AA levels. In addition to direct antioxidant action, vitamin C is a potent regenerator of other oxidized antioxidants: it regenerates oxidized α-tocopherol (Vitamin E) back to its active form, maintaining functional vitamin E in lipid membranes where vitamin C cannot act directly (given that it is water-soluble and vitamin E is fat-soluble). This vitamin C/vitamin E cooperation is one of the classic examples of antioxidant synergism in the body.
Cofactor of collagen synthesis: the most relevant structural role for athletes:
Vitamin C is an obligatory enzymatic cofactor for two essential reactions in collagen biosynthesis: prolyl-4-hydroxylase and lysyl-hydroxylase, the enzymes that catalyze the hydroxylation of proline to 4-hydroxyproline and lysine to hydroxylysine, respectively. 4-hydroxyproline is essential for the stability of the collagen triple helix (intrahelical hydrogen bonds depend on 4-HO-Pro) and hydroxylysine is necessary for the formation of intermolecular cross-links that confer mechanical strength to mature collagen. Without vitamin C, the enzymes prolyl-4-hydroxylase and lysyl-hydroxylase lose their cofactor (Fe²⁺ in the active site is oxidized to Fe³⁺ during the reaction and is only regenerated by vitamin C), resulting in deficient and immature collagen synthesis (scurvy, the clinical deficiency of vitamin C, manifests precisely as weakness and bleeding of collagen-rich tissues: gums, blood vessels, joints). For athletes, the role of vitamin C in collagen synthesis is especially relevant for: recovery from tendon and ligament injuries (rich in type I collagen), joint health (type II collagen in cartilage), and strengthening the integrity of connective tissues subjected to repeated mechanical stress.
Immune support: the best-known effect with the strongest epidemiological evidence base:
Vitamin C has multiple documented effects on the immune system in clinical studies. It accumulates in high concentrations in leukocytes (particularly in neutrophils and monocytes, where the concentration of vitamin C is 50 to 100 times higher than in plasma), where it supports phagocytic function, the production of oxidative radicals for pathogen destruction (oxidative burst), and controlled apoptosis of neutrophils after the infection-fighting phase. In T and B lymphocytes, vitamin C supports clonal proliferation and differentiation in response to antigens. The meta-analysis by Hemilä & Chalker (2013) on vitamin C and the common cold, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, documented that regular vitamin C supplementation did not reduce the incidence of the common cold in the general population, but it did reduce the duration of episodes by ~8% in adults and ~14% in children. More relevant for athletes, preventive vitamin C supplementation in endurance athletes training under extreme physical stress conditions (marathon runners, military personnel in intensive training) reduced the incidence of the common cold by ~50%, suggesting that supplementation is more effective in contexts of high oxidative and physiological stress.
Absorption of non-heme iron: the chelating effect that improves the bioavailability of iron from plant sources:
Vitamin C significantly improves the intestinal absorption of non-heme iron (the form of iron present in plant foods such as legumes, whole grains, and green leafy vegetables) through two complementary mechanisms: it reduces Fe³⁺ (oxidized form, less soluble at intestinal pH) to Fe²⁺ (reduced form, more soluble and transported by enterocyte DMT-1), and chelates Fe²⁺, forming an iron-ascorbate complex that remains soluble at the alkaline pH of the duodenum and prevents its precipitation or inhibition by phytates, oxalates, and tannins in the diet. This effect is especially relevant for people who follow plant-based diets (vegans and vegetarians), where dietary iron is exclusively non-heme and basal bioavailability is only 1 to 8% (vs. 15 to 35% for heme iron from meat). Co-ingestion of vitamin C with meals rich in non-heme iron can multiply the absorption of this mineral by 2 to 6 times.
Carnitine synthesis and amino acid metabolism:
Vitamin C is an enzymatic cofactor for two reactions in the L-Carnitine biosynthesis pathway from L-lysine and L-methionine: ε-N-trimethyl-L-lysine hydroxylase and γ-butyrobetaine dioxygenase, both Fe²⁺ and ascorbic acid-dependent monooxygenases. Without sufficient vitamin C, endogenous carnitine synthesis is compromised, with potential impact on fatty acid metabolism. For athletes who already supplement with L-Carnitine Carnipure, ensuring adequate vitamin C levels ensures that endogenous carnitine synthesis is not an additional limiting factor.
1000 mg: the most studied supplementation dose with the best efficacy/safety ratio:
The 1000 mg/day dose of L-ascorbic acid is the most commonly used dose in clinical studies on vitamin C supplementation and has robust documentation on safety and efficacy. The maximum tolerable level (UL) of vitamin C established by EFSA is 2000 mg/day for adults, with 1000 mg/day being a dose comfortably below this limit. For comparison, the EFSA RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for vitamin C is only 110 mg/day for adults, meaning that 1000 mg/day represents a supplementation of ~9x the RDA. This excess is safe given that vitamin C is water-soluble and the excess is eliminated in urine (the intestinal absorption capacity of vitamin C saturates above ~1000 mg/dose, with absorption decreasing from ~70% at doses of 180 mg to ~50% at doses of 1000 mg).
Uses
Recommended dose: Take 1 capsule/day, preferably in the morning with breakfast. Taking it with food can reduce the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort (the acidity of ascorbic acid can irritate the gastric lining in sensitive people when taken on an empty stomach). To maximize the absorption of non-heme iron from meals, take it simultaneously with the meal containing plant-based iron-rich foods (legumes, cereals, green leafy vegetables).
