We rank Vitamin C by price per 80mg - not by pack size - so a bigger tub with a worse price per dose can't outrank a smaller one that's actually cheaper.
What it is
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin known scientifically as ascorbic acid. It acts as an antioxidant, which is a substance that protects your cells from damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals.
Why it's used
It is primarily used to support the immune system, which helps the body fight off infections. It is also essential for collagen synthesis, the process the body uses to create collagen, a structural protein that keeps skin, joints, and blood vessels strong.
How it's made
Commercial Vitamin C is produced through a multi step industrial process. It typically starts with a sugar source, such as glucose, which is fermented by bacteria and then chemically converted into the final ascorbic acid powder used in supplements.
What it typically costs
This ingredient is generally mid range in price. This is because the industrial fermentation and chemical conversion processes required to produce it at scale are moderately complex, though the abundance of raw sugar sources keeps costs from becoming too high.
Dosage by purpose
Purpose
Typical studied dose
Evidence
Treatment of scurvy
100 to 300 mg daily, or 1 g per day for the first 3 to 5 days followed by 300 to 500 mg per day for approximately 1 week
established
Reducing incidence of common cold in people who exercise intensely, are exposed to cold environments, or have marginal vitamin C status
at least 200 mg per day
emerging
Reducing duration and symptoms of the common cold in the general population
not specified
emerging
Reducing exercise-induced spikes in cortisol
1,000 to 1,500 mg
limited
Preserving testosterone concentrations against oxidative stressors in human males
1,000 mg daily
limited
Reducing serum lead concentrations in psychiatric outpatients (when combined with zinc)
2,000 mg
limited
Support for patients with chronic oxidative stress (e.g., diabetes, smoking, heart failure, alcoholism, severe COPD, and chronic dialysis) or malabsorption
200 to 500 mg per day
emerging
Support for patients receiving parenteral nutrition
Suppio matches identical products across UK retailers by barcode, then ranks by price per active dose rather than sticker price. Value rankings only ever include listings Suppio has independently verified against the live retailer page - unverified data is shown on each product’s own page but excluded from ranking.
Prices across our retailer network are refreshed at least daily.
How does Suppio calculate the best-value Vitamin C?
We rank Vitamin C by price per 80mg - not by pack size - so a bigger tub with a worse price per dose can't outrank a smaller one that's actually cheaper.
Are these prices verified?
Suppio matches identical products across UK retailers by barcode, then ranks by price per active dose rather than sticker price. Value rankings only ever include listings Suppio has independently verified against the live retailer page - unverified data is shown on each product’s own page but excluded from ranking.
How often are Vitamin C prices updated?
Prices across our retailer network are refreshed at least daily.