ofonorow wrote:
So, while I think William was wrong to imply harm from taking ascorbic acid, I think there is probably benefit to buffering vitamin C. So given the advice of the source (previously Ester-C, and now Micro-C) I am personally going to start buffering my Cardio-C with magnesium.Glycinate (The MM recommended form of magnesium).
I make an "ascorbate reaction mix" which I react with ascorbic acid to make a solution of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and hydrogen ascorbates. Reacting the right amount of that with 1000 mg of ascorbic acid yields 200 mg of each of those five ascorbates, and it's far more agreeable to my system than taking 1000 mg of ascorbic acid. At my age (73), I've found it necessary to get enough of those minerals in my diet to prevent cardiac arrhythmia, and the ascorbates provide them in adequate amounts.
I think a mineral ascorbate is the most efficient use of a particular mineral to buffer ascorbic acid, because it entails the transformation of ascorbic acid into a non-acidic salt. Taking a mineral salt along with ascorbic acid does not seem to be an efficient way to use that mineral to buffer ascorbic acid, because you are not directly converting the ascorbic acid into a non-acidic salt.
Making an ascorbate reaction mix requires using correct stoichiometric ratios of the reactants, based on their molecular weights. Another thing to bear in mind that the alkali earth metals calcium and magnesium each bond with two ascorbate anions, whereas the alkali metals sodium and potassium each bond with one ascorbate anion. So the correct molar ratio for the reaction mix is 2:2:1:1 for sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, because two moles of sodium will combine with two moles of ascorbic acid, but one mole of calcium will combine with two moles of ascorbic acid. So using that ratio yields equal amounts of the various ascorbates. Using enough of the mix to react with 800 mg of ascorbic acid, combined with 1000 mg of ascorbic acid, leaves 200 mg of ascorbic acid remaining in the solution.
The mix consists of sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, and magnesium carbonate, in the 2:2:1:1 ratio. The actual amounts, by mass, to react with 800 mg of ascorbic acid are
NaHCO3 95 milligrams
KHCO3 114 milligrams
CaCO3 57 milligrams
MgCO3 48 milligrams
I use carbonates because they react readily with ascorbic acid, generating bubbles of CO2 which indicate the reaction is proceeding and subside when the reaction is complete, and the effervescence provides agitation to facilitate the reaction. I use just enough water to enable the reaction and to ensure sufficient concentration to promote the reactions. After the reaction is complete, I add enough water to dissolve the ascorbates. The solution is cloudy at first, but becomes clear within a few minutes.