Research presented at the Experimental Biology meeting in 2006 evaluated the importance of vitamin C in fat loss. Researchers at Arizona State University studied 20 overweight subjects and followed them through a weight loss program. As the subjects lost weight, those people who were supplementing with 500 mg vitamin C daily enjoyed stable vitamin C levels while the other subjects vitamin C levels dropped steadily. As vitamin C levels dropped so did the ability of the subjects body to burn fat through a process called oxidation.
It has been noted in previous research that subjects with higher blood vitamin C levels burn 30% more calories when they exercise than subjects with lower vitamin C levels. This connection may have to do with vitamin C’s role in the production of l-carnitine, an important fat burning nutrient. Vitamin C can be found in many fruits and vegetables such as kiwi, citrus fruits, peppers, cherries, berries, etc. When supplementing with vitamin C, I prefer to use food sources of vitamin C such as amla and acerola cherry powder. These types of whole food supplements provide vitamin C in its most natural form which is identical to the vitamin C that we get from our food.
(J Am Coll Nutr Johnston 24 (3): 158.)