Dear Owen Fonorow:

The VCF suggested that I contact you for in-depth information.

#1 I have recently purchased (from McGuff Compounding) vials of sodium ascorbate dissolved in water (50 mg per 100 ml).

I have noticed that the color of the contents of the vials is yellow. I believe that /pure/ sodium ascorbate dissolved in /pure/ water should yield a colorless solution. Can you offer any explanation of whatever possible chemical reactions may have led to the yellow color? (I suspect the reason for the yellow color is that some of the ascorbate has been oxidized, by oxygen dissolved in the water, to dehydroascorbate, but that is merely speculation on my part.)

#2 I notice that it is commonplace for edetate disodium to be added to solutions of ascorbate for IV infusion. Can you tell me why edetate disodium is added. (It is my present understanding that edetate disodium is a chelating agent and I am speculating that it is added to chelate stray copper ions and other stray metal ions contaminating the sodium ascorbate preparations. I am further thinking that a much better approach would be to use water free of stray metal ions and thus not need edetate disodium, which I would prefer not to ultimately infuse into my bloodstream.)

#3 I would like to know the critical temperature above which ascorbate ions begin to break down. In other words, it is my understanding that if one boils vitamin C in a water solution, the vitamin C breaks down into useless constituents. Could you clarify this for me?

I plan to soon purchase sodium ascorbate from Vitamin C Foundation for use hereafter in the preparation of sodium ascorbate in water solutions to avoid purchasing any China products. Thank you for making this available to people like me.

Thanks for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Gene