NOW Foods Vitamin C-1000 250 Veg Capsules

What it is

NOW Foods C-1000 is a vitamin C dietary supplement in a vegetarian capsule, sold here as a bottle of 250 veg capsules. Each capsule provides 1 g (1,000 mg) of vitamin C as ascorbic acid, together with 100 mg of citrus bioflavonoid complex and 25 mg of rutin. The label's suggested usage is one capsule daily, which makes a single bottle a 250-day supply. The front of the bottle carries a Non-GMO badge and the line "Vegetarian/Vegan", and the panel states the product is made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients. NOW Foods has been family owned since 1968, and the bottle itself is made from 100% PCR (post-consumer recycled) resin.

What's inside

The panel lists three actives and four formulation ingredients, and it is worth knowing what each one actually is before you buy. You can look up this and other labels for yourself in the NIH's Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Vitamin C, as ascorbic acid — 1,000 mg

Ascorbic acid is the plain chemical form of vitamin C, and it is water soluble rather than fat soluble. That solubility is the reason vitamin C is usually sold as a daily item: the body holds no long-term store of it in the way it stores the fat-soluble vitamins. The panel prints the amount two ways — 1 g and 1,000 mg — because they are the same quantity written at different scales. The 1111% figure beside it is the Percent Daily Value, calculated against the 90 mg adult Daily Value for vitamin C; 1,000 divided by 90 comes to a little over eleven times that reference figure. General background on the nutrient is available from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet on vitamin C, which describes the nutrient in food and supplement form and is not a comment on this or any particular brand.

Citrus bioflavonoid complex — 100 mg

Bioflavonoids are a family of plant compounds that occur naturally in citrus fruit, concentrated in the peel and the white pith rather than the juice. A "complex" on a label means a mixture drawn from that source rather than a single isolated molecule, so the panel gives one combined figure instead of breaking it into parts. This is the ingredient the front of the bottle refers to in the line "With 100 mg of Bioflavonoids", and the two figures agree.

Rutin, from Sophora japonica flower bud — 25 mg

Rutin is a specific flavonoid glycoside — a flavonoid with a sugar group attached — and this label names its botanical origin precisely: the flower bud of Sophora japonica, the Japanese pagoda tree, which is one of the richest commercial sources of it. Rutin also turns up in ordinary foods including buckwheat, apple skin, asparagus and black tea. It is listed separately on the panel rather than folded into the bioflavonoid figure, which is why this product's active list runs to three entries and not two.

The other ingredients

Four are listed, and each one does a specific job in a capsule. Hypromellose is the capsule shell itself, a cellulose-derived polymer that replaces the gelatin used in conventional capsules and is what allows the product to be described as vegetarian and vegan. Ascorbyl palmitate is an ester of ascorbic acid joined to palmitic acid, which makes it fat-soluble where plain ascorbic acid is not. Stearic acid, noted on the panel as being from a vegetable source, is a fatty acid used as a processing lubricant so powder moves cleanly through capsule-filling machinery. Silicon dioxide is a flow and anti-caking agent that keeps fine powder from clumping.

Supplement Facts

† Daily Value not established. The capsule count is the figure printed on the front of the bottle; every other row is transcribed from the Supplement Facts panel.

How to use it

The label's suggested usage is: take 1 capsule daily. Storage guidance printed on the same panel is to store the bottle in a cool, dry place after opening. The panel also notes that natural color variation may occur in this product — the manufacturer setting expectations about batch-to-batch appearance, not a defect.

Why the 250-capsule size

At one capsule daily, 250 capsules is roughly an eight-month supply from a single bottle, and that is the practical difference between this size and the smaller counts in the same range. It suits someone who has already settled on a daily vitamin C and would rather reorder twice a year than every few weeks. The trade-off applies to any large bottle: it will be open for a long time, so the "cool, dry place" instruction matters more here than on a bottle you finish in a month. If you are trying this product for the first time, a smaller count is the lower-commitment way to do it. You can browse the rest of the range in Supplements and Antioxidants.

Who it's for

This is a dietary supplement for adults 18 and over who are looking for a single-nutrient vitamin C product in capsule rather than tablet or powder form. The presence of rutin and citrus bioflavonoids alongside the ascorbic acid distinguishes it from a plain vitamin C product, which is worth knowing if you are comparing labels. More items of this kind are grouped under Health & Wellness.

Good to know

• Caution, printed on the label: For adults only. Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children.
• Allergens: The panel states the product is not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut or sesame ingredients. It also states that it is produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens — a shared-facility note worth reading in full if you have a severe allergy, since it is not a dedicated allergen-free line.
• Certification: The manufacturer's material names Intertek GMP certification and shows the Intertek mark, covering the audit of its manufacturing and laboratory testing methods.
• Reading the asterisk: The front of this bottle and its side panel carry statements marked with an asterisk. That mark is a labeling convention defined by the FDA for a specific category of wording on supplement packaging; the FDA's own page on structure/function claims explains what the asterisk signifies and what it does not.
• General supplement safety: NCCIH publishes plain-language guidance on dietary and herbal supplements, including how supplements can interact with prescription medicines. Neither NCCIH nor any agency linked here reviews, tests or endorses this product.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many capsules are in this bottle?

This bottle holds 250 vegetarian capsules. The serving size on the Supplement Facts panel is one veg capsule, so one capsule and one serving are the same thing on this product.

Is this suitable for vegans?

Yes — the front of the bottle states "Vegetarian/Vegan". The capsule shell is hypromellose, a cellulose-derived material, rather than the gelatin used in conventional capsules, and the stearic acid is noted on the panel as being from a vegetable source. The bottle also carries a Non-GMO badge.

What is rutin, and why is it in a vitamin C product?

Rutin is a flavonoid glycoside, sourced on this label from the flower bud of Sophora japonica, the Japanese pagoda tree. It appears at 25 mg per capsule as its own line on the panel, separate from the 100 mg citrus bioflavonoid complex. Flavonoids of this kind occur naturally alongside vitamin C in citrus and other plants, which is the usual reason a manufacturer groups them on one label.

How is my order packaged?

Orders are shipped in plain, unbranded outer packaging. It will not show the Gear Isle name.

Product information compiled and reviewed by the Gear Isle product team. We transcribe supplement facts directly from manufacturer packaging. Found an error? Tell us.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Dietary supplement for adults 18 and over. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before use, especially if you have a medical condition, heart concerns, or take prescription medication (including nitrates). Keep out of reach of children.