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You bet, and I am a good example of this problem. Vitamin C is also known as "ascorbic ACID" for a reason because it is acidic and difficult to take for many individuals including myself. Until Ester-C was recommended to me by a friend (a fellow doctor) many years ago, I had stopped taking vitamin C because it is so tough on the stomach. Because Ester-C is non-acidic, it is well-suited for acid-sensitive and non-acid-sensitive individuals. In fact, it is easy on the stomach regardless of the situation or age.

 A: This is not a fair question for me because I am completely biased when it comes to Ester-C, which has been my favorite source of vitamin C for years. Why am I biased? It has good clinical research and is the easiest form of vitamin C to take in my opinion because it is non-acidic. The company is also completely committed to clinical studies.

I try to practice what I preach. I probably fly over 100,000 miles a year but I have not missed a single presentation in my career due to illness. I think part of this is luck, but part of this is following the medical research that I present to others. I do not drink alcohol in general on airplanes and when I do drink I keep it moderate (1-2 drinks a day maximum or just a few drinks a week). I never exercise unless I have had 6-8 hours of sleep the night before and I feel awake. I do not smoke or expose myself to smoke (I have to thank my wife for this one because she always moves to a different table at a restaurant or wants to leave if a smoker is nearby). I try to reduce my mental and physical stress by getting some physical activity daily... Finally, I take an Ester-C tablet daily, all year long, because it is gentler on the stomach and because of all the clinical research that supports the use of this product.*

Vitamin C is just as important during the spring and summer as it is during the fall and winter. Some of the simplest things can challenge your immune system. For example, common factors are (in alphabetical order):

• Alcohol
• Diet that is low in important vitamins and minerals
• Excessive body weight
• Lack of or too much Exercise/Physical activity
• Sleep (a lack of)
• Smoke/smoking (even second-hand smoke)
• Stress (not just physical but mental stress)

These are just some of the more common factors and I have never met anyone (including myself) that was not impacted by one or more of these throughout the year.

The goal is to support your immune system. Time tested methods are effective: stay at home, rest, eat healthy foods and drink plenty of fluid. I would add to this list of suggestions that you supplement your diet with a quality vitamin C to support your immune system to help keep you healthy all year-round.*