But I ask you, what is a natural source if is extracted from a vegetable anyway? Is it still really in its natural state?
You are right to an extent. Even though vitamin C is made from natural sources this does not make it natural. The synthetic vitamin C sold on the market as ascorbic acid is synthesized from sugars derived from plants. The sugar goes through a series of fermentations and reaction with chemicals such as acetone. It is not extracted from plants as ascorbic acid.
Even natural sounding sources such as palm C are still synthetic. They may start with palm sugar, but it is still synthesized in to ascorbic acid. So the synthetic ascorbic acid is not really any different than pharmaceuticals.