Natural vs. Synthetic Supplements-Is There a Difference?
Supplementing our diets with nutritional pills, tablets, capsules or shakes has become standard procedure for many people today. But are they really helping as they claim to be? It is true that we do need more nutrients than our food will provide today. However, our faulty assumptions can lead to problems. We tend to think that if diseases are caused by nutrient deficiencies, then supplementing our diet with megadoses of some pill or tablet will prevent us from getting that disease.
So how do supplements become a part of the problem? Two things can cause vitamins to become toxic rather than beneficial. The first is when the product is synthetic—those produced in a laboratory, not in nature-which is the majority of the products on the market. These include nutritional supplements as well as those that are added to dairy products, flour, and other foods we eat every day. These products are advertised as being beneficial, but they can also become very toxic, even at doses prescribed by doctors or when taken as suggested on the bottles.
Scientists believe that when synthetic vitamins are taken, those molecules bypass the normal enzymatic pathways, causing the body to believe that its “vitamin pool” is full and that no more vitamins are needed. The enzymes then don’t fully use the nutrients from the food that we eat. Our bodies treat synthetic vitamins as a drug, and like most drugs, they can disrupt the normal functioning of our metabolic system.
A second way that vitamins can become toxic is when they are consumed in unnaturally high doses. Our bodies were designed to use nutrients as they occur in nature—in our food sources. We are actually designed to get the maximum amount of nourishment when we eat a minimum of food. Eating scarcely can provide better nutrition than overeating. Likewise, taking nutritional supplements in amounts found in nature—in the amounts that would be in our food if our food were grown in optimal soil-will provide the nutrition we need better than taking megadoses and thinking that “more is better.”
So what is the solution? Be sure your vitamins are the real thing. Look at the label. For example, if the B1 in your vitamin is natural, the label will call it Thiamin; if it is synthetic, the label will call it thiamine mononitrate or thiamine hydrochloride. See the chart below for more natural vs. synthetic names. (In some cases the natural vitamin is just known by its common name.) Some of the best natural vitamins we have found are made by Standard Process.
|
Vitamin |
Synthetic Name |
| Vitamin A | Retinyl palmitate
Retinyl acetate |
| Vitamin B1 | Thiamine mononitrate Thiamine hydrochloride |
| Vitamin B3 | Nicotinic acid |
| Vitamin B5 | Pantothenic acid |
| Vitamin B6 | Pyridoxine hydrochloride |
| Vitamin B12 | Cobalamin |
| Vitamin C | Ascorbic acid |
| Vitamin E | Dl-alpha tocopherol |
| Folic acid |
Pteroylglutamic Acid |
Also be sure that you are not overdosing on your supplements. More is not necessarily better. A little will go a long way toward optimal health. If you have questions or concerns about your supplements, please feel free to give us a call. We would be happy to help you find what is best for your body.
*The information in this article is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition and does not substitute for a thorough evaluation by a medical professional. Please consult your chiropractor or physician to determine whether these self-care tips are appropriate for you.