Synthetic or Natural Vitamins: Which to Choose
In the past, our food was packed with nutrients and vitamins. Nowadays, it’s no longer possible to get everything you need from a healthy diet alone – even if you eat fully natural and organic. The soil in which our food grows is less nutrient-rich, and as a result, the harvest also contains fewer nutrients. Fortunately, supplements can help to fill any gaps. The choice is yours: do you go for natural vitamins or for synthetic vitamins?
The difference between natural and synthetic vitamins
Natural vitamins contain extracts from whole food sources and are particularly well recognized and absorbed by the body. They also contain essential co-factors that optimize absorption and effectiveness, such as plant pigments, flavonoids, and natural antioxidants. When you compare a synthetic powder with a natural powder side by side, you immediately see the difference: synthetic vitamins almost always have a crystalline, white structure, while natural vitamin powders are finer and come in a variety of colors.
What exactly are synthetic vitamins?
Synthetic vitamins are produced in a factory from basic materials and consist of isolated molecules in different compounds. Some of these compounds are poorly absorbed by the body, while others are better absorbed. Moreover, synthetic vitamins are not food, even though they are often labeled as “natural” or added to natural food sources. They are standardized and isolated chemicals. In nature, vitamins are never found in isolation but always as part of a food-vitamin complex. It is often believed that the body cannot tell the difference between synthetic and natural vitamins and that both have the same effectiveness – but that is not entirely true.
Natural vs. synthetic vitamins
The body can easily excrete an excess of natural vitamins, while an excess of synthetic vitamins is stored in the liver. When you take a natural supplement, your body uses exactly the amount it needs at that moment, and the rest is flushed out. Synthetic vitamins, however, remain in the body until they can be processed with the right nutrients. This can lead to a buildup of substances that the body cannot easily eliminate.
Natural vitamins contain enzymes, minerals, lipids, proteins, and other nutrients, which makes them more easily absorbed than their synthetic counterparts that lack these additional compounds.
This does not mean that vitamins, minerals, and trace elements that are not derived from food have no value. But it is important to understand that there is a difference between the two forms.
Supplement brands that believe in the power of nature
The American supplement brands MegaFood and New Chapter rely on the traditional power of nature to improve your health and ease discomforts. They produce fully natural supplements made with high-quality, pure ingredients that are free from GMOs and the herbicide glyphosate. Their products are made without heat, ensuring that vitamins and minerals remain as intact as possible. MegaFood creates its own concentrates from natural food sources sourced from local farmers – their slogan “fresh from farm to tablet” is no exaggeration! The supplements from New Chapter are extensively tested by scientific experts to guarantee the highest quality. At New Chapter, ingredients are also sourced in the most sustainable way possible. In this way, these brands contribute not only to better health for their customers but also to a better planet.
