Supplements: Synthetic, natural, or organic?

Supplements: Synthetic, natural, or organic?
July 2006
By Joe Fawcett, DC
Chiropractic Economics

Good nutrition is essential for good health. And because people donÌt eat right, conventional wisdom says that everybody should take a good multivitamin daily as a foundation of health and nutrition.

This conventional wisdom is supported by research. A 2002 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, ÏVitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults,Ó stated, Ï÷ inadequate intake of several vitamins has been linked to chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.Ó1

Although encouraging your patients to take a multivitamin is important, encouraging them to take the right kind of vitamin is just as important. Not all multivitamins are the same.

Essentially, consumers are confronted with three choices in vitamins: natural, synthetic, and organic. Here is a brief explanation of their differences.

Ô Synthetic vitamins. Scientists developed synthetic vitamins that are inexpensive to manufacture. They are identical in their atomic structure when compared to vitamins derived from plant sources and can only be distinguished in the laboratory.

Many nutrition professionals believe that the human body does not process synthetics well. They speculate that these synthetic elements may end up residing in extra-cellular spaces, interstitial fluids, and fatty tissue.

The most commonly found synthetic vitamins are A (retinol), C (ascorbic acid), and E (dl-alpha-tocopherol). There is much dispute in the scientific community about the harmful or beneficial effects of synthetic vitamins, and a number of scientific journals have published studies citing harmful effects from supplementation of synthetic vitamins.2, 3, 4

Synthetic vitamins are created from plentiful and inexpensive sources, not from whole foods or plant matter. They are the cheapest supplements to be found.

Ô Natural vitamins. It is often difficult to determine the difference between ÏsyntheticÓ and ÏnaturalÓ vitamins. However, some define a natural vitamin as a concentrated nutrient derived from a quality natural source. It should have a maximum retention of the natural material and no artificial colors, sweeteners, or preservatives.

A vitamin derived from a natural source often contains co-factors that come with the nutrient in nature. For instance, co-factors often associated with vitamin C are bioflavonoids. These are important to health and are present in the vitamin C you get from eating an orange.

Natural supplements should mimic good nutrition from whole foods. They cost a bit more than synthetic.

Ô Organic vitamins. Consumers can find two types of supplements labeled ÏorganicÓ on the market: Those that adhere to the grocery store definition of organic (nutrients derived from whole foods grown without insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides and manufactured from ingredients that are certified organic) and supplements adhering to the scientific definition of organic.

Organic, according to the scientific definition, is a substance related or belonging to the class of chemical compounds having a carbon basis. A carbon-based organic supplement has living carbon wrapped around its nutrients. These supplements must be cold processed to preserve the living matter in the product.

Both types of organic supplements carry significantly higher prices due to higher costs of production and source ingredients.

So, how do you sort through all the ÏnoiseÓ to select the best products for your patients? Look for supplements derived from whole foods, minimally processed, and made from the highest quality ingredients. Avoid those that contain preservatives, synthetics, and binders.

HereÌs a simple list of questions to ask your supplement supplier.

1. Does the product contain any binders, fillers, or excipients? (If so, they are likely synthetic.)

2. Does the product contain preservatives?

3. Is this product heat-processed?

4. Are minerals present? (Minerals may catalyze the vitamins.)

5. Does the product contain ascorbic acid?

6. Does the product contain vitamin E, called dl-alpha-tocopherol.

7. Is the product artificially flavored?

You can provide the best products for your patients. Do the research for them and pass the information along. Once a patient understands what makes some vitamins much more effective than others, they are willing to pay more.