Vitamins – Synthetic or Organic

What an irony of us mostly believing in the benefits of vitamins that can bring to us in this modern society? Aren’t we aware that vitamins can be poisoning” to us? Can this be true? 

The vitamins that your physicians recommended or vitamin manufacturers advocated, does it not cause any devastation to individuals?

Well, before drilling into these questions, maybe we should ask ourselves these following questions:

1. Why are we (mostly) think that those vitamins in the market are helpful other than harmful?
2. Are there no way but to solely rely upon or take belief on these vitamins that can bring benefits to our body? Can we find out are these vitamins synthetic or oganic? 

Are All the Vitamins in the Market Helpful? 

To answer the first question listed above, in the current society, we had been overwhelmingly bombarded with vitamins (be in synthetically produced from chemicals or organically extracted from natural food sources) in high potency to supplement our body’s daily need is good and if in excess, it is non-harmful.

In today’s world, with the climate inconsistency (more and more natural calamities), more harmful radical particles in our environment, more presence of processed foods, low or even no means of accessing to naturally grown nutritional foods, mould the concept of having vitamins intake is crucial and constructive to our health growth and strength.

 ARE SYNTHETIC VITAMINS BENEFICIAL TO OUR HEALTH?

 As for the second question highlighted, the consistent recommendation from the experts like physicians, pharmacists and scientists are none other than the compelling factors for us to cast belief in the perception of synthetic vitamins’ benefits. However, these synthetic vitamins are not what our bodies are looking for and if we are really taking the effort in appreciating our body’s function for us, we should and we can determine the sources of these vitamins intake. The reasons behind these productions of synthetic vitamins are basically: 

• Cheaper to manufacture
• Longer shelf life

 But these synthetic vitamins are not bioavailable, easily absorable, and non-usable within our bodies. Hence, why are we still taking these synthetic vitamins that may continue to impair our bodies?

  You will be amazed to find out that most of the vitamins in the market are synthetic. Yes, even those labelled “natural” and “food-based”. These synthetic vitamins come from mega pharmaceutical companies. According to Wendy Myer’s article about synthetic vitamins, those “ingredients” are mainly derived from rock like limestone, coral, shell, sand and even chalk. These minerals may have similar mineral profiles, but do you think that our bodies are built upon to digest these minerals? By nature, we should be taking these vitamins from the plants. Those synthetic vitamins lack of those co-factors or transporters which is considered as isolated vitamins. Our bodies do not recognise these isolated vitamins. Worst still, it may trigger our bodies’ unnecessary reaction that may lead to our immune system suppressed or result mineral deficiency.

  Impact of Synthetic Vitamins

  In the year 2010, a newsletter article relates the synthetic vitamins versus whole food supplements. Within the article, it had highlighted 3 forms of vitamin/ nutrient sources namely whole food, crystalline and synthetic. Out of all these different sources, whole food vitamins are considered as the safest form. In this article, there is also an illusion of a study that relates a high percentage of birth defects due to the intake (10,000 IU) of synthetic vitamin A. Well, I do not know whether this study is carried out upon then the pregnant ladies’ knowledge or acknowledgement (I believed it does), however, the result of high percentage defect that emerged from the intake of synthetic vitamin A should pose a substantial concern to us about the implication of these synthetic vitamins in our body.

  BEING RESPONSIBLE TO ONE’S HEALTH

  We have come across some facts stating that “if the processed foods were not enriched with synthetic vitamins, the nutritional of their ingredients would mean that we have to eat (take) something else to meet our micronutrient requirements.” But being responsible to one’s own health should have motivated us to seek for nutrients manufactured from natural plants. Resorting to synthetic vitamins is an irresponsible and negligent act to one’s own health.

  How to look out for chemical terms listed on the label which exclaimed that the vitamins are “NATURAL“:

1. Vitamin A: Retinyl Palmitate
2. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Thiamine Mononitrate, Thiamine Hydrochloride
3. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Acetic Acid
4. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): Calcium D-Pantothenate, Panthenol
5. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
6. Vitamin B9: Folic Acid, Pteroylglutamic Acid
7. Vitamin B12: Cyanocobalamin
8. PABA (Para-aminobenzoic Acid): Aminobenzoic Acid
9. Choline: Choline Chloride, Choline Bitartrate
10. Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate
11. Vitamin D: Ergocalciferol, Calciferol, Cholecalciferol
12. Vitamin E: dl-alpha tocopherol, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate or succinate

  For those natural resources of vitamin, you can look out for (list of foods that you can relate to the associated vitamins):

1. Vitamin A: Fish Oils, Carrots, Spinach
2. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Yeast, Peanuts, Oats
3. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Broccoli, Cheese, Leafy Vegetables
4. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): Sunflower Seeds, Avocado, Rice Bran
5. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Soy Beans, Nuts, Wheat Germ
6. Vitamin B9: Dark Leafy Green, Asparagus
7. Vitamin B12: Meat Products, Cheese
8. PABA (Para-aminobenzoic Acid): Mushrooms, Sunflower Seeds
9. Choline: Salmon, Chickpeas, Lecithin
10. Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Fruits and Veggies
11. Vitamin D: Tuna, Mackerel, Sunlight
12. Vitamin E: Nuts, Grains, Wheat Germs