Are Synthetic and Natural Vitamins the Same?

Many Supplement manfacturers will tell lyou that there isn’t any difference between natural and synthetic vitamins. But,According to published research by the U.S. National Library of Medicine it clearly shows that the cancer prevention qualities of natural vitamin A cannot be replicated with synthetic vitamin A. And a study at the University of South Florida linked synthetic vitamin A to an increase in the risk for lung cancer in smokers.

According to Organic Consumers “A synthetic vitamin can stimulate a cell’s metabolism, but it
cannot upgrade or replace the cell’s components with superior, better quality elements. The results? A degraded cell. Nature always packages vitamins in groups. The vitamins work together for better absorption. For this reason, the body responds to an isolated vitamin in the same way it responds to a toxin.”

When you look at the synthetic ascorbic acid you will see just concentric circles but in the natural you will see “Life Force” or lines dissiminating from the center.

Natural C vs Synthetic

Did you know that 93% of multi-vitamins on the market contain synthetic Vitamin A. 

You many ask why is that. It boils down to one word MONEY. On average, a natural source Vitamin A is approximately 3 times more expensive than a sythetic Vitamin A. Most manufacturers simply can’t afford to put in the more expensive natural form because that will increase the cost of their product and eat into their profit margin.

Be smart and for yourself and buy only multivitamins with natural vitamin A. Hhow can you tell the difference between natural and synthetic? A quick and easy way to figure out if the a multivitamin contains natural vitamin A is to look at the source of the nutrient that is listed in the Supplement Facts section on the back label.

The most common source of vitamin A is beta-carotene. Your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A after digestion.

On the label, the natural form of beta-carotene can be identified by the following phrases:

• As natural beta-carotene

• From Natural mixed carotenoids

• From a plant source •

From D. Salina (a type of algae) You can see an example in the image to the right.

Here are the Synthetic forms of vitamin A, on the other hand, show up as:

• Beta-carotene

• Palmitate

• Acetate

The Case for Natural Vitamin E

On a supplement label, natural vitamin E is listed as d-alpha tocopherol, d-alpha tocopheryl acetate, or d-alpha tocopheryl succinate. In contrast, synthetic forms of vitamin E are labeled with a dl- prefix.

Synthetic has Dl whichmeans rotates to the left…natural products rotate to the right hence the distinction.

Alpha-tocopherol is the most biologically active form of vitamin E, and its natural form consists of one isomer. In contrast, synthetic  alpha-tocopherol contains eight different isomers, of which only one (about 12 percent of the synthetic molecule) is identical to natural vitamin E. The other
seven isomers range in potency from 21 percent to 90 percent of natural  d-alpha-tocopherol.

This may appear to be arcane nutritional chemistry,  but it is key to understanding how the body absorbs natural and synthetic supplements differently. Molecular structure determines how the body uses vitamin E.

Researchers have found that natural vitamin E assimilates far better than synthetic versions. Specific binding and transport proteins produced in the liver select the natural d-alpha form of vitamin E and largely ignore all other forms.

In one experiment, Japanese researchers alternately gave natural and synthetic vitamin E to seven healthy young women. It took 300 mg synthetic vitamin E to equal the blood levels achieved by a 100-mg dose of natural vitamin
E. [1]

In blood levels, natural vitamin E increased twice as much as the synthetic form in healthy subjects and pregnant women. In umbilical cords, natural vitamin E levels were three times higher than synthetic vitamin levels.

Researchers at Oregon State University, Corvallis, found the human body excretes synthetic vitamin E three times faster than the natural form.

Vitamin C  vs. Ascorbic Acid

Chemists have had their best success in creating synthetic vitamin C (ascorbic acid), but it performs differently in the human body to the natural vitamin C that can be extracted from foods, such as the original vitamin C supplement that was extracted from paprika.

Various pro-industry chemists have inadvertently admitted this difference by making arrogant proclamations about how synthetic vitamin C has superior absorption over natural vitamin C. Of course, there could be no differing absorption rate if the two substances were actually identical, as they claim.

These were accidental admissions about the fact that they still cannot reproduce true vitamin C, awhile being unable to detect any differences chemically. It condemns their science as little more than a game of charades.

Whenever the chemical industry boasts that it has created an identical copy of a God-given nutrient, then we can safely assume that it has differences, even when those differences cannot be detected in a laboratory

If you see any of these, you are not buying anything close to an all-natural product, even if the label claims you are. So now that you know this, you also know what to do with it!

Where Can You Purchase Reliable  Supplements?

An ethical Vitamin company called Shaklee has been producing excellent natural bioavailable products for over 56 years.  They are based on science and have over 100 clinical tests that have been published in professional journals.

Below is a picture of their Multi-Vitamin called Vita Lea and their Vitamin C product

Chromatagrams fo Vita Lea and Vita C

For more information on Shaklee Products click here

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