Today, many experts in dietetics are convinced that there is no need for additional intake of synthetic vitamins or vitamin and mineral complexes, and the most correct and logical way is to try to obtain all micronutrients from natural products. We present to you our investigation of scientific facts about which vitamins are better to take: synthetic or natural from food.
Main thoughts:
Taking synthetic multivitamins will never eliminate the problem of poor nutrition
Calcium is better obtained from natural products
For elderly people and vegetarians, it is recommended to additionally take vitamin B12
Vitamin B9 in synthetic form is absorbed twice as well as from food
Vitamin E in natural form is generally better compared to synthetic
The natural form of vitamin K is more effective than the synthetic one
Vitamin C is equally useful and effective in both natural and synthetic forms
Synthetic vitamin B3 has advantages over natural, causing less skin redness
According to Professor T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. of Cornell University, author of the book “The Complete Reversal of Nutrition Science”: “Synthetic vitamins and complexes are a colossal and waste of money. Their main purpose is to convince us that it is NORMAL to eat inadequate food. However, all we need is to simply eat whole foods, with an abundance of plant products that are rich in all the necessary vitamins and minerals.”
The mere fact of taking vitamin complexes can instill a sense that we are becoming healthier.
But ask yourself an honest question: have you often noticed significant changes in your health and well-being?
Important
: Scientific research indicates that taking dietary vitamin supplements does not always provide benefits. An excess of certain vitamins and minerals can have a toxic effect on the body.
Natural products (unlike fast food) contain everything we need – a significantly greater variety of vitamins, minerals, and other biologically active substances that you will never find in any synthetic multivitamin complex. Moreover, they are all remarkably well-balanced.
Take an orange, for example. We tend to think that its only benefit is its high vitamin C content. Yes, that is true. But did you know that it also contains B vitamins (B1 and B9) and vitamin A, as well as practically essential minerals for humans, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium? Oranges even have a small amount of protein, with all the essential amino acids!
Some scientists believe that synthetic vitamins and complexes are a colossal and unnecessary waste of money. All we need is to simply eat whole foods
Benefits of Vitamins from Natural Products
Many think that by taking vitamins and minerals in pill form, they can compensate for an inadequate diet. And that eating properly is difficult. This is a misconception.
Important
: In reality, we have come to believe, or perhaps it has been instilled in us by pharmaceutical companies, that our food is inadequate. In fact, it contains significantly more trace elements than you can imagine, and more than is found in any tablet of synthetic analogs.
What makes natural food even more valuable is the content of biologically active substances – phytonutrients, – which you will never find in any expensive multivitamin complex. To read about the benefits of phytonutrients for health, click here:
We recommend: Vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients: functions, benefits, and sources
Important: However, perhaps the most significant advantage of natural vitamins from food – which explains their extraordinary power – is that all the trace elements in food are completely balanced.
It is not enough to simply deliver 1, 2, or 10 vitamins/minerals into the body. A scientific review of research on which vitamins are best to take, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, notes, “…when entering the body, the trace elements of natural food engage in complex interactions with each other, which ensures health maintenance, activation of mechanisms to protect against cancer and other diseases.”
In simpler terms, natural vitamins from food are significantly more beneficial and effective than their synthetic counterparts.
Of course, one orange is not enough to meet the body’s needs. But if your diet is rich in whole plant foods, and you consume enough calories to cover your energy needs, you can be confident that the risk of vitamin and mineral deficiency is very low.
Mayo Clinic researchers emphasize the following advantages of natural food as a source of vitamins over synthetic multivitamins 2:
- higher nutritional value. Each fruit, for example, contains a variety of nutrients that are balanced.
- dietary fiber. Whole foods (whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts) are rich in fiber. Fiber is beneficial in preventing many diseases, particularly type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and in combating constipation;
- biologically active substances. Whole foods are rich in natural biologically active substances, phytonutrients, which are important for health and protect against the development of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Many of them are antioxidants – substances that prevent damage to cells and tissues, and the development of cancer.
The most important advantage of natural products as a source of vitamins and minerals: it contains phytonutrients and all trace elements in it are balanced
Scientific studies do not confirm the effectiveness of synthetic vitamins and complexes for health
Despite the fact that taking multivitamins seems logical, trendy, and absolutely necessary (especially in sports), from a scientific point of view, there is no clear evidence of their health benefits in combating common fatal diseases (cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke).
This “verdict” was issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force – a group of experts in the USA that develops recommendations for preventing various diseases based on scientific research 7.
One of the indicative studies on the uselessness of synthetic vitamins and complexes was conducted by researchers from the Iowa Women’s Health Study (USA). They studied approximately 38,000 women aged 55 and older over a period of 20 years 3. Their conclusion was that the additional intake of vitamins and minerals has no effect on lifespan.
There is no clear scientific evidence that the additional intake of vitamins and minerals affects lifespan and the prevention of common fatal diseases.
Can multivitamins fix the problem of poor nutrition?
Important: Remember, if you eat a balanced diet, there is no need to supplement your diet with synthetic vitamins, minerals, or multivitamins.
Statistics, however, indicate that most of us are indeed eating poorly: less than 18% of adults consume the recommended minimum of fresh vegetables and fruits.
This situation may have prompted pharmaceutical companies to come up with another idea for profit: the creation of synthetic vitamin complexes that would solve the problem of poor nutrition without any effort on the part of the individual.
However, listen to what dietitian Ginny Messina says in her book “Veganism for Her: A Woman’s Guide to Being Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet”:
“The intake of artificial vitamin complexes will never completely eliminate the problem of poor nutrition, but only slightly mitigate it. It is always very difficult to say which specific vitamins or minerals you are lacking. There is a difference between when a micronutrient is insufficiently supplied to the body for a short time and when the deficiency is chronic. But even in the case of a deficiency, any external signs may be absent until the related diseases progress significantly.”
Common symptoms of vitamin and mineral deficiency, such as chronic fatigue, frequent colds, dry skin, and acne, can arise for various reasons, meaning they do not always clearly indicate a problem with vitamin deficiency.
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Important: This means that if you are not eating a balanced diet, it is very difficult to determine whether you have a deficiency and which specific micronutrients you are lacking to add them to your food.
Who will say: let’s take a blood test!
With a blood test, you can indeed see an objective picture of the sufficient/insufficient presence of micronutrients in the diet… but not all: vitamins B12, D, and iron – yes. However, the content of zinc, for example, – no.
In a state of uncertainty and the inability to accurately determine the presence of a deficiency, many decide to take a radical approach – they start taking multivitamins: just in case, to “not miss out.” After all, vitamins are beneficial: they strengthen the immune system, are good for the heart, joints, nervous system, and brain. The more you have, the more benefits.
Important: But understand this: the state of a deficiency of a COMPLEX of vitamins is practically impossible. Usually, the deficiency concerns one or two micronutrients. When taking complex multivitamins, you will be overdosing on all the others.
The intake of synthetic multivitamins will never eliminate the problem of poor nutrition
Synthetic vitamins are much easier to overdose on, while natural ones are practically impossible
Sometimes it seems that if something is good in small amounts, then more will be even better. In the case of vitamins and minerals, this does not work.
According to the U.S. Medical Institute, depending on the situation (some of which are listed below as examples), additional intake of individual vitamins or minerals in synthetic form may indeed be recommended, ranging from 10-25% to 4000% or more of the daily recommended amounts.
“But beware of megadoses,” says dietitian Ginny Messina.
Some micronutrients (fat-soluble vitamins A or E, the mineral iron) can become toxic if you take too much of them.
In terms of overdose, water-soluble vitamins are less dangerous, as they dissolve and are excreted in urine. However, excess can still lead to side effects (for example, an excess of vitamin C can result in diarrhea).
In the study mentioned above involving 38,000 women, it was found that additional iron intake was recognized as a factor that could lead to premature death.
This fact does not mean that iron and other synthetic vitamins and minerals are harmful to health.
Iron is a vital mineral, especially for people with anemia. Iron overdose is dangerous: excessive intake by healthy individuals can be harmful.
In the list of trace elements, the overdose of which can be dangerous, there is not only iron but also other vitamins and minerals. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic claim that taking vitamin E may increase the risk of heart attack and premature death 4, and if the diet contains more than 200 mg of vitamin B6 per day, it may lead to nerve pain and seizures 5. Recent studies from the National Institutes of Health in the USA indicate that too much vitamin A in the diet can lead to bone problems 6.
Important
: The advantage of natural vitamins and minerals from food over synthetic ones is that they are practically impossible to overdose. With vitamin complexes, it is a different story.
Overdosing on individual vitamins and minerals can have a toxic effect on the body, leading to premature death, nerve diseases, bone problems, etc.
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Cases When Additional Intake of Vitamins and Minerals May Be Recommended
Important
: Remember: if you are healthy and usually consume a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, and fish throughout the day, you can say with almost 100% certainty that you absolutely do not need to take additional synthetic vitamins or multivitamin complexes.
Now let’s look at some examples when additional intake of certain trace elements may be recommended.
Dietitian Ginny Messina, whom we mentioned earlier, provides the following examples:
“A woman during her menstrual period can lose quite a bit of iron with blood, so on one hand, she may be recommended to consume additional iron. But she should not make this decision herself; a doctor should inform her about it after analyzing her blood composition to avoid overdose.”
“People who spend very little time in the sun are likely to need additional vitamin D intake, and vegans who do not eat meat may need vitamin B12. This is true. However, even those who are not vegetarians can experience a deficiency in vitamin B12. The only way to find out is through a blood test.”
“If a woman/girl eats very little – either because she is on a diet, or due to being busy, or perhaps due to psychological disorders like anorexia – then she is undoubtedly at risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. If the caloric intake of your diet is below 1200-1600 kcal, you must eat exclusively healthy food to avoid deficiencies.”
In addition to the situations described, additional intake of vitamins and minerals may be recommended for elderly people, vegetarians, and vegans, as well as pregnant women. Read more in our article on how to properly take vitamins.
However, in any case, the recommendation should come from a qualified doctor or dietitian.
Additional intake of vitamins and minerals can be beneficial in certain clinical cases, but the recommendation should always come from a dietitian or doctor.
When are synthetic forms of vitamins better, and when are natural ones: recommendations from researchers at ConsumerLab
You probably know that modern pharmaceuticals have learned to artificially synthesize many vitamins. A natural question arises: is synthetic form always bad, or can it have advantages over natural ones?
The following recommendations about the advantages of different forms of the same vitamin (synthetic and natural) are provided by researchers from the popular independent laboratory ConsumerLab.com.
1 A recent study on the mineral calcium indicates that the best and safest source is from natural food that is naturally rich in it. Elderly women taking calcium from supplements have a higher risk of kidney stones, strokes, and even a greater risk of death. A slight increase in the risk of death was also noted in studies of people taking vitamin A and beta-carotene supplements compared to those who did not.
2 The exception to the rule of “better from natural products” are two B vitamins: B12 and B9. From 10 to 30% of elderly people are unable to digest and absorb natural vitamin B12 from food. Therefore, those over 50 are recommended to take B12 in the form of supplements to avoid deficiency and its associated consequences. The same can be said for vegetarians: since vitamin B12 is absent in plant foods, it is critically important for them to take it additionally.
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3 Vitamin B9 (folic acid) from supplements and fortified foods is absorbed twice as well as from regular food. Pregnant women are advised to include folic acid in their diet in the form of vitamin supplements or fortified food products.
4 Iron from plant foods is absorbed only half as well compared to iron from meat. However, if you consume plant-based iron-containing products with vitamin C, the absorption rate significantly increases.
We recommend: 10 Symptoms of Iron Deficiency in the Body
5 Natural bio supplements made from natural products do not necessarily contain more vitamins. In fact, the vitamin content in them can be modest compared to other types of synthetic vitamins. Their only advantage is the presence of other beneficial plant substances, such as fiber. However, there is no point in overpaying for expensive natural dietary supplements, especially since, according to the results of an independent laboratory examination, the level of contamination with heavy metals (such as lead, for example) often exceeds the norm.
6 As for natural vitamins compared to synthetic forms, in some cases, synthetic ones have advantages, while in others, there is no difference at all. Keep in mind that both types can be beneficial in treating deficiencies and other problems, as well as harmful at excessively high dosages.
7 Natural vitamin E is generally better compared to synthetic. At low doses, both natural (d-alpha-tocopherol) and synthetic (DL-alpha-tocopherol) forms can be equally good, although in the latter case, a larger amount of the synthetic form is needed to obtain the same amount of active vitamin E. There is also a greater risk of blood clotting disorders with synthetic vitamin E in high doses.
8 There are advantages to the natural form of vitamin K as well. The form of vitamin K2 known as MK7 is natural and derived from fermented soybeans. It is used in various vitamin supplements and is more effective in increasing vitamin K levels compared to synthetic K1 or synthetic K2, known as MK4.
9 Vitamin C, both in its natural and synthetic forms, is equally good and effective. Rosehip fruits and synthetically produced vitamin C contain the same compound – ascorbic acid. Citrus bioflavonoids, which are present in their natural form or added during production, can significantly enhance absorption.
10 Sometimes synthetic forms of vitamins have advantages over natural ones. The synthetic form of vitamin B3 (niacin) called inositol hexanicotinate, for example, causes less skin flushing than niacin.
In summary: which vitamins are better to take?
The answer to the question “which vitamins are better to take?” is clear and obvious: those found in natural foods.
Scientific studies do not support the benefits of additional intake of synthetic vitamins/minerals and complexes for healthy individuals.
Whole natural foods rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains are the ideal source of balanced vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (which are completely absent in synthetic vitamin complexes). Daily micronutrient needs can be fully met through a wholesome diet alone. Moreover, this will save you a considerable amount of money.
