Natural and synthetic vitamins are available in the market, and many people consume both without knowing which one they're consuming. It's important for you to learn about the differences, so you can identify natural vitamins from the synthetic supplements available on the market. Many vitamin manufacturers use synthetic ingredients to increase the power of the vitamin, but some of these ingredients can be harmful.
Synthetic vs. Natural Vitamins
According to a 2019 survey, more than 86% of Americans take vitamins or dietary supplements. Many different formulations are available for these supplements. For example, some are added to your food while others are available for you to consume directly. These vitamins have their benefits, but some of these can become toxic, too, if not taken in proper dosages.
Natural ingredients for these vitamins are obtained directly from food sources, like vegetables, animals, or plants or whole food supplements. Whereas synthetic nutrients are manufactured or formulated using chemical processes in industries.
Some manufacturers add synthetic nutrients to whole food supplements and claim that all ingredients are 100% natural and authentic. The majority of the supplements on the market today are synthetic. So how to tell the difference?
How to Tell the Difference
Step 1
Firstly, check the ingredients and look for words that start with "dl". This prefix indicates that the vitamin is made from synthetic nutrients or ingredients. An example would be "dl-alpha-tocopherol", as it's the synthetic form of Vitamin E.
Step 2
Look for words ending in "ide" or "ate" when going through the list of ingredients. This indicates that synthetic materials have been used in the vitamin to increase its power, for example, acetate, silicon dioxide, or hydrochloride.
Step 3
If a vitamin has been listed in the ingredient list by its name, for example, Vitamin C as Vitamin C, then it's the synthetic version. If the natural vitamin was used, it would've come directly from the food source, it would've been written as "citrus". In the case of Vitamin K, "parsley" would've been written.
Step 4
The word "natural" is the key. "100 percent natural" written on a bottle indicates that the supplements do not contain synthetic ingredients. However, if it just says "natural", it could have some synthetic ingredients. If a product's label fails to mention "100 percent plant (or animal) based", then it does contain synthetic components as only 10% of the products come from natural sources of food, and that percentage is enough for companies to mention "natural" on their products.
Step 5
It's important to read about vitamin potency. If the vitamin's potency is unnaturally or high, it is definitely synthetic. For example, 1000% vitamin C indicates an abnormally high dosage that no one needs daily and no food source can provide.
NAH professionally formulated organic vitamins are great for your body and contain 100% natural ingredients.
Buy organic vitamins online and check out our Liquid Vitamin C, B12 Energy, Super Multivitamins & Minerals, and Zinc Complex. Reach out to us to learn more.