Wholefood Supplements: Natural Vitamins vs Synthetic

Natural vitamins are what you can buy in the grocery store or local pharmacy such as Walgreen or Rite-Aid. Brands such as Centrum or Theregran-M come to mind.

Natural Vitamin versus Synthetic Vitamins: Both Centrum and
Theragran-M are examples of non-natural synthetic vitamins

These synthetic vitamins are the most popular and best sellers. However, several doctors and health specialists feel that these vitamins might be as good for you as, well...
Natural Vitamins vs. Synthetic Vitamins and the Advantages of Each

In the natural vitamins vs synthetic vitamin argument, proponents of natural vitamins such as wholefood supplements claim that nothing man-made can be as good as nature's own vitamins. Centrum, and the like, do contain vitamins, however, they are not in their natural form or amounts, therefore they aren't as easily accepted as nutrition by your body and aren't as easily digested.

What do I take regarding natural vs synthetic vitamins? Well, I'd like to take only wholefood supplements, and usually I do. However, they're quite pricey and sometimes, even a Centrum is better than nothing. Synthetics are readily available and claim to give you all the vitamins you need. Granted, this might be a strain for your digestive system, though.


Typically, a bottle of 200 one-a-day Centrum tablets will cost you around $15. Or, you could get the Walgreen equivalent--which is made and packaged in the same factory as the Centrum tablets and is, essentially, the same exact product--for around $10. However, Walgreen has buy one get one free sales on these, so you can get over year's supply for around $10! I used to buy these often, until I found out that synthetics aren't the way to go. I do make sure I have some on hand, just in case, but I don't take them daily. For the record, Target sells multivitamins and the tablets are red. Don't buy them--they upset the stomach.

Wholefood supplements, on the other hand, aren't as compact, cheap, or convenient as synthetics. You usually have to take more than one a day--which is actually good so that you can get the vitamins when your body needs them. They might costs as much as 10 times as much. However, they are highly alkaline to you blood and are easily digestible.

Here are a few examples of whole food supplements on Amazon: Vitamineral Green (see trial size) and Earth Herbal Vegan Organic Superfood Dietary Supplement. You can see the Vitamineral in the photo to the left. However, the one I would most recommend is Comprehensive Vitamin & Mineral Formula. By just reading the discription you know you can trust them!

Natural Vitamins vs Synthetic Vitamins: Conclusion

When weighing the benefits of natural vitamins versus synthetic vitamins, you have to ask yourself what you're looking for. Wholefood, natural vitamins are far better for because they

• Give you nutrients in the form and dose that nature intended
• Include enzymes which aid in digestion of the vitamins as well as other foods
• Make your blood alkaline
  
• Are taken a few times a day providing maximum absorption by the colon and small intestine
• Are often in dark, glass bottles: the best way to preserve the freshness of the vitamins
• BUT, are expensive and hard to find except at health food stores
  

Synthetic man-made vitamins have other benefits:

• Very cheap
• Available at any pharmacy or grocery store
• Are known to everyone and coupons are available
• Have 100% USRDA of everything you need (no, I don't believe the USRDA)
• Just taken once a day
  
• BUT, they don't absorb properly, put more of a strain on your digestive system, may be stale or old, are made from the lowest quality ingredients, and are totally non-natural and synthetic.

Natural vitamins vs synthetic vitamins final word: Buy only 100% natural, whole food vitamins. If you can't get them for any reason, or if they are too expensive for you, take synthetics. If you are on a high fruit and vegetable diet, there is no need to take any vitamins, and in such a case taking synthetics would even work against you.