Natural vs Synthetic Vitamins

Don’t Waste Your Money on Nutritional Supplements

This is a true statement - as far as it goes.

At Nutrition Pure and Simple we care deeply about the Quality of our Products.  But what does that word ‘quality’ mean in this context?

Revised July 2017
Food for thought:

1. Many supplements are not potent enough to be of any use to a nutritionally-starved body - Check out Ultra Vites for a multi that has high levels of nutrients instantly available to the body when the veggy capsule melts.
2. Often manufacturers use cheap materials - to keep the cost low, naturally.  Ultra Omega Linic uses Pure Wild Alaskan Salmon for our fish oil product.
3. Supplements with colors, flavors and preservatives provide toxins rather than nutrition.  Ultra Monolaurin is a 90% Pure distillate of coconut oil.

I recently came across some information on the web promoting ‘Natural’ over ‘Synthetic’ vitamins.  It reminded me of an article in the Townsend Letter for Doctors written in 1988 by Philip Zimmerman, Ph.D.

I’d like to recap it for you.   First he defines common terms. 

For instance, many people believe the term ‘natural’ describes a substance from some source in nature which has not been modified by the manufacturer.  In the nutritional supplement world nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, there is no ‘official’ definition of ‘natural’ anywhere. 

A potential definition for a ‘natural’ vitamin is that the body recognizes the chemical structure of the nutrient and rejoices because it finds something it can use.  In that sense, what we eat and drink are recognized as ‘chemicals’. (or not)

When you look at the label on a bottle of supplements and it says that it contains 50 mg of a substance, whatever the source, that substance has been standardized by the manufacturer.  Otherwise they could not put that exact amount on the label.  (It is not ‘natural’, but has been ‘standardized’)    For more on this topic read this excellent discussion about the Standardization of Herbs, courtesy of our Manufacturer, Time Laboratories.  This is an example of an informative label.

Another problem with the term ‘natural’ (from nature) supplements is that there are NO naturally-occurring high levels of individual nutrients.  Why does this matter?  For many years it has been known that folic acid may prevent birth defects.   Our multi Vitamins for adults contain 800 mcg of Folic Acid.   If your supplement has high levels of individual nutrients, especially B Vitamins,  it is not ‘natural’.

Despite the current rage to have ‘organic’ and ‘organically grown and certified’ food, there is not an equivalent for the labeling of supplements.  If a nutrient contains carbon it is organic.  Vitamins are organic and minerals are inorganic.  Another common term is ‘Artificial’.  An artificial ingredient is  NOT found in nature.  These are the substances found in supplements and our food supply that the body is not equipped to deal with.  ‘Artificial’ substances may potentially be harmful to human beings and animals.  This is not the same as a substance that is chemically identical (or bio-identical) but is made in a laboratory.  Man-made colors, flavors and preservatives are ‘artificial’ and not recognized by the body.

Dr Jones has written extensively on the sad state of our modern diet.  I saw another comment on the web about how our current food supply contains a much lower level of nutrients than it did about 50 years ago.  In the mid 1980's I read a book written by Dr Emanuel Cheraskin wherein he described the huge loss of nutrients (at that time) from the plant in the ground to the shipped, processed, and over-cooked meal on the table.  This is why Dr Jones so strenuously promotes his researched, quality-controlled multi Vitamin called Ultra Vites.

So what should you want to know about a supplement before you buy it?

1. Because there is so much hidden from the consumer by manufacturers, you must deal with a well-known, well-respected company.  Your best assurance is its reputation in the industry.
2. A Question you may ask yourself is this: Is the product performing according to your expectations?    If you are buying it to relieve joint pain - is it?    You need to measure how the substances(s) perform in the body.
3. In the ingredients list you need to know if any ingredients include milk, yeast, sugar or any substance to which you are allergic.
4. Know this: manufactures buy raw materials from the same USDA approved sources.  Some ingredients cost more than others, so cheaper products simply contain cheaper ingredients.

I want to summarize with a quote from Dr Zimmerman
     “If it were possible to obtain high potencies of vitamins from nature,  most of us would prefer such vitamins.  As a rule of thumb, the following may be stated:  'The most important aspect is not whether a vitamin has been derived directly from a natural source, but whether the vitamin is the equivalent in molecular structure to the same vitamin as found in its natural state.'

     In most cases, with prudent label reading, it is possible to obtain the desired vitamin level of the various nutrients in a state which is equal to that found in nature".

Our manufacturer, Time Laboratories, has been in business since 1973.  Their expertise and commitment to quality ensures products that you can purchase with confidence.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.