To find out if your supplement is synthetic or natural, check the label. Natural supplements usually include food sources or are labeled as 100% plant-based or animal-based. Supplements that list individual nutrients, such as vitamin C, or that use chemical names such as ascorbic acid, are almost certainly synthetic. Natural nutrients are found in the foods we eat, while synthetic nutrients are found in dietary supplements and fortified foods.
Not all nutrients in dietary supplements are natural or synthetic. Choosing the best source of a nutrient depends on the nutrient itself. Some, such as vitamins, are better if they are synthetic, as long as they mimic the form found in nature (their natural counterpart). Others, such as antioxidants, are better produced through bacterial fermentation.
While many, such as herbs, are better with the whole part of the plant in the formula. Supplements are those products created naturally or synthetically to fill the gaps that occur in people's diets. They are vitamins or minerals or amino acids or specific types of proteins or probiotics. The advantages of supplements are that they are easy to take, since they come in the form of capsules, tablets, or liquids.
They are intended for people who don't eat healthy and aren't willing to make a behavioral change to make their diet healthy. This is because supplements and fortified foods tend to contain much higher amounts of nutrients than whole foods. Therefore, it's important to understand the difference between natural foods and supplements, and what impact they have on our health and well-being. A study that included data on 35,533 healthy men found that vitamin E supplements significantly increased the risk of prostate cancer.
Make sure that your vitamin supplements (whether synthetic or natural) are tested for toxicity and contaminants, are properly labeled, and break down in the body in the right time. Natural nutrients are found naturally in foods such as fruits, vegetables and eggs, while synthetic nutrients are found in dietary supplements and fortified foods. Synthetic nutrients from supplements and fortified foods can have harmful health effects, especially when used in high doses. Another study involving 10,698 adults, grouped by income level, revealed that the use of dietary supplements, in addition to normal dietary intake, was associated with an increase in nutrient intake and a lower risk of nutrient insufficiency, compared to the intake of nutrients only in the diet (3).
By consuming a supplement with this bioavailable form, you can avoid this genetic mutation and obtain the right amounts of folate for mental health, fertility, growth, development and much more). Consumers in the dietary supplement industry receive very little information about synthetic versus natural vitamins. In addition, high levels of vitamin A when taking high-dose supplements have been associated with low bone mineral density and a higher risk of fractures in women, especially among women with low vitamin D levels (1). It was also found that, when taken only in supplement form, beta-carotene was associated with a 6% increase in the risk of death from all causes (1).
Vegan, vegetarian and other restrictive diets can prevent a person from getting the right amount of nutrients from their food and, therefore, supplements can benefit these types of consumers. However, if you're looking to focus on a specific biochemical pathway or to replace your diet with lost nutrients, dietary supplements are an excellent resource. It is always recommended to eat a healthy and balanced diet together with supplements to improve the absorption capacity of the vitamin and mineral in question. In addition, when taken in supplement form on an empty stomach, some nutrients are much more bioavailable than when consumed as part of a mixed meal from natural food sources.
