Vitamin Vitals
Not all vitamins are created equal. Can you tell the difference between chemical or synthetic vitamins and whole food supplements? Learn about the three types of vitamins and what this means to you and your pocketbook.
The human body is truly an amazing machine. When healthy, it is a resilient and intricate system capable of initiating millions of chemical reactions that work to keep it functioning and healthy at all times. In fact, there are an estimated 100 trillion cells in the average adult body, each requiring daily nutrients and sustenance.
Vitamins are some of these key nutrients, providing vital nourishment to the cells. They are catalysts that trigger chemical reactions essential in every metabolic process throughout your body. Vitamins play a primary role in cell repair and growth. Without vitamins, the trillions of cells that make up who you are would eventually malfunction and die. When your body becomes deficient in any one of these fundamental nutrients, it simply begins to break down and disease sets in.
The human body is designed to be self-sufficient in many ways. For instance, it has the innate ability to heal itself, a process called homeostasis. It naturally works to restore balance and keep the internal environment consistent and healthy. As wonderful as our bodies are however, they still require outside nourishment in order to perform these tiny miracles on a daily basis.
In a perfect world, we could simply obtain this daily nourishment from the food we eat. But as we all know, this is not a perfect world and for many reasons, our food alone can no longer sustain our nutritional needs. As such we must now resort to supplements. Not all vitamins are created equal however.
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Nowhere is the adage, “you get what you pay for” more appropriate than in the health food industry. Too often we are led to believe vitamins are all good simply because they are natural. But the fact is, the natural health industry is one of the fastest growing industries around and with $3.3 billion up for grabs, you can bet there are companies looking to seize their share of the profits. Where healthy competition should lead to high-quality products, you often find cheap, ineffective supplements manufactured simply for profit.
One of the best examples is Vitamin E. This wonderful supplement can be found for as little as $6.99 a bottle. Yet, another bottle can cost you upwards of $40. So, why the discrepancy? Simply put… quality.
A Vitamin By Any Other Name…
One of the biggest misnomers about supplements is that they are all alike – Vitamin C is Vitamin C no matter what brand you buy. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Supplements in fact, are manufactured in three basic forms (natural, crystalline and synthetic) each very different when it comes to their quality, efficacy and reliability.
Natural or whole food vitamins are those found in the food we eat. This form is the most desirable simply because the nutrients your cells require are delivered in a highly absorbable and ideally potent state that is easily recognized by your body. Natural supplements are also the most expensive form primarily because of the cost associated with extracting them while still preserving their natural potency and effectiveness.
Crystalline vitamins on the other hand, while also derived from natural sources, are chemically treated with solvents, heat and other refinements designed to extrapolate a pure form of the specific nutrient. As such, they are no longer entirely natural. This refining also damages the essential enzymes and minerals (among other things), critical for optimal absorption within the body.
Finally, synthetic vitamins are those created entirely by man. These supplements are made in a laboratory by reconstructing chemical compounds to match the precise crystalline structure of any given vitamin molecule. Chemically, there is no difference between synthetic and crystalline vitamins. Like crystallines, synthetics lack the majority of vital components required for absorption and efficacy within the body. Today, the bulk of supplements on the market are synthetic simply because they are the cheapest form to manufacture.
When purchasing supplements, always read the label. Price is usually a good indicator of its quality, but to be sure you know what you are getting, read the ingredient list. Most synthetic forms end in ‘ide’, ‘ite’, ‘ate’ or ‘ine’ for example. If you can pronounce it and you recognize it as something that was once alive, it is most likely natural.