It makes sense to prefer natural supplements over synthetic ones. Natural dietary supplements contain no artificial additives, are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, and are better absorbed by the body. We understand the first two points, but what exactly is the reason for the last one?
In this article, you will read about
- The difference between natural and synthetic supplements
- How the body processes vitamins
- The effectiveness of natural versus synthetic supplements
- The difference in vitamin E absorption
- The dangers of excessive daily doses of synthetic vitamins
- The difference between natural and synthetic supplements
Natural versus synthetic
Natural supplements contain only ingredients extracted from nature. These can be plants and/or animal products. A dietary supplement with only natural ingredients therefore consists only of substances that originate in nature and occur there as such.
Synthetic supplements are manufactured in a factory. Vitamins are artificially reproduced here. When you take a synthetic dietary supplement, your body ingests non-natural substances.
In addition, synthetic vitamin D is not always safe for babies.
Processing in the body
The body does not produce vitamins itself. We obtain them from our diet and, if necessary, from dietary supplements. Vitamins are processed in our gastrointestinal tract, where the usable nutrients are absorbed and the unusable substances are eventually excreted.
Effectiveness of natural supplements versus synthetic supplements
A synthetic supplement is not necessarily of lower quality than a natural supplement, as long as the vitamins have the same chemical structure. However, there are vitamins whose structure differs between the natural and synthetic forms. This difference in structure determines how well the body can absorb the vitamin.
Vitamin E differs in structure between the natural and synthetic forms. The synthetic version has several variants that are more difficult for the body to recognise, while the body absorbs the natural version much better. This means that you absorb natural vitamin E twice as well as the synthetic variant. Because vitamin E is often found in multivitamins, it is better to choose a natural multivitamin for better absorption.
To increase vitamin absorption, some synthetic supplements contain a higher Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) per daily dose than necessary (more than 100%). However, taking too many vitamins over a long period of time can cause problems. Therefore, pay close attention to the dosage on the label and make sure you do not exceed the recommended amount.
