Key Differences between Synthetic vs Natural Vitamins
It is known that nutrients are essential in your daily diet. However, only a healthy diet often does not suffice the required nutrients for everyone. In this condition, people take help from vitamin supplements to meet their nutrient requirements, which can be both natural and synthetic. There are critics and proponents for both types of vitamins.
Are you wondering which type of vitamin supplement will be suitable for you? This article will discuss synthetic versus natural vitamins to understand the two better!
What Are Synthetic Vitamins?
According to medical practitioners, synthetic vitamin supplements are similar to natural minerals and vitamins in food. However, this is not true since synthetic vitamin supplements are processed in laboratories. Therefore, these supplements might contain only about 10% natural vitamins when you consume these supplements. Your body can differentiate these from the natural nutrients.
Scientists prepare these synthetic vitamin supplements by using the molecular structures of the original vitamins. About 95% of the vitamins are synthetic in the market. However, only Vitamin E can be an exception. If you plan on taking natural or synthetic Vitamin E, it is not easy to assemble all the benefits of this vitamin in synthetic supplements. Therefore, it is advisable to consider only natural supplements for this vitamin.
What Are Natural Vitamins?
On the other hand, natural vitamin supplements are produced after deriving vitamins and minerals directly from plants. The primary difference between synthetic and natural vitamins is in their production process. Even though the natural vitamins might be sterilised in the lab, they are not produced or processed in it. Therefore, natural vitamin supplements enable you to stay closer to nature without consuming the actual sources of vitamins.
Over time, soil resource depletion and land poisoning with weed killers and pesticides have destroyed the value of natural food items. It means even if you try to consume natural plants and vegetables, you might not be consuming a healthy diet. Thus, people often prefer taking natural supplements, which offer the same vitamins and minerals present in natural food items.
How to Differentiate Between Synthetic and Natural Vitamins?
Now that you have a basic idea about synthetic vitamins versus natural vitamins, you must be wondering about the specific differences between the two. The following table will give you a clearer picture of the difference between synthetic and natural vitamins.
| Category | Natural Vitamin | Synthetic Vitamin |
| Production and processing | Scientists procure vitamins directly from plants or animal products. They then sterilise the raw materials in the lab to produce the supplements. | Scientists produce these supplements in a lab. They use various chemicals and mix these to create their reactions in developing these products. |
| Absorbability | Natural food products and supplements have higher absorbability. | Most synthetic vitamins are not as bioavailable to the body. However, natural or synthetic vitamin c supplements are equally bioavailable. |
| Risks | These vitamins' risks are considerably lower since you get direct nutritional value. | There are higher risks with the overconsumption of synthetic supplements. |
| Physical reactions | There are hardly any negative reactions when you take natural products or supplements for vitamins. | Consuming synthetic supplements might have adverse reactions. For instance, the synthetic Vitamin B2 items contain bacteria, nitrogen and acetic acid, resulting in adverse effects. |
What Are the Benefits of Synthetic and Natural Vitamins?
Now that you know the difference between synthetic and natural vitamins, you should find out the benefits of these two. The following table will help you understand it.
| Category | Natural Vitamin | Synthetic Vitamin |
| Diet deficiency | Natural supplements enable you to save money on purchasing nutritional food items yet get vitamins' positive effects | Consuming these can help you meet your dietary requirements without preparing or cooking the original food products. |
| Healthcare needs | These supplements can help you deal with your specific health conditions. | These supplements are again helpful for meeting your healthcare needs. |
| Natural pollution | With the rising pollution, it is challenging to eat healthily. The use of pesticides and the over-cultivation of crops often destroy the nutritional value of healthy foods. | Synthetic supplements are produced keeping the natural essence of the vitamins and nutrients. |
| Digestion and effects | The natural vitamin supplements are easy to digest and hardly come with any after-effects. | If you are intolerant or allergic to certain nutrients, consuming synthetic supplements containing those can cause health issues. |
Therefore, as you can see, synthetic versus natural vitamins is a common point of concern in recent times. Doctors often suggest that we go for these supplements to improve our health conditions faster. You need to consult with your doctor before purchasing these to be clear about the dosage and type of supplements. It will help you avoid any adverse effects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are natural vitamins better than synthetic?
According to health researchers, consuming natural vitamin food items and supplements is always better than getting synthetic products. However, consuming synthetic supplements is not a harmful option if you lack vitamin nutrients.
How can you tell if a vitamin is synthetic?
While looking at the label of supplements, the vitamin ingredients will be identified as either “d” or “dl”. The “dl” prefix suggests that the supplement is synthetic, while “d” usually represents natural supplements.