WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC?

In short, it's the difference between something that's living and something that's dead. That's a big difference!

NATURAL WHOLE FOOD VITAMINS - On vitamin labels the word "natural" has no specific definition other than that the substance exists somewhere on the planet or outer space. The key words to look for are "Whole Food Vitamins" - this means vitamins as they are found in food, untempered with in any way that would change their molecular structure, their biological or biochemical combination, or their actions.

Vitamins in their natural state always exist as living complexes with specific synergistic co-factors, enzymes, phytonutrients and organic mineral activators, and never as isolated single factors. A vitamin needs all of its synergists, most of which have not yet been studied but are nevertheless very important.

Organic food sources are preferred since they are more nutrient-dense and contain no pesticide residues.

CRYSTALLINE means that a natural food has been treated with various chemicals, solvents, heat and distillations to reduce it down to one specific "pure" crystalline vitamin. In this process all the synergists, which are termed "impurities," are destroyed. There is no longer anything natural in the action of crystalline "vitamins" - they should more accurately be termed drugs.

Synthetic means that a chemist attempted to reconstruct the exact structure of the crystalline molecule by chemically combining molecules from other sources. These sources are not living foods, but dead chemicals. For example, Vitamin B1 is made from a coal tar derivative. Ascorbic acid (the only part of the vitamin C complex that the FDA allows to be called vitamin C) is made by reacting sugar with sulfuric acid.

HOW TO READ A VITAMIN LABEL: To identify synthetics on the label, look to see if a source is given. If it isn't, assume the product is synthetic. These terms also identify a vitamin as synthetic, or a mineral as nearly impossible to digest:

Acetate, bitartrate, chloride, oxide, hydrochloride, nitrate, succinate and carbonate.

Whole-food natural supplements never come in high dosages. It is only possible to create high-dosage "vitamins" if you isolate one fraction of the vitamin complex as in crystalline, or synthesize one fraction as in synthetics. Look at the Vitamin C and Vitamin E diagrams. In naturally occurring Vitamin C Complex, the ascorbic acid portion comprises only about 5% of the whole complex. Similarly, alpha tocopherol only comprises a small percentage of Vitamin E Complex.

We as consumers have been thoroughly fooled and misled about vitamins! We have been hoodwinked into believing that large quantities of dead chemicals are more nutritionally potent than smaller amounts of high quality living compounds.

Relatively small amounts of whole food natural vitamins, with all of their naturally occurring synergists, are far more potent than high doses of synthetic imitation vitamins.

Amazing, huh?! I remember my parents telling me that a study was done saying that there is no difference with the cheaper vitamins than the higher priced ones. At the time, we didn't even know what to look for. That is why "whole food" supplements are important because it has the whole food to make it work in your body. We have a great whole food vitamin that we offer here at Fountain of Health, and there are other good brands available too that will do the job. The powdered formulas are good also (often have probiotics in them), and you can throw them in a smoothie! How about we just eat an orange to get our vitamin C?

I was at a a friend's house and was checking the labels on the vitamins that he bought at Costco. There were about 5 of the above terms on the label. He was saving money, yet wasting his money, and not doing a bit of good for his body.

I've mentioned it before -- I recommend watching Food Matters. You can sit in our waiting area and watch it, or go to the website and watch it for $4.95 online (foodmatters.com). We also have copies available for you to purchase. It is a documentary created to help educate the public about our food and medical industry. It is a must see!