While most people are aware that getting a good balance of vitamins is important to a healthy lifestyle, fewer are aware of the differences between the organic molecules found in whole foods, such as meats, fish and vegetables compared to the supplements that are increasingly filling the shelves of supermarkets, chemists and even health-food stores. If you are committed to leading a healthy lifestyle, then understanding the benefits of whole food vitamins over synthetic nutraceuticals is a must.
Despite being labeled as a ‘natural’ product, almost all the multivitamins available on today’s market are what can be classified as synthetic nutraceuticals. A scientific and chemically produced copy of a singular compound, these synthetic nutraceuticals are, by design, unable to replicate the diverse micronutrient structure that makes up a whole food and whole food vitamin complex, despite claiming to have the same health benefits.
To break it down more simply, whole foods vitamins are made up of a complex spectrum of components, complete with other co-factors that enable the product to do its job. Vitamin C complex found in oranges, for example, is not just made up of ascorbic acid, but also Rutin, Bioflavonoids, Factor K , Factor J , Factor P , Tyrosinase and Ascorbinogen. In addition, when you take a bite of an orange, you are also getting Vitamin A, B1, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Folate, Selenium, Fibre, and much more. Together, these work in harmony with each other to deliver a range of health benefits, and our system is geared toward recognizing the whole, rather than individual chemicals that make up our food.
When creating synthetic vitamins nutrients are created in isolation: separating out the individual components that make up a food source. In doing so, these synthetic nutraceuticals shift away from the organic process by which the many co-factors that make up a whole food can be successfully and beneficially absorbed. In fact, many of these isolated vitamins are not even recognizable by the body, and can often be treated as toxins or lead to deficiencies as the body takes the available co-factors from our own tissue to use them.
Adding to this problem is the fact that the food available to us today is increasingly less nutritious, making it harder to get the essential vitamins we need. The pesticides and fertilizers used to grow the vegetables and grains we eat and give to livestock limit the ability of plants to draw in nutrients as they grow. The refining and processing of food so that it lasts longer also strips out and destroys many of the health benefits, and we are only just beginning to understand the implications of genetically modified food. The synthetic vitamin industry has thus become more powerful as there is increasing evidence to suggest that simply maintaining a healthy whole food diet is not enough.
In light of this, how can we make sure we get the right balance of vitamins without turning to chemical alternatives? Organic and biodynamic foods and multivitamin supplements that use whole food sources, such as nutrient rich animal products, fruits, vegetables and herbs are a great start. Most importantly, the answer lies in being educated about what you are eating, drinking and ingesting, and making informed decisions about you and your family’s health by understanding the incomparable and irreplaceable benefits of whole food.