Synthetic And Natural Vitamins: What’s the Difference?

You are probably familiar with natural vitamins. You get them from all kinds of different natural products such as vegetables and fruit. However, these are not the only vitamins that exist. There are also synthetic vitamins that function just as well as the natural variant.
In this article, we look at the two types of vitamins, what the difference is and whether they also have similarities.

What are vitamins?

Vitamins are small nutrients that fall under the category of “ micronutrients ”. This means that they are substances of which you consume less than one gram per day. They are necessary for the healthy development of your body and mind but do not provide energy.

Your body is not able to make vitamins on its own. It is therefore important that you get enough vitamins through your diet. You can do this by using natural vitamins, but also synthetic vitamins.
Synthetic vitamins are vitamins that are artificially made. This is usually done in a lab. These vitamins are very concentrated and often come in the form of supplements, such as multivitamins.
Natural vitamins occur naturally in natural products such as vegetables, fruit, meat, and grain. These vitamins on a natural basis are therefore not made in a lab, but rather outside, during the growth process of the plant.

The difference between natural and synthetic vitamins

Synthetic and natural vitamins hardly differ in structure, so the body should have little difficulty absorbing the vitamin. Finally, it is very similar to the natural variant. Yet the production process is very different from that of natural vitamins, so your body can react differently to it.

Until now it is still unclear what exactly the requirements are for the vitamins to be better absorbed by the body. What is clear is that the difference in shots is caused, among other things, by the surrounding conditions. When you eat fruit, you also get all carbohydrates, sugars, proteins, and fats. Paired with the natural vitamins, your body will give every substance a place. Synthetic vitamins only consist of the vitamin itself, so your body will be less active in absorbing the substance.
A great example of this is vitamin E. Your body absorbs twice as much vitamin E from natural food than from supplements.

Are there still similarities?

Still, natural vitamins and synthetic vitamins are not all that different from each other. Ultimately, they both help to keep your body healthy and you will suffer from it if you are deficient in this vitamin.
In the Netherlands, there are almost no vitamin deficiencies any more, partly thanks to the vitamin supplements. In consultation with your doctor, you can use synthetic vitamins if you get too few substances from your diet.
Finally, there is also no difference in the safety of the vitamins. Synthetic vitamins are just as safe to take as natural vitamins. However, what you should always pay attention to is that you do not take too much, because this can lead to unpleasant side effects such as stomach cramps, headaches, or diarrhea.