By
John F Black
Everyone knows that we should all strive to eat a balanced diet all the time, and we should never give up striving for that goal. At the same time, the complexities and time constraints of contemporary life can often prevent us from obtaining those ideally balanced meals. To make matters worse, even healthful fruits and vegetables may not be what they once were, nutritionally speaking. Since cellular nutrition is vital to general health, what can we do about the problem? Multivitamins enter the discussion at this point. Even then, however, the discussion is far from over, because the benefits of synthetic vitamins versus natural ones is the subject of continuing debate.
Many experts continue to insist that synthetic vitamins don't work. Others, pointing to the identical molecular structure that synthetics share with their natural counterparts, contend that synthetics do work almost as well. Tests have shown that some synthetics MAY be up to 70% less "biologically active" than natural vitamins, but that doesn't mean synthetics are of no benefit. Another point of contention is economic: natural vitamins cost more, and this means that if there were no synthetics, some people would have to do without. Generally speaking, something is better than nothing. Multivitamins are no exception to the rule.
Often, there is no labeling differentiation between natural and synthetic vitamins. If a consumer is determined to take only natural vitamins, the sole clues as to which these are may be price and what other substances they contain. Multivitamins containing B-complex vitamins, for example, will also necessarily contain yeast, and this should appear on the list of ingredients.
This industry-wide controversy has gone on for a long time and obviously cannot be resolved in one short article. A few things, however, are certain. Multivitamins are here to stay, because we need them. Virtually all of us are dealing with one vitamin deficiency or another, and frequently with several at once. Moreover, the world would be a less healthy place without synthetic vitamins, which are often nearly as effective as natural ones. Lastly, nearly everyone can agree that too much of a good thing may not be good at all, so everyone should check with his or her doctor to determine which vitamins and other supplements, and in what quantities, will be most beneficial for the individual.
Everyone knows that we should all strive to eat a balanced diet all the time, and we should never give up striving for that goal. At the same time, the complexities and time constraints of contemporary life can often prevent us from obtaining those ideally balanced meals. To make matters worse, even healthful fruits and vegetables may not be what they once were, nutritionally speaking. Since cellular nutrition is vital to general health, what can we do about the problem? Multivitamins enter the discussion at this point. Even then, however, the discussion is far from over, because the benefits of synthetic vitamins versus natural ones is the subject of continuing debate.
Many experts continue to insist that synthetic vitamins don't work. Others, pointing to the identical molecular structure that synthetics share with their natural counterparts, contend that synthetics do work almost as well. Tests have shown that some synthetics MAY be up to 70% less "biologically active" than natural vitamins, but that doesn't mean synthetics are of no benefit. Another point of contention is economic: natural vitamins cost more, and this means that if there were no synthetics, some people would have to do without. Generally speaking, something is better than nothing. Multivitamins are no exception to the rule.
Often, there is no labeling differentiation between natural and synthetic vitamins. If a consumer is determined to take only natural vitamins, the sole clues as to which these are may be price and what other substances they contain. Multivitamins containing B-complex vitamins, for example, will also necessarily contain yeast, and this should appear on the list of ingredients.
This industry-wide controversy has gone on for a long time and obviously cannot be resolved in one short article. A few things, however, are certain. Multivitamins are here to stay, because we need them. Virtually all of us are dealing with one vitamin deficiency or another, and frequently with several at once. Moreover, the world would be a less healthy place without synthetic vitamins, which are often nearly as effective as natural ones. Lastly, nearly everyone can agree that too much of a good thing may not be good at all, so everyone should check with his or her doctor to determine which vitamins and other supplements, and in what quantities, will be most beneficial for the individual.