Remember that the corporate world is a tricky one and that most vitamin companies are owned by pharmaceutical and tobacco companies that have massive control over advertising and information. Another reason why there is never any reports/hard to find reports of nasty side affects from synthetic vitamins which could also be attributed to bioavailability of certain supplements. Most of them don’t fully digest and will end up coming out the other end.

Even when it comes to taking synthetic vitamins or minerals to treat a deficiency, a poor quality synthetic supplement can lead to a lack of improvement in the deficiency, delayed results and can even cause more harm than good if the body finds them hard to digest and begins to form a toxic environment.

While speaking of digestion, a previous article I wrote on multivitamins titled ‘Multi Vitamins and What to Watch out For’, there is an image of a man’s gastro intestinal tract that is filled with fragmented capsules and tablets which have stuck together and caused complete intestinal obstruction; a result of a very poor quality multivitamin that the body wasn’t able to break down.

Before I continue on to list some research material on synthetic vitamins, I would like to stress that Iím not completely against them. I do see they play a valuable roll when a deficiency is known and needed to be treated. This in-fact was what synthetic vitamins and minerals where initially made for; back in the day only people with a known deficiency and where sick would be prescribed a synthetic vitamin/mineral to treat the problem. But now anyone can get their hands on these supplements and although it was thought back in the day when the supplements where making there way onto pharmacy shelves, that if people supplemented in mega-doses it would prevent any deficiencies or illnessís occurring in the long term, research now showís this isnít always the case. It is this random taking of synthetic vitamins when there is no deficiency/medical need (which causes the many problems and health concerns mentioned previously), that I disagree with and concerns about.

Some research material on negative results synthetic vitamins have had can be found in:

• Meagher, JAMA, 2001; In this study they looked at 5 separate doses of vitamin E, all the way up to 2000IU per day. The evidence was clear that there was no reduction in lipid peroxides (free radical damage/oxidative stress). This is something which fruits and vegetables, including those with vitamin E, are shown to do.
• Seddon, JAMA 1994; This study showed that blindness from macular degeneration cannot be prevented with isolated vitamins A, C and E, but is clear that green leafy vegetables can prevent up to 43% or more of that disease.
• Archives of Internal Medicine, July 2002; Elderly people are known to be more susceptible to infection, so in a study in 2002 they decided to give this group of elderly vitamin E or multi-vitamins and compare that to a placebo to see if they can prevent infection in these elderly people, and they found no benefit whatsoever in preventing infection, in fact, the patients taking the vitamin E had more serious infections and complications from the infections than those taking the placebo.
• Foley, JAMA, June 2002; This multi year study from two separate independent researchers where submitted and vitamin E from natures vitamin E found in dietary sources, in one study reduced the incidence of Alzheimer’s by 35% and in the next study reduced it by 70%. And in neither study did the man made vitamins C or E reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s.

The following photos are Kirlian energy photos; Kirlian photography is a photographic technique where the light from the energy field of an object is captured directly on film emulsion revealing the object’s energy field. The more “alive” the object, the more energy it has, and the more “dead” it is, the less energy it has.

The kirlian photo on the left is of a Natural vitamin, and an ordinary synthetic vitamin on the right. There is much more living energy emanating from the natural vitamin on the left.

Natural Vitamin     Synthetic Vitamin

So at the end of the day, the question you should ask yourself is what are you deficient in? The answer is not going to be that you’re deficient in obtaining enough synthetically made Vitamin C! You are deficient in obtaining and consuming enough fruits and vegetables which contain vitamin C! So supplement with what’s lacking in your diet, when it comes to vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phyto-nutrients and enzymes, these are found in fruits and vegetables, so supplement with a high quality fruit and vegetable supplementation. I personally take and recommend JuicePlus+ as they have a huge amount of independent research (currently over 15 independent studies) which all show positive health results;

• Integrative Medicine, Vol.2, No 1, 1999; This study showed a significant increase in T-cell activity (T-cells are critical to various immune functions such as surveillance of cancer cells and destroying virus-infected cells in the body). A significant increase in natural killer cells which seek out and destroy cancer cells. A significant decrease in B-cell activity (B-cell produce antibodies, which provide immunity against viruses, bacteria, and parasites).
• Nutrition Research Vol. 19, Number 10, 1999; This study showed a reduction of DNA damage by up to 66% (talk about anti-aging!).
• Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, July 2006; This study showed a significant reduction in exercise induced oxidative stress.