Vitamin Supplement Acai Berries Juice
Information and Purchasing Options

purchasing options

The majority of commercial vitamin supplements sold today (roughly 90%) are made from synthetic vitamins. Synthetic vitamins do not perform the same functions in your body as vitamins found naturally in whole food nutrients. Many synthetic vitamins actually deplete your body of other nutrients, and tax your kidneys before being excreted from the body.

Anyone who studies biochemistry learns that vitamins do not exist as single components which act on their own. Vitamins are made up of several different components - enzymes, co-enzymes, and co-factors - that must work together to produce their intended biologic effects. I.E. To help you.

Unlike synthetic vitamins, those that are found naturally in whole food nutrients, come with all of their necessary components.

The majority of vitamins that are sold in pharmacies, grocery stores, and vitamin shops are synthetic vitamins, which are only isolated portions of the vitamins that occur naturally in food... The synthetic "isolate" chemicals are produced to imitate the original vitamins found in whole food. These chemicals are really precursors to the vitamins. Synthetic chemicals are not recognized by the body as food, thus they are not absorbed properly, and they are poorly utilized. A good example is the antioxidant, vitamin C, that many people buy.

For example, if you take a look at a variety of vitamin C supplements, you will find that the majority of them contain only ascorbic acid or a compound called ascorbate, which is a less acidic form of ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is NOT vitamin C. It represents the outer ring that serves as a protective shell for the entire vitamin C complex, much like an orange peel that serves as a protective shell for an orange.

Real vitamin C found in whole foods like fruits and vegetables contain the following components: Rutin, Bioflavonoids (vitamin P), Factor K, Factor J, Factor P, Tyrosinase, Ascorbinogen, Ascorbic Acid.

When you take only ascorbic acid found in your synthetic vitamin C tablet or powder, your body must gather all of the other components of the full vitamin C complex from your body's tissues in order to make use of it.

In the event that your body does not have adequate reserves of the other components, ascorbic acid itself does not provide any of the health benefits that the full vitamin C complex does. After circulating through your system, the unused ascorbic acid is eliminated through your urine.

Just like vitamin C, almost all other vitamins that we know of offer their full health benefits when they are in the presence of a number of enzymes, co-enzymes, co-factors, and even minerals. For example, Vitamin D may have as many as twelve different active components, while vitamin P has at least five different components. The mineral copper is needed for full vitamin C activity, while vitamin E works closely with the mineral selenium to provide its health promoting, anti-oxidative effect.

Clearly, it is best to get your vitamins from whole foods or whole food nutrients because whole foods provide complete vitamins rather than fractions of them. In many cases, whole foods also provide the minerals that are necessary for optimal vitamin activity. For example, sunflower seeds are an excellent whole food source of vitamin E and the mineral selenium, both of which need each other to offer their full health benefits.

How do you know if the vitamins on your kitchen counter are from whole foods, or if they are synthetic?

If the list of ingredients on the bottle includes the words "Vitamin C," rather than an actual food that contains natural vitamin C like "a citrus fruit," you can bet that it is a synthetic vitamin.

Put a different way, if you look on the label of a vitamin bottle, and it tells you how many I.U.'s or how many milligrams of different vitamins there are in that particular supplement, you can bet that the vitamins are isolated or synthetic.

Note: Just because a vitamin or mineral supplement includes the word "natural" on its label, doesn't mean you're buying a natural supplement... Confused? You don't have to be.

When describing a health supplement, the word "natural" can, unfortunately, sometimes be misleading. For example, in the case of vitamin E, a manufacturer can use a blend of 10% natural vitamin E and 90% synthetic vitamin E, and still label the product natural vitamin E. Using synthetic vitamin E, which is 40% cheaper, a manufacturer can greatly reduce the quality of a product to reduce their manufacturing cost.

You may also be surprised to know that China is now one of the largest exporters of many drugs and vitamins. For example, about 90 percent of all Vitamin C sold in the United States now comes from China. They also produce the majority of Vitamins A, B12, and E.

Can you tell from the label where your vitamins came from? Since the United States does not require country-of-origin labels for any of our drugs, foods, or supplements, there is no way of telling where the vitamins you are using came from. Don't just take our word for it. Do a little research. You'll be surprised at what you learn about many of the vitamins and minerals sold today.

While some synthetic and isolated vitamins have been shown to provide minimal health benefits, on the whole, most of them cause more harm than good. It is important to note that the principles for distinguishing real vitamins from synthetic or isolate vitamins are just as relevant and applicable to minerals and mineral supplements.

Many synthetic or isolate supplements also contain DCP, or Dicalcium Phosphate, and Methylene Chloride. These substances are so effective at binding (keeping stable) the ingredients they coat that they may actually inhibit the absorption of the nutrients you are paying for. David Klurfeld, who heads up a national program for the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, concluded that isolate vitamin and mineral supplements didn't work at preventing or aiding in recovery from disease or illness... Study after study says your body gains the most benefit from whole food nutrients.

As Hippocrates, the father of medicine, said more than 2,400 years ago, "Let Food Be Your Medicine."

Because many people today are unaware of the nutritional deficiencies in so much of the food they eat, and because they're not aware of the direct impact these nutritional deficiencies can have on both their energy level and their health, we attempt to "fix" the problem with a wide variety of products that do very little, if anything, to address the root cause/s of fatigue.

This simply creates another problem.

We use vitamin and mineral supplements that the body either doesn't recognize as real nutrients and fuel, or these supplements don't assimilate into the blood stream and digestive system very well... Some people attempt to fix the problem with products like energy drinks that are loaded with synthetic stimulants and refined-processed sugar for a "quick fix" answer. The result?... A revolving door of products and/or remedies, with little or no meaningful results... Sounds Familiar?

Now that you have a better understanding of what, in all likelihood, is causing or contributing to your constant fatigue or tiredness, and why you haven't been able to overcome the problem with the products or remedies you've tried, you can do one of two things:

You can continue doing what you've been doing, and expect more of the same, or... You can start making lifestyle choices that are healthier for you.

If your choice is the latter, a part of your healthier lifestyle choices must include eating healthier.

Click for more information