Do You Need Synthetic Vitamins

To maintain health, a person daily needs various substances that contribute to the normal functioning of the body. These irreplaceable substances include vitamins, without which a full life would be impossible. These biologically active organic elements are practically not produced by the body on their own and most often do not accumulate in them.

Therefore, most of the vitamins necessary for life, a person receives through food with useful micro and macro elements. The problem is that it is very difficult to replenish the daily norm of all vitamins. Many natural products contain an insufficient amount of one or another element. In addition, some of the beneficial properties of food are lost during heat treatment.

Fortunately, the achievements of modern science help a person to get all the necessary components, avoid deficiency of nutrients and stay healthy with the help of synthetic vitamins.

Why do we need vitamins?

Vitamins are irreplaceable elements, the deficiency of which always leads to disruption of the body, decreased immunity, disease and even death. Therefore, every person needs to regularly consume a sufficient amount of these substances.

Vitamins are involved in important biochemical processes, including hematopoiesis, cell regeneration, and metabolism. To date, there are about 20 types of vitamins that differ in chemical composition. All of them are divided into two large groups – fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, E, K) and water-soluble (for example, vitamins B and vitamin C).

Since these substances are already well studied, a consumption rate has been established for each of them. This directly depends on the functions that the vitamin performs:

• Vitamin A is important for healthy growth and development. It helps to improve vision, protects the skin and mucous membranes of the body, and contributes to the normalisation of metabolism. Vitamin A also plays a role in preventing infections.
• Vitamin B1 has a positive effect on the functioning of the digestive system and is very important for the normal metabolism of carbohydrates. In addition, this vitamin helps maintain the healthy functioning of the central nervous system.
• Vitamin B2 helps the body produce energy, promotes the normalisation of metabolism, and ensures the healthy functioning of the nervous and digestive systems. Also, vitamin B2 is useful for vision, blood formation and skin health.
• Vitamin D plays a huge role in the synthesis of bone tissue, as it enhances its growth. Sufficient intake of vitamin D is especially important in childhood. This substance is also responsible for the transportation of phosphates and calcium in the intestinal mucosa.
• Vitamin E has antioxidant properties, helps strengthen the immune system, and strengthens the walls of blood vessels, thereby preventing the formation of blood clots. Also, this vitamin is involved in the process of tissue repair and supports healthy muscle function.

A person can consume these and other vitamins from food products, but often this is not enough to replenish the norm. To avoid deficiency, many people look for solutions from vitamin manufacturers. Various complexes and supplements help maintain the health of the whole body and receive the necessary dose of micro and macro elements.

Are synthetic vitamins absorbed?

Many people are interested in whether synthetic vitamins are harmful and whether they are really absorbed by the body. In fact, there is no reason to doubt the beneficial properties of synthetic vitamins, as they are also absorbed by the body and even have several advantages over vitamins from natural products.

Today, every vitamin manufacturer cares about the safety, quality and effectiveness of their products. The difference between synthetic vitamins and natural ones is that they are produced in special laboratory conditions using the synthesis process. Most often, manufacturers use raw materials of animal or vegetable origin. At the same time, the chemical structure of synthetic vitamins is often identical to natural ones.

However, unlike natural products, vitamin complexes often contain an accurately calculated dosage of one or another trace element that a person needs for a healthy life. Taking such supplements is much more convenient and effective, as it eliminates the need to consume a huge amount of food daily to prevent deficiency.

It should also be taken into account that fresh fruits, vegetables and other products are greatly affected by environmental conditions, which cannot be said about vitamins in sealed packaging. Now vitamin manufacturers must adhere to strict rules and regulations in order to obtain the necessary certifications and launch a product on the market. In such complexes, GMOs, gluten and soy are often not used, so synthetic vitamins are both safe and useful.

In addition, consumers can choose from a huge range of supplements that will meet their needs. For example, these can include vitamins for children, expectant mothers, athletes, people with chronic diseases and other special needs.

Groups of vitamins by their production

Vitamins produced in laboratories differ not only in composition and function but also in production methods. Depending on these methods, all synthetic vitamins can be divided into several main groups:

• Isolated products contain vitamins in their pure form without any additives. Their advantage is in a relatively inexpensive method of production, but not all of these vitamins are absorbed by the body in sufficient quantities.
• Isolated products contain vitamins with additives that are most often used to improve absorption. Additives are often herbal blends that work best with a particular isolated vitamin.
• Fermented vitamins are produced by probiotic fermentation. For this process, yeast and bacteria are used, as a result of which complex substances with beneficial properties are released from a product rich in vitamins.
• Plant vitamins use components of plant origin that perform important functions. Such complexes help, for example, strengthen the immune system, normalise sleep, and improve digestion.
• Renatured supplements and complexes contain components that are produced by renaturation – reproducing the process of plant growth. The advantage of such complexes is their easy digestibility by the body, but this method of production is more complicated and expensive.

The cost of synthetic vitamins depends primarily on the method of production. But also in the preparation of the pricing policy, the characteristics of the target audience, packaging, marketing strategy, logistics difficulties and other factors play an important role.

Takeaway

Each of the known vitamins performs important functions for the normal functioning of the entire human body. These elements cannot replace each other, so a deficiency in any of the vitamins can affect health and lead to serious consequences.

Of course, vitamins can and should be consumed in their natural form from fruits, vegetables, berries and other products. But often the amount of vitamins in food is insufficient to satisfy their needs for them completely.

Synthetic vitamin complexes often contain the required daily allowance of micro and macro elements, and their use is convenient, safe and beneficial. Therefore, synthetic vitamins can be an excellent addition to the basic diet to maintain overall health and prevent nutrient deficiencies.

Simona LeVey did her degree in psychology at Tel Aviv University. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.