Synthetic Vs. Wholesome Part 1

Vitamins, vitamins, vitamins. Whether we get them from our daily diet, from sunshine, or from store bought capsules or liquids, vitamins are vital to our health and to the proper functioning of our bodies.

Vitamin deficiencies lead to a wide range of problems spanning from anorexia to obesity, organ malfunction, confusion, depression and fatigue.

However, whether or not our vitamins are hurting us is another story. What people are not aware of is all vitamins are not created equal, and most are actually synthetic.

What is a "Synthetic" Vitamin?

The type of vitamins that are the most beneficial is up for debate. A healthy, organic diet should provide a good amount of nutrients that the body needs, but supplements can help ensure that we are getting a healthy serving of specific vitamins.

The problem is that many vitamin and mineral supplements are manufactured synthetically with chemicals and do not come straight from their natural sources. They are made to mimic the way natural vitamins act in our bodies. Natural vitamins are derived directly from plant material containing the vitamin, not produced in a test tube.

Many synthetic vitamins lack the transporters and co-factors associated with naturally-occurring vitamins because they have been "isolated." The Organic Consumers Association emphasizes that isolated vitamins cannot be used or recognized by the body in the same way as the natural version.

The natural form come in packages with other vitamins, enzymes and minerals that control the way the body recognizes, metabolizes and uses them to make what it needs.

Isolated vitamins can’t always be used by the body, and are either stored until we obtain or create the nutrients required to use them effectively or are excreted. Synthetic vitamins are also devoid of necessary trace minerals and must use the body’s own mineral reserves which may lead to dangerous mineral deficiencies.

What’s the Big Deal About Synthetic Vitamins?

Synthetic versions of vitamins contain chemical compounds that were not meant for human consumption and do not occur in nature. Evolution has dictated that we eat the food we can gather from the earth, not the food we create in a lab.

Fat soluble vitamins in their synthetic form are especially dangerous because they can build up in our fatty tissues and cause toxicity. The reason that the synthetic form is more dangerous is because we get a high, concentrated serving of the vitamin rather than the amount that we would get from a food-based form.

Vitamins A, D, E and K are all fat soluble

Fat soluble vitamins are found naturally in butter, fish oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables

Excesses of fat soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and fatty tissues

Most people do not get sufficient amounts of fat soluble vitamins from their diet

How do I know if the vitamins I’m buying are synthetic or natural?

The Organic Consumers Association has published an ingredient chart to help consumers identify natural vs. synthetic vitamins. Many vitamin producers want us to believe that we are getting a “natural product” because it seems more wholesome to take “natural” vitamins.

Unfortunately, vitamins can be labeled as natural if they contain as little as 10% of the natural form of the vitamin. This means that our “natural” vitamin could contain 90% of synthetically produced chemicals! B-Vitamins and Vitamin C are also usually synthetically produced.

Common Synthetic Vitamins to Avoid:

Look for clues on the vitamin’s label that offer insight into the origin of the vitamin.

Vitamin A: Acetate and Palmitate

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Thiamine Mononitrate, Thiamine Hydrochloride

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Riboflavin

Pantothenic Acid: Calcium D-Pantothenate

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Pyridoxine Hydrochloride

Vitamin B12: Cobalamin

PABA (Para-aminobenzoic Acid): Aminobenzoic Acid

Folic Acid: Pteroylglutamic Acid

Choline: Choline Chloride, Choline Bitartrate

Biotin: d-Biotin

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Ascorbic Acid

Vitamin D: Irradiated Ergosteral, Calciferol

Vitamin E: dl-alpha tocopherol, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate or succinate

NOTE: The “dl” form of any vitamin is synthetic.

Other Toxic Ingredients to Avoid In Supplements

Magnesium stearate (or stearic acid)

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) disguised as “natural flavors”

Carnauba wax is used in car wax and shoe polish

Titanium dioxide is a carcinogen

–Atricle by Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM

Source: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/synthetic-vs-natural-vitamins/

To read more: https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/nutri-con-truth-about-vitamins-supplements

People need to learn that their health is in their own hands. The fact is, they can be free of illness and brilliantly healthy if they choose a wholesome diet and lifestyle. On the other hand, an incorrect diet and poor lifestyle choices make people sick.

Mamiko MatsudaPhD

Source: http://nutritionstudies.org/true-health-care-proper-education/

Below is a short video about the important of Wholesome Plant Foods compared to Synthetic Pills:

<Truth About Vitamins & Minerals Supplements>

Below table has some of the example of the vitamin source:

Below is the picture taken from the book

<Enjoying Health and Longevity with Nutritional Immunology> by Dr. Jau Fei Chen 

Vitamin overdose could cause harm instead of benefits to our body.

Our diet should mainly focus on wholesome plant based foods, which provides us lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. These essential substances are crucial to our health.

Read more on the synthetic supplements here: If dietary supplements are able to help to cure diseases, why till today, mortality rate still climbing high?

Lastly, here are the links for the list of additives and their respective source and side effects:

List of food additives: http://cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm

List of vitamin supplements: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/default.aspx

ABM Mushroom

The Agaricus Blazei Murill (ABM) mushroom is originally from Brazil. It is also known as himematsutake, Mushroom of God, and Mushroom of the Sun. It is an important part of local's daily diets in Piedade, a small town in São Paulo, Brazil. Those who live in Piedade have uncommonly good health and experience a lower frequency of cancer and geriatric disease than the general population in the area.

Powerful Ally in the Fight against Cancer
The ABM mushroom is rich in the polysaccharides beta-1, 3 D-glucan and beta-1, 6 D-glucan. These polysaccharides can aid production of T cells, interferon, and interleukin to help prevent reproduction, spread, and relapse of cancer cells as well as virus-infected cells.

Research by the National Cancer Center laboratory and Tokyo College of Pharmacy showed the elimination of cancerous tumours in 90% of lab animals fed with ABM mushrooms. While polysaccharides found in most fungi can only affect certain solid tumours, those in ABM mushrooms are reportedly effective against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, sigmoid colon cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and most solid tumours.

Strengthens the Immune System
Research at King Drew Medical Center of UCLA found that the ABM mushroom increases the total number of immune cells throughout the body. Furthermore, research has shown that ABM mushroom not only increases the number of natural killer (NK) cells, but also makes each individual NK cell more powerful.

Antioxidant Effects
Exopolysaccharide AbEXP-la extracted from ABM mushroom displays anti-oxidant activity and can eliminate free radicals.

Antiviral Protection
ABM mushroom is also cited as a powerful antiviral agent, preventing viruses and harmful agents from entering delicate tissue.

Wholesome Source of Iron
One hundred grams of ABM mushroom contain 9.65 mg of iron - one of the highest percentages of iron found in plant foods -  that is easily absorbed by the human body. The ABM mushroom provides the human body with a wholesome source of iron with no side effects.

Enhances Absorption of Calcium
ABM mushroom contains ergosterol, which converts into Vitamin D2. This vitamin promotes the absorption and use of calcium in the body. Ergosterol and Vitamin D2 combine to protect and strengthen bone health, and they even help prevent diseases like osteoporosis.

A Perfect Combination of Nutrients
The ABM mushroom is high in protein as well as vitamins B1, B2, and minerals needed by the body (such as calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus and iron), thus providing multiple health benefits to the body.