Synthetics in Whole Food Vitamins: THIS IS NO LONGER IN QUESTION. The answer is YES. The following whole food vitamin Brands all now admit on their labels or on their websites that they use some synthetic vitamins with some natural isolated vitamins in the production process for their products. There are only a few brands that have completely and only vitamins all from food made by nature. These new changes were mandated by the U.S. FDA in these new label regulations.
New Chaptertm, MegaFoodtm (ref), and Garden of Lifetm(**see below), and YES, even Standard Process Labstm. These major "foodform" or "food grown" or "whole food vitamin" Brands all start out feeding growing yeast cells with some synthetic B vitamins and some isolated natural vitamins. Their marketing stories are not telling the "whole" truth. Not all of the vitamins are made by nature. In fact, they won't reveal which ones start out as natural and which as synthetic. The vitamins they produce are simply a combination of some natural isolated vitamins and some synthetic vitamins combined into complexes in the yeast cells during the growing cycle similar to how nature builds complexes in foods.
**Garden of Life, while earlier lines all had synthetics, has a new MyKind Organics line that is possibly an exception and might be mostly "all" from food source vitamins. See article here.
MegaFood finally forced to "honest up" their labels here
Notice their vitamins are paired with a food and not from the food. They mention the FDA made them change just one word; vitamins "in" food changed to "with" food. That is part of a bigger change. The new label reveals this bigger truth. MegaFood does put some synthetic B vitamins into a container with growing yeast and then later adds a dried powder from this mixture with the powder from the food listed to finish making their multiples. Look at the new label for vitamin B1. It lists thiamine HCl. This nutrient form, Thiamine HCl, is synthetic vitamin B1. It does not exist in nature. Period! End of Marketing story!
This reference ref is from the European FDA called EFSA evaluation of a yeast grown folic acid. No conclusions could be reached because the company requesting the ruling did not supply adequate bio-availability or safety studies. Interesting! Standard Process uses a slightly different pathway for some of their vitamins, mainly animal glandulars with added (spiked) synthetics even though they are at very low doses.
For New Chapter's company new labels, click HERE and then scroll down to supplement facts. One question in their presentation needs some clarification.
This factor is even more significant when using greater quantities of "whole" foods, since heavy metals are often found in foods, especially "green" foods. And don't count on "organic" for protection as using natural source fertilizers may actually increase certain possibilities for heavy metal contamination over synthetic fertilizers. ref
UPDATE Feb 2018: On the New Chapter changing labels, here is the wording for source of vitamin B1:"Thiamin (as thiamine hydrochloride from culture media) 1.5 mg 100%".
Their website says their vitamins are combined with organic foods (culture media), NOT from the food. Thiamine Hydrochloride is 100% SYNTHETIC vitamin B1.
Here is the website for New Chapter's vitamins. Under FAQ, the first questions mentions their vitamins are made with whole foods. Check out this third question copied next with their answer:
"How does New Chapter source their vitamins?
"New Chapter vitamins are made with organic vegetables and herbs, gluten free, 100 % vegetarian, kosher, and Non-GMO Project Verified. Each (food) ingredient is sourced from where it’s grown best: Ginger is grown in India, Maca is grown in Peru, and Kale is grown right here in the U.S.A., for example. And our vitamins and minerals are fermented (with the foods) to bring greater vitality and make them gentle on your stomach."
Did you notice that they never answered the question giving the source of their vitamins, just the source for the foods the vitamins are combined with? Still, New Chapter vitamin formulas are pretty good overall. But, forthright information is still not a strong suit for them, or for most of the "whole food" or "foodform" vitamin companies.
THE ANALYTICAL TRUTH
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Below are examples of old and new labels for Megafood's Ultra C 400 using Uncle Matt's Organic Oranges. Some people believe the vitamin C is all natural from the oranges. (for Megafood new Dr LowDog multiple label ) UPDATE: Feb 2018, here is website introducing the new label to compare to the old one below. New shown second. |
Below is new label Feb 2018. Vitamin C as ascorbic acid with organic oranges. The made-up term FoodState carried no meaning for the FTC and FDA.