Natural vs Synthetic Vitamins: Why I Choose Standard Process
Confused about vitamin supplements? You're not alone.
There is so much conflicting information out there about vitamins and minerals that even healthcare professionals can get it wrong. The confusion often comes down to one key misunderstanding: the difference between synthetic vitamins and whole food vitamins.
Most studies in mainstream media evaluate the effects of synthetic vitamins only. But synthetic vitamins are not the same as the nutrients you get from whole food natural vitamins. They are isolated, man-made compounds created in laboratories—often with the help of chemicals, solvents, and high heat. These synthetic nutrients are designed to mimic the structure of natural vitamins, but they lack the full spectrum of co-factors, enzymes, and phytonutrients that exist in real food.
The problem? These studies are used to claim that "vitamins don't work," without ever testing vitamins in their whole-food form.
My Background With Whole Food Supplements
Before we go further, let me share my background. I worked for Standard Process, a whole food supplement company, traveling across North and South Carolina to educate chiropractors and naturopaths on nutrition. I learned directly from some of the top holistic practitioners in the country and helped run seminars on healing through nutrition, herbs, and foundational support.
Over the years, I witnessed one consistent truth: the human body can heal itself when given the right tools—especially high-quality, whole-food nutrients. This post is my attempt to explain the difference between synthetic and whole-food vitamins in a clear, honest way.
What Are Whole Food Vitamins?
Whole food vitamins are made from real food—grown in nutrient-rich soil, harvested at peak ripeness, and processed carefully to retain their full nutritional value. At Standard Process, this means cold-pressing ingredients like carrot root, beet, pea vine, wheat germ, and alfalfa from their certified organic farm.
These foods contain not only vitamins, but also minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, co-factors, and hundreds of other synergistic compounds your body needs to recognize and use the nutrients properly.
One example is Catalyn, Standard Process’ flagship multivitamin. It’s made from 12 whole foods and contains over 10,000 naturally occurring compounds. These aren’t synthetic extras—they're naturally part of the food matrix. That makes a huge difference in how your body absorbs and uses each nutrient.
Take carrot root, for example. According to the Handbook of Phytochemical Constituents of GRAS Herbs and Other Economic Plants, carrot root contains:
Alpha-carotene
Beta-carotene
Cryptoxanthin
Lutein
Zeaxanthin
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
B vitamins
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium
Fiber, chlorogenic acid, falcarinol, enzymes, and more
All of these compounds work together in the body—not in isolation. Whole-food vitamins reflect that complexity.
What Are Synthetic Vitamins?
Synthetic vitamins are isolated compounds created in labs. They may be "bioidentical" to the active part of a natural vitamin, but they're missing the rest of the nutritional picture. It's like pulling one string from a spiderweb and expecting it to hold up the whole structure.
For example:
Ascorbic acid is just one component of vitamin C. In nature, it comes with bioflavonoids, rutin, copper, and tyrosinase.
Vitamin A acetate or palmitate is not the same as the full complex of carotenoids in real food.
dl-alpha tocopherol is a synthetic form of vitamin E, while natural vitamin E includes a family of tocopherols and tocotrienols.
Synthetic vitamins are often made from petroleum byproducts, coal tar, and chemically treated starches. They may contain fillers, dyes, stabilizers, and binders. And because they lack their full natural co-factors, your body may absorb a small fraction of them—or pass them through entirely.
There’s a well-known quote from a Porta-Potty cleaner in Michigan who said he often found thousands of undigested multivitamin tablets when cleaning after festivals. That visual says it all.
Visual Proof: The Chromatogram Test
Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, a pioneer in biodynamic agriculture, created a visual test called a chromatogram to show the vibrancy of natural vs. synthetic substances.
On the left: A chromatogram of a natural vitamin complex. The pattern is radiant, with symmetrical energy rings and enzyme activity.
On the right: A chromatogram of a synthetic vitamin isolate. The pattern is dull, jagged, and lifeless.
The difference is not just visual—it reflects a real difference in how these substances behave biologically.
How to Read Supplement Labels
Knowing the difference starts with knowing how to read labels. Here are some tips:
Look for Whole Food Ingredients: If a label lists carrot root, pea vine, beet, alfalfa, or similar whole foods, it’s a sign of a whole-food supplement.
Watch for Isolates: If the label lists "Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid)" or "Vitamin A acetate," it’s synthetic. These nutrients don't exist in isolated form in nature.
Beware of Salt Forms: Ingredients that end in -ate or -ide (like magnesium oxide, calcium carbonate, or niacinamide) are synthetic salt versions used for stability.
Check for "dl-" Prefixes: "dl-alpha tocopherol" is a dead giveaway of a synthetic form of vitamin E.
The Word "Natural" Means Almost Nothing: The FDA allows products with as little as 10% natural content to be labeled "natural."
Multivitamin Comparison
Catalyn by Standard Process (Whole Food Based): Ingredients include: Defatted wheat germ, carrot root, calcium lactate, nutritional yeast, bovine liver, bovine adrenal, mushroom, alfalfa juice, oat flour, and more.
Centrum Adults by Pfizer (Synthetic): Ingredients include: Ascorbic acid, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate, cyanocobalamin, calcium carbonate, ferrous fumarate, polyethylene glycol, FD&C Yellow 6, and more.
The difference is obvious. One is made from food; the other from a chemistry set.
So Why Take a Multivitamin?
In a perfect world, we would all get our nutrients from fresh, organic, unprocessed food grown in mineral-rich soil. But modern farming, processed diets, and environmental toxins make that nearly impossible.
Even people eating clean diets often experience gaps—low zinc, poor calcium absorption, sluggish digestion. That’s where whole-food supplementation shines. It fills in the gaps with nutrients your body recognizes and uses.
In our home, we still eat organic whole foods as the foundation—but we supplement with:
Catalyn for general well-being
Zinc Liver Chelate for skin and immunity
Calcium Lactate for bones and nervous system support
Tuna Omega-3 Oil for brain and inflammation
And yes, even my toddler enjoys his Catalyn like a snack. That’s the beauty of real food.
The Takeaway
If you're going to invest in supplements, choose ones that come from real food. Your body knows the difference. Whole food vitamins offer the synergy, bioavailability, and complexity that synthetic isolates simply can’t replicate.
Ask yourself:
Where do these nutrients come from?
Are they truly helping my body, or just passing through?
Do I feel and see a difference?
With Standard Process, I can answer yes to all of those questions. I've seen the farm. I've met the team. I've experienced the results.
I encourage you to do your own research, ask questions, and trust your instincts. Your body deserves real nourishment—from soil to supplement.
