Myth: We get all the vitamins we need from our foods.

Two hundred years ago it might have been possible to supply the body with all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients it needed without the need for additional supplementation. However, with the advent of chemical use and modern farming practices, getting complete and pure nutrition from foods is becoming more difficult.

Farmland is becoming increasingly toxic due to the presence of chemicals used to enhance food growth and production. In turn, the crops grown in these soils are absorbing these toxic substances rather than absorbing essential nutrients. For example, fruits and grains can absorb lead, while lettuce, corn, and wheat can absorb pesticides and cadmium from soils, putting food supplies at risk.
 
Additionally, much of our land has become progressively over-farmed. The continuous use of the same soil depletes it of beneficial microbes and minerals that are essential for healthy produce.

Myth: It's ok to take any vitamin product as long as I take something.

Not all vitamin supplements are created equally. For the last several decades the health industry has been promoting thousands of various vitamin brands. However, most vitamin supplements contain petroleum derivatives and/or hydrogenated sugars. Even though they are often labeled as natural, most non-food vitamins are isolated substances and crystalline in structure. Vitamins found naturally in real food are not crystalline and never isolated.
 
Myth: As long as a vitamin supplement says it's "organic", it's ok to take.
 
Webster's dictionary states one definition of organic as, "designating or of any chemical compound containing carbon."
Vitamin supplements, therefore, can contain misleading information because by its 'scientific' definition, the term 'organic' can mean that it is a carbon containing substance. Thus all petroleum derivatives (hydro-carbons) can technically be classified as organic. This is a different definition of organic as viewed from a naturopathic or even governmental view. It is important then to distinguish between different types of organic.

Myth: All vitamins are absorbed by the body in the same way, regardless of combination.

The type of vitamin and its source are crucial to how absorbable the vitamin really is. Many pill and capsule-form vitamins simply are not absorbed properly due to the processed and compressed nutrients. The Physician's Desk Reference contains research revealing that only 10-20% of the nutrients in solid vitamins are actually absorbed by the body whereas liquid vitamins are absorbed at nearly 98%. Additionally, nutrients are better absorbed when in the correct proportions. For example, it is essential that vitamins and minerals are taken together as vitamins cannot complete their function in the cell's metabolism without minerals. Trace minerals serve as catalysts to vitamins within the cell.

Myth: Even if a vitamin contains some organic or natural substances, it will still benefit me.

"... a company might make a product that really is natural, and label it as such, or it could be made of nine synthetic ingredients, with just a little plant extract thrown in." This quote from Daniel Fabricant, VP of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at the Natural Products Association, in Washington, D.C., sheds light that a product may be called natural or organic, even if most of the contents are neither.

The United States government has no absolute definition of natural. Therefore, when a company uses terms such as "natural" or "all natural" it does not mean its vitamins are not synthetic. It's important to carefully check the label for proof that the product is truly 100% food.

Myth: Vitamin C supplements are very popular. I've been told that taking ascorbic acid for health aids in preventing colds.  

Vitamin C occurs naturally in fruits in two ascorbate forms with bioflavonoids. Non-food, so-called 'natural' ascorbic acid is made by fermenting corn sugar into sorbitol, then hydrogenating it until it turns into sorbose. Acetone (commonly referred to as nail polish remover) is then added to break the molecular bonds, which creates isolated, crystalline, ascorbic acid. It does not contain both vitamin C forms (nor bioflavonoids), thus is too incomplete to properly be called vitamin C.

To put it simply, natural vitamins cannot be invented. The fact that some drugs are chemically similar vitamin D as found in foods, does not make them true vitamins. It is important to read the label of any supplement to see if the product is truly 100% food. If even one USP vitamin synthetic substitute is listed, then the entire product most likely is not real food. The best source of vitamins comes from certified organic real foods grown in fertile soils  through liquid, organic real-food supplements that contain the proper combination of nutrients to make vitamins effective at the job they perform.