Science Misses Vitamin Differences

Science operates on the premise that there are no differences between natural and synthetic vitamins. If this is true, there is no need for this website. But, this is simply not true. A few synthetic vitamins must undergo a conversion from the synthetic form into the body ready form before they are active. (Folic Acid, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12) Once this conversion happens, the natural and the converted synthetic take on the same form. But, there are some significant events that can occur after consumption and before conversion that reveal differences. 

NATURAL VERSUS SYNTHETIC VITAMINS - The Conversion Factor

• To be active, Synthetic Folic acid has to be converted into the natural body ready form of folate, 5-methylfolate. The liver can only process so much at one time. The unmetabolized folic acid circulates in the body until the liver can process. Some people may have a genetic mistake that does not fully process or convert folic acid. During this time, the unmetabolized folic acid has been found to lower the activity of the immune system's natural killer cells. here Science has yet to determine the consequences of this form. But, research has found connections to some conditions. here 
• Why did the colon cancer rate spike up the year after fortification in both the US and Canada? And then again ten years later when Chile began folic acid fortification. It appears dietary folates protect against cancer development, while the synthetic form appears to stimulate cancer once present. Science does not offer any explanation for why it does not recognize these situations. here There appear to be some significant differences between natural folates and synthetic folic acid in the unmetabolized form and before conversion. The fact that as dietary folic acid increases, unmetabolized folic acid builds up in Breast milk while natural folates are reduced, potentially a distressing development. here  Not all studies show this effect. More research is needed.

• Synthetic vitamin E has the greatest difference between natural and synthetic forms. In fact, the synthetic version produces 8 forms of alpha tocopherol and only one (17%) is identical to the natural form, RRR-alpha tocopherol, but 3 others have some vitamin E activity making the synthetic only about 50% of an equal amount of natural.