In today’s world, our society has progressed to such a state where speed, convenience and marketing have become the main priorities, leaving our own health and nutrition on the side lines. As our nutritional requirements are actually increasing, our physical activity is constantly decreasing and the nutrients in the foods we eat today are almost non-existent. This puts us in a position where we are required to eat less foods to avoid putting on more calories but also try and get the most nutrients we can, almost an impossible task.

Because of this forced and stressful society, many people are forced to get their nutrients from natural supplementation. There are two different types of supplements on the market today, synthetic and natural. Synthetic vitamins are created in a laboratory from isolated chemicals that mirror their counterparts in nature. On the other hand, natural vitamins are derived from food sources. Although there are no real chemical differences between the two vitamin sources, from a synthetic vitamin you receive only the specified nutrients. The benefits of the natural vitamins is that there is always more than one nutrient you are receiving as these supplements have been created by nature, so you receive more than one benefit at a time.

Some of the vitamins on the shelves today that are not labeled to be “100% natural” may contain artificial coloring, coal tars, preservatives, sugars and starch, which are all harmful elements that you should be aware of. The same with synthetic vitamins, some of the natural supplements on the market today may not be completely natural, this is why it is always very important to read through the ingredient list to ensure what you are putting into your body is 100% natural and safe.

Over the counter vitamins come in many different forms, capsules, gel-capsule, powder and more, which gives you a great deal of options when you are deciding how and when to take your new chosen vitamin supplements. This is generally a personal preference, however there are some forms of supplements that are easier for your body to absorb and this type of information should be provided to you by your naturopathic professional before you make your final purchase.

It is important when you are learning and searching for the right type of supplement for yourself that you understand a vitamin supplement meant for overall health will provide different results than a vitamin supplement that is meant to help reduce symptoms of a particular disorder. Both synthetic and natural vitamins offer the many different healing and nutritional options. When you finally find the vitamin that is right for you, make sure to take it as directed and never miss a day, providing your body with this nutrient that you have previously been deficient in can make a big difference in how you feel.

Also you will want to keep your bottle of supplements out of the sun because direct sunlight can decrease the potency of the vitamin and inhibit the results you could have received. Take your time choosing the right vitamins for you and natural is always the best choice, no matter what your supplementation needs are.