subject: Which Supplements To Choose: Natural Or Synthetic And Why [print this page] Off the top of your head, if you were reading this title you may automatically think that natural supplements are far better than synthetic supplements. Why would anyone choose something fake over something real, right? Well, for the most part, this may be the case and we will examine instances of natural supplements being a better bet than synthetic. However, there are going to be certain instances when either a synthetic or man-made supplement is going to be best for your body and its optimal functioning. Lets examine both situations.
Herbal supplements are most often going to be best when they are natural. In fact, you will be hard pressed to even find a synthetic herbal formula, and if you do it will not carry with it the same potency as the natural herbal formula. Why? Because it is quite difficult to mimic the exact qualities of plant life that one finds in nature. While medical labs and manufacturers do their best to recreate the same form, nature just isnt easily mimicked. There are considerations such as climate, soil, and environmental conditions that just cannot be recreated in a lab.
That being said, you will want to make sure that the herbal supplement is standardized. Precisely because of the fact that the various herbal formulas differ according to their plant makeup, all of the herbal supplements should be manufactured in exactly the same manner and form each time. This way, even though you are taking a natural herbal supplement, you can be certain that the potency of the plant will not vary each time you pop a pill. If there is variation among different batches of their product, one can never know whether a stronger or weaker version of the product is being purchased at any given time. You clearly want to make sure that you are buying herbs from a company that has the same set of standards for their manufacturing process each and every time.
For some people, it is very important not to eat anything that comes from an animal source. You may think to yourself well, thats easy, Ill just make sure Im taking supplements that are plant-based if they are herbal preparations. Its not that simple, however. Many times people ingest animal products or by-products and they are not even aware they are doing so! For example, many supplements contain fillers, and one of these fillers is gelatin. Gelatin is made from the hooves of animals, among other things.
This wont bother a lot of people, but for vegans and even vegetarians it can be a huge consideration. There are other ingredients that factor into whether or not a product is vegan, gelatin only being one of them. Most companies and manufacturers specifically indicate on their packaging whether or not the product is suitable for vegetarians and/or vegans. If this is not listed, be sure to carefully review the ingredients on your own if you are concerned about taking in animal products.
One type of supplement that may very well be better in synthetic form is a hormonal supplement. Believe it or not, there are supplements that mimic both human and animal hormones, and rather than mess with actual hormones taken from animals it is better to take this type of supplement in man-made form. One such supplement that is very popular is melatonin. Melatonin hit the supplement scene many years ago and was touted as being the wonder supplement. Initially, it was thought that it could do everything from cure insomnia to reverse the signs of aging. It was thought to be a virtual fountain of youth!
Since then, most people have come to use it primarily as a sleep aid, and it does get wonderful reviews as such. In the beginning of its heyday, it was put on the market in its natural state and it was a very unstable supplement. This is because it was actually taken from the brains of cows! Yes, thats right, it is a hormone and it was derived from bovine brain instead of human brain. The human brain produces melatonin naturally, but its production decreases as we age. Because of this, it is a good idea to supplement with it.
The supplement melatonin was getting bad press when taken in its natural state, however, because it was not able to be standardized well and it was not necessarily safe as taken from cows. However, once it became synthetically produced, the supplement became more popular than ever and it continues to be a safe and effective treatment for insomnia.
No matter whether you choose to supplement with natural or synthetic varieties, just make sure you are as informed as possible and that you consider the benefits and drawbacks of each.
