I get these "whole food vitamins" at hhplabs.com, (they are called lifeforce vitamins )they are from whole food sources and not made synthetically in a lab. there is some interesting info on their site about this issue. they say that some synthetic vitamins cab actually harm you, from there argument it seems to make sense...here is there article.....
Q: What is the difference from a Whole Food Vitamin from a Synthetic Vitamin?
A:Vitamins are a working process of nutrients, enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants, and trace mineral activators which all have a number of effects on the biological terrain. Hence vitamin activity only takes place unless a number of conditions are met within the environment. For example specific sterospecific enzymes will react upon ther substrates if they have all of the matching criteria that the enzyme is looking for. The enzyme-substrate complex is a lock and key type mechanisim-you have got to have the right key for the right key whole. When a synthetic vitamin from a lab is produced it does not get the miniscule elements that nature provides to naturally occur with this substrate. Science has not fully understood nor have been able to isolate all of these such compounds. When isolated pure commercial forms, these purified synthetics act as drugs in the body and are no longer vitamins but pharmaceuticals. Whole food vitamins are enzymatically alive, and synthetic man made vitamins are dead chemicals. For example lets look at vitamin C. Most sources say that vitamin C is ascorbic acid. In addition to ascorbic acid you need rutin, bioflavonoids, Factor K, Factor J, Factor P, Tyrosinase, Ascorbinogen, aand other components. As you can see ascorbic acid solely won’t get the job done. In addition mineral co-factors must be present in accurate amounts, if they are not there there will be no vitamin C activity. If this mineral co-factor is missing in the body and is needed for vitamin activity it can leach it from your body and even cause deficiencies if enough of the synthetic vitamin is taken (example: you need Vitamin D to absorb calcium, and you need copper for vitamin C). Furthermore, white blood cell counts (immune system cells increase in number with immune response) increase upon the administration of mega doses of synthetic vitamins (very common on bodybuilders and athletes). This pharmalogic dose will then cause potential toxic effects. Synthetic (man-made and non-living source) ascorbic acid is synthesized by cornstarch and sulfuric acid (Vitamin B6 is from coal tar and B12 comes from activated sewage sludge). Whole food vitamins come with the complex natural form of the vitamin requiring nothing from the body and triggering no immune response. An interesting note is that scurvy (disease of vitamin C deficiency) can be cured by the vitamin C content of a potato (20mg) and not by a synthetic source of vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is merely a copy of a part of the living complex known as vitamin C. Taking synthetic ascorbic acid is like buying a car with no wheels. Vitamins and minerals are needed together and must be obtained from food. Whole foods are our best source however not always a priority in most American diets. Furthermore, with soil and mineral depletion, pesticides, pollution, and erosion, it is common knowledge that nutrient density in foods has come way down. Many scientists like to claim that if our crops are tall and pretty that we have all we need to make that crop to be healthy (hmm, looks good, must be good.). German researchers have found that all we need to make a crop look good is Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. As long as these elements are present you can grow tall pretty crops regardless of what other nutrients become depleted in the soil. While many minerals such as zinc, copper, and magnesium, which are necessary vitamin co-minerals, becomes depleted from soil. Bottom line is that as Americans are the most over fed malnourished population in the world. We consume loads of processed high calorie nutrient lacking foods. When what we need is nutrient dense low calorie foods (vegetables, fruits, lean meats). Even at that point with our depleted soil we may still not be getting all that is required for adequate human biological function. Vitamin and mineral deficiency can be tagged to practically any disease syndrome known to man. Malnutrition of the right types of food (and over consumption of the wrong types) is what is plaguing our societies and infesting us with cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and nearly all-chronic disease. The reason most companies don’t use whole food vitamins is because they are much more expensive to produce. Most large pharmaceutical companies produce vitamins and make cheap synthetic types that you will find in 95% of all vitamins in the world. With such mass production it makes it much easier to produce and single synthetic source. All of these companies have the same source of vitamin and claim theirs is better than the next companies. Whole food processing is done by taking a vitamin rich plant, removing the water and fiber in a cold vacuum press, free of chemicals, and then packaging for stability. The entire vitamin complex can be captured intact, retaining its functional and nutritional integrity.
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