Are Organic Discount Vitamins Healthier?

As organic foods and juices become more popular, organic vitamins are also showing up on shelves and web sites. Consumers obviously appreciate the absence of dangerous pesticides, foods in their more natural state, plus more careful processing, but are organic supplements worth the extra price? Even with the organic discount vitamins being cheaper than marked-up retail organic vitamins, is it really worth the extra cost to consumers?

There are thousands of vitamins and supplements available to consumers today, but there are really only two types of them on the market: synthetic and organic. Synthetic vitamins have been formed in a laboratory by reconstructing the vitamin molecule chemically. Organic vitamins are made from food concentrates such as carrot powder, wheat germ, or buckwheat and their biochemical and molecular combinations remain in their original state.

In order to help the discount vitamin and supplement shopper make an informed decision on whether or not to spend the extra money on the "organic" labeled items, we are going to take a deeper look at the organic label. It is important to note that not all organic labels are the same. Listed below are a few common labels:

• 100% Organic: This means that only organically produced ingredients were used in this item.

• Organic: This means that at least 95% of the product was organically produced.

• Made with organic ingredients: This means that at least 70% of the ingredients are organic but the USDA Organic seal cannot be used on these items.

• No label: If a food contains less than 70% organic composition, the word organic may not appear on the item.

So, what does "organic" really mean? Five years ago the term "organic" applied to almost anything that food producers wanted. In 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture stepped in to regulate the meaning, stating that any produce can be called organic when it is grown without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and without bioengineering. Because most organic vitamins are made from produce or grains, these terms also apply to them.

Whether organically grown produce and organic supplements have a higher quality nutritional content than conventionally grown produce and supplements has not yet been proven. Despite all the claims that have been made, there has not been any significant research done to compare the two in regards to short-term and long-term health. According to the USDA, this type of research is costly and time consuming because it is very difficult to show different nutritional content of organically grown foods.

If you have to pick a set of chemicals to avoid, pesticides should be that group. Pesticides are chemicals used in agriculture to kill pests, insects or plants that are harmful to the crops being grown. Pesticides, by definition, are designed to be toxic. Organic foods are produced without added pesticides; however, it does not mean that they are pesticide-free. Organic foods can not contain added pesticides, but they may still contain residual pesticides from the soil, especially if it was used for conventionally grown crops in the past.

A lot of crops have been proven to show no traces of pesticides after they have been washed off, so it may not make sense to pay the extra cost for the organic version of that crop. Some crops attract more pests and require more pesticides than others. Twelve crops that use a high level of pesticides are:

Peaches....................Cherries
Apples........................Pears
Sweet peppers........Imported grapes
Celery.......................Spinach
Nectarines..................Lettuce
Strawberries.............Potatoes

Now that we have looked more closely at the organic vitamin label, we are going to do the same with the synthetic vitamin label. Just like the organic vitamins, not all synthetic vitamins are the same. We know that "synthetic" means that the vitamin molecule was reconstructed in a laboratory. What we may not realize is that not all synthetic vitamins are constructed from chemicals or are considered "unnatural". Many synthetic vitamins are actually produced from natural items like produce and whole grains. Those labels usually contain the words "natural" or "all-natural". Natural does not mean "organic", as the ingredients that they are made from are not organically grown.

It makes sense that something constructed in a laboratory would not be considered natural or to be healthy, but in some cases, there is actually no difference in the vitamin molecule. For example, a vitamin C molecule can be pulled from an orange and another can be reconstructed in the laboratory. They can be exactly the same. A scientist, comparing the two under a microscope, would not be able to tell the origin of the vitamin C molecules. Some vitamin manufacturers prefer to create the vitamin C molecule from a natural ascorbic acid because it is more cost effective, it attracts less risk of bacteria in the laboratory and it has a longer shelf life.

Therefore, that brings us back to our original question: "Are organic discount vitamins healthier?" The answer to that question depends on each individual consumer. What is "healthy" to one person is not to another. For example, one person thinks that eating a lot of meat for the protein and that eating no breads or pastas for the low-carbohydrates is a healthy act.

Another thinks that eating an abundance of pasta may be healthy because it is low in fat and cholesterol but will not eat a lot of meat for the fat content. While yet another person will feel that eating any meat is unhealthy and that pasta is not good because it's processed and not usually whole grain. None of the aforementioned people are wrong, nor considered "unhealthy". When thinking about which vitamins to choose, one should make that decision based on their lifestyle choices and what they consider to be "healthy" in their everyday living.

Choosing the right vitamins and supplements are as important as choosing which foods you are going to eat. As you prepare to select from the thousands of discount vitamins and supplements available, here are a few questions to ask yourself and points to think about that will help you make the right choice:

• Doctors agree that living an active lifestyle and eating a balanced diet is the healthiest way to live. They also agree that although you are relatively healthy, eat sensibly and have a low-stress lifestyle you can benefit from an individualized nutritional program. Please consult with a doctor, nutritionist or alternative health professional to see what nutritional supplements are needed in your life.

• Once you know what vitamins and supplements are needed, think about what factors are important to you. Know what things are healthy to you.

• Read the labels. Know what is in the vitamins and supplements that you purchase. Read the fine print-are they loaded with sugars and fats? Organic or not, sugar and fat are still sugar and fat!

• Always purchase your discount vitamins and supplements from a well-known and trusted supplier. Read the reviews on their website.