Is it better to get vitamins from foods or supplements, and are natural vitamins better than synthetic vitamins?

Excellent research from ConsumerLab.

https://www.b12-vitamin.com/b-complex/

Nutritional Yeast vs. Quinoa extract vs Ordinary food as a source of Vitamin Bs?

"B Complex from Yeast and Quinoa A larger number of supplements use quinoa or yeast cultures, which are bred with a nutrient culture of (mostly synthetic) B vitamins. The quinoa/yeast absorbs these vitamins and can then be harvested and marketed as a natural source of B vitamins, yet whether this method is really comparable to natural sources of B vitamins is debatable".

No scientific references are given, but can you find better references?

The Chen study about securing nutrients from food vs. supplements is interesting, but it has limitations regarding vitamins K, K2 and calcium over-supplementation. The study did not distinguish K1 from K2. K2 activates calcium-mediating proteins (osteocalcin & MGP), and studies show that K2 supplementation increases protein activation. Knapen 2015 shows that supplementation reduces and reverses artery hardening (calcification), and therefore theoretically CVD mortality if someday this is measured as an endpoint.

Regarding 'natural' and synthetic K2: There is synthetic MK-7 (not just MK-4) and the synthetic MK-7 molecule is identical to nature and bioequivalent to fermentation-manufactured MK-7 (Moller 2016). And in the context of Chen, fermentation-manufactured K2 MK-7 is not a natural extract. It’s manufactured in an industrial process that includes chemicals and solvents. So fermentation-manufactured K2 is not a food equivalent even though this K2 may be marketed as 'natural.' The measure of a vitamin is it’s bioactivity, not it’s source.

I learned that we do have to be careful about consuming vitamin and antioxidants as synthetic isolates as it could cause an imbalance of the other synergistic nutrients that are typically found with that nutrient in natural foods. This in turn, in the long run, could cause other detrimental effects in our body.

Admittedly, as mentioned by another, sometimes we have issues that prevent us from absorbing all the nutrients in our food or our food is unknowingly of poor quality, etc.

So I do find I need to take some synthetic vitamins & antioxidants periodically as a "natural" medicine, per se, in lieu of taking pharmaceuticals. I just try to avoid taking them continuously. (Whole herbs seem to be a different matter as they are a food in themselves.)

Additionally, I've discovered from joining a health group online, that soaking eggshells in lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and then consuming a teaspoon or so of the mixture daily is a good natural way to consume some calcium (& other nutrients) especially if one can't drink milk.

For Vitamin B complex, since I can't consume much grains, I use Brewer's Yeast that is non-GMO and derived from beets. Tastes delicious and is a whole-food. I also try to consume some grass-fed beef liver each week altho I dislike it so!

For Vitamin C, I take some Camu Camu powder periodically throughout the day, in addition to freshly squeezed lemon juice and blending the inner rind in a green smoothie in the mornings for the bioflavanoids.

For Omega 3's, DHA/EPA, Vitamin D and A, I use naturally processed Cod Liver Oil daily, instead of their isolates or cod liver oil that adds back the isolates after processing.

I learned about why we need to be cautious about regularly consuming synthetic vitamin isolates from reading the well-researched book, Real Truth about Vitamins and Antioxidants, by Judith DeCava https://www.amazon.com/Real-Truth-about-Vitamins-Anti-Oxidants/dp/096457098X

Here is a thought; if your gut/stomach doesn't work properly, you are likely not able to absorb all nutrients from our already poor quality food (these days). So, imho, one needs supplements (and plenty of them) - especially if one is sick in any degree - to "make up" for our poor quality food, poor air/water quality (in various areas), and finally or general health state. It was only when I started coming out of my sicknesses (after many supplements for a long time - read 'years') I realized how far in I was. Tip; stop wine/beer, stop smoking, try and eat healthy, don't eat pre-prepped food, take supplements as per your own biological need and makeup, don't underdose supplements (take therapeutic doses) and wait 1-3 years to see results, but adjust along the process with what clearly works and what clearly doesn't work, keeping in mind you may have some Herxheimer like reactions along the way, so don't stop that supplement before you are sure it's not good for you. This is from a person who has tried 150-200 supplements, if not more, for years, and continues to take about 40-50 of them every single day. But then again, we have poor water, poor air (pollen etc.), issues with body function and issues with heart health. This is not medical advice, do your own research please.

NHANES is a survey and not a double blind study by Ann Chen Intern Med 2019 is this correct ? Without lab tests and knowing food and supplement needs and if they were actually getting what they thought it seems a little bit of a stretch in comparing the two. It makes little sense to me on the surface. Can you explain why this study is definitive and in what way. Thank you.

It seems almost impossible to eat as much food as is necessary to provide all the vitamin requirements as suggested by the FDA, especially when gluten and casein allergies are involved. Here in NW PA we don't even see the sun for sometimes weeks, so supplementing vitamin D almost seems necessary.

I'm not for the synthetics because it is clear that they are different then nature! So I hope that you investigated it more because synthetics are not the way to go. Maybe for some in critical condition like intravenous C but the natural form of C has more components like the bioflavonoids & Co so synthetic C is no vitamin C at all! And that is for al the lab-made vitamins! Investigate when researchers in the lab uses light to the naturals vs the synthetics. The light bounces different in the naturals vs the synthetics so it is not the same. And the body have more problems with the synthetics to make something from it because it must uses up natural resources that it has to bound it with synthetics so you see that we do not play with it like gods and do a better job then nature has done it. Only this last sentence says it all in my mind and synthetics are also cheaper and the most studies are done with synthetics and why is that? It's al to do with time and money and nothing with our health. That's my take on it with years of studies.

What about fortified foods? Is orange juice fortified with calcium actually be any safer than a calcium supplement? If so, why?

I wonder if my body adapts to getting vitamins from pill will not take effort to get it from food, does one cancel out the other if you eat healthy and take pills? I always hoped I was filling in gaps.

Please comment on the difference between natural and synthetic astaxanthin