Whole Foods Vitamins

Why take a whole foods vitamin, that’s more expensive and may not be as convenient, over a simple drug-store brand vitamin?

ABSORPTION: Our body recognizes whole foods nutrients and is able to break them down, and absorb what we need. Rather then getting a large amount of one or a few nutrients, you are getting a smaller amount of each, but a larger variety. And what is even better, when you take a whole food vitamin, you are getting nutrients that work best when paired together.

For example, when you are taking a whole foods vitamin B supplement, you may be getting 3-5 different foods in powder form, which contain not only B vitamins, but other enzymes, cofactors, minerals and antioxidants as well. However, if you’re just taking a synthetic B vitamin, you are literally getting the B vitamins listed on the packaging, plus maybe some fillers.

SYNERGY: When vitamins come from natural foods, there are not single nutrients that are isolated, but rather a combination of multiple vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, cofactors, enzymes and more from those foods. The natural combination of these nutrients in a food are there because they work synergistically, or together. You will be able to absorb more and your body can use it.

BALANCE: These nutrients from foods also comes in ideal quantities for our bodies, where as when you take a synthetic vitamin B capsule, for example, your bodies gets a flush of vitamin Bs, and then gets rid of any excess.

An example of this is the zinc-copper balance that our body naturally needs. When we take a zinc supplement on it’s own, we tend to see a copper deficiency over time, when taken long term. However, if you take a natural whole food source of zinc (whether that be part of a multivitamin powder or on it’s own if food form), you will not see a copper deficiency over time. This is because foods are naturally balanced to not let our bodies go into excess of nutrients, which tends to cause deficiencies in other areas.

RECOGNITION: Whole foods vitamins are made from ingredients that our body actually recognizes, rather than an ingredient made in a lab, even if it is an ingredient that we may have taken before.

For example, the natural form of vitamin C comes from foods such as peppers, oranges, pineapple and mango. When whole foods are made into a powdered supplement, our body recognizes them and absorbs them the same way they would from the actual food.

NATURAL: Whole food vitamins and minerals are made from whole food ingredients, such as spinach, which have been dehydrated, concentrated and ground into a powder. Synthetic vitamins and minerals, are made in a lab, and are completely artificial. Synthetic vitamins tend to be less available, active or absorbable than whole foods.

​One of my favourite brands*, Pranin Organics, is a brand of whole food vitamins and minerals made in Vancouver, BC. I love how I feel and the amount of energy that I have when I am consistently taking Pranin’s products. They have a multivitamin/mineral, iron, vitamin b and vitamin c. They are all powders; they are organic, raw, vegan - plus free of gluten, dairy, soy, artificial colours and flavours, synthetics (including synthetic nutrients), fillers, preservatives and sweeteners.

I have a discount code to share: KATENATURALLY. Use this code at checkout for 20% off your purchase! And please share what you think of the products on my instagram!

* Pranin is my personal favourite, doesn’t mean it’s the only option out there. Read the ingredient label and do your research.