How Vitamins Are Made
What You Need to Know About How Vitamins Are Made and Why Whole Food-Based Matters
In a world overflowing with supplement options, it can be confusing to figure out what you're really putting into your body. One of the most important distinctions is how vitamins are made. Are they synthetic? Naturally extracted? Or are they truly derived from real, whole foods?
Let's break down the difference and explore why whole food-based vitamins can make a real difference in your health.
🌿 The 3 Ways Vitamins Are Produced
1. Synthetic Vitamins (Lab-Made)
These are made through chemical processes in a lab, often starting with petroleum or coal tar. They replicate the structure of vitamins but lack the cofactors and enzymes found in food.
Example: Ascorbic acid (synthetic vitamin C), DL-alpha tocopherol (synthetic vitamin E)
Pros: Cheap, widely available
Cons: Poor absorption, lacks natural support compounds, may stress liver or kidneys in high doses
2. Naturally Extracted Vitamins
These are isolated from plant or natural sources (like lanolin or algae), but are still usually just a single compound, not the whole food matrix.
Example: Vitamin D3 from lanolin; methylfolate from lemon peel
Pros: Better absorbed than synthetic
Cons: Still missing the full spectrum of nutrients and enzymes found in whole foods
3. Whole Food-Based Vitamins
These are made by gently drying, fermenting, or concentrating actual fruits, vegetables, grains, and herbs to preserve their complete nutrient profile.
Example: Vitamin C from acerola cherry, B vitamins from brown rice or wheat germ, folate from spinach
Pros: Contains natural cofactors, enzymes, and phytonutrients; better bioavailability; gentle on digestion
Cons: Lower potency per capsule (but more usable by the body)
🌱 How Whole Food-Based Vitamins Are Made (Step-by-Step)
🌾 1. Sourcing Clean, Nutrient-Rich Food
Organically grown or pesticide-free plants like carrots, spinach, acerola cherry, or wheat germ are harvested at peak ripeness.
🌬️ 2. Gentle Drying or Fermentation
Low-heat drying or fermentation methods are used to preserve the vitamins, enzymes, and cofactors naturally present.
💡 3. Concentration or Milling
The dried food is milled into powder or blended into concentrated extracts, retaining the nutrient synergy of the original food.
🏢 4. Blending and Tableting
Powders are combined into balanced formulas and formed into tablets or capsules using plant-based binders without synthetic additives.
🔬 5. Testing for Purity and Potency
Reputable brands test for heavy metals, pesticides, bacteria, and ensure nutrients are still active by the end of shelf life.
📊 Whole Food-Based vs Synthetic Vitamin Comparison
Feature Whole Food-Based Synthetic
Source Real food (fruits, veggies, grains) Chemical ingredients in lab
Nutrient Profile Full spectrum with cofactors Isolated single compound
Body Recognition Recognized as food May compete or need conversion
Absorption High, food-friendly Variable; often low
Side Effects Gentle May cause upset or strain
🔹 Where NeoLife Fits In
NeoLife is a leader in whole food-based supplementation. Their products:
Use real food concentrates from organic or clean sources
Are tested for purity, potency, and contaminants
Include synergistic compounds like Tre-en-en Grain Concentrates and Carotenoid Complex
Are free of synthetic dyes, artificial preservatives, and GMOs
NeoLife can support their quality with published clinical research and full traceability from seed to supplement.
🏠 The Bottom Line
Not all vitamins are created equal. If you're looking for nutrients your body can truly absorb and use, whole food-based supplements are your best bet. They work with your body, not against it, and provide a broader range of health benefits over time.
Always read labels, look for food sources in the ingredient list, and prioritize what your body will recognize and benefit from most: nutrition in its original design.
Seven Things I’m Doing to Build My Immune System and Strengthen My Body
It started with a whole new mindset.
I began to see that God created our bodies to fight and overcome sickness, illness, and disease.
Being healthy doesn’t mean I’ll never have symptoms.
In fact, I used to believe that if I was “truly” healthy, I’d never feel off — no sniffles, no fatigue, no aches. But now I know: symptoms are not the enemy.
They’re a built-in signal — a kind warning — that my body needs support. When I listen and respond, I give my body a chance to fight things off the way God designed it to. And I’ve learned that a well-supported body can often fight off an infection in 24 hours or less.
This shift in thinking helped me stop fearing symptoms and start supporting my body with intention.
Here are seven simple things I’ve been doing to strengthen my immune system and rebuild my health.
1. Prioritizing Sleep
Sleep is no longer optional for me — it's essential.
When I started paying attention to how much (and how well) I was sleeping, I realized my body wasn't getting time to repair. Now, if I feel run-down, I don’t push through — I pause and rest. Deep rest has become one of my best immune boosters.
And when I start to feel symptoms coming on, I get myself right to bed. It’s one of the most important things I can do to help my body fight something off quickly.
2. Clean Eating and Blood Sugar Balance
I’ve been learning how to make healthier, more nutritious food choices to give my body the fuel it actually needs. I focus on clean eating: whole, minimally processed foods with lots of nutrients. This means more vegetables, high-quality protein, healthy fats, and fiber.
It’s also important for me to eat at regular intervals to keep my blood sugar stable. I eat protein-rich meals, have eliminated processed sugars, and always keep a healthy protein-rich snack with me in case I get caught past meal time.
3. Supporting My Body with Supplements
I’ve added organic, whole-food supplements that are scientifically proven to improve immunity. Even with the best food choices, our bodies don’t get everything they need from diet alone. Our soil has changed over the last 60 years, and the nutrient content in our foods has significantly declined.
Adding targeted supplements fills in those gaps and helps support my immune function, energy, and overall health.
Many supplements on the market don’t deliver the nutrition they claim, either because they use low-quality ingredients, synthetic isolates, or because the body can’t absorb them well. Use this link to discover The 7 Critical Things to Know Before Putting Supplements in Your Body
4. Moving My Body Consistently
Movement used to intimidate me because I had so little energy. But I’ve learned there’s so much I can do even while I’m building stamina.
Gentle walks, stretching, and bouncing on a mini trampoline have been great starting points. I’m also slowly working toward more strength training, because I know muscle helps support metabolism, immunity, and longevity.
5. Staying Hydrated
I didn’t realize how much dehydration was affecting me. Now, I aim to drink more water. Staying hydrated keeps my body’s natural detox systems working like they should.
6. Guarding My Peace
I’ve also learned that stress plays a big role in weakening the immune system. Now I actively protect my peace.
That means saying no to what drains me, staying rooted in God’s Word, breathing deeply, and choosing stillness instead of hustle. Peace is powerful — it creates the internal space my body needs to heal and thrive.
7. Relating to My Spirit
I believe in the wholeness of body, soul, and spirit. My healing isn’t just physical — it’s spiritual.
I take my healing by faith, believing in the physical healing Jesus provided through His death, burial, and resurrection. He broke the power of sin, and with it, the effects of sickness and disease.
Jesus said, "Healing is the children’s bread," and so I receive healing by faith, just like I receive my salvation. That truth gives me hope, peace, and the strength to keep showing up for my healing each day.
In Closing...
If you’re in a season of rebuilding like I am, I hope this encourages you.
You don’t need to do it all perfectly — you just need to start. One habit, one prayer, one choice at a time.
Your body is capable of healing. Your spirit is stronger than you think. And you’re not alone on this journey.
Hyla
Forever Flourishing
Just Start!
I have been putting off starting on my flower garden vision because I never have the time or resources to do it all at once.
But I am learning that achieving my goal is a process. It begins with taking the first step - no matter how small it is.
Did I already run into obstacles? Yes, there was a big branch in my way that I had to dig out.
Is it perfect? No, I probably planted them too close to the fence because it’s so hard to imagine what the plants will look like in full grown maturity. I may need to make adjustments in time.
Do I need mulch? Yes, but this is a process, and I am learning to celebrate the steps I have taken, not focus on all the steps I still lack.
Is it done? Far from it, but that’s OK becasue I’ve started!
The act of starting initiates motivation!
I’m moving forward! Each step is a greater motivation for the next!
My starter plants!
My Pinterest inspiration and end goal!