"I'm mindful of everything I put into my body," says Sarah R., a Crossfit devotee and competitive weightlifter. "But even if I wasn't an athlete, I'd use organic supplements. My daughter and I once read the list of ingredients in one of the synthetic supplements I'd been taking. I was dismayed to discover how many unnecessary and unhealthy chemicals were in it." That’s when she switched to organic. “I figured if I'm making the effort to eat organic, clean foods, I should do the same for my vitamins and supplements, too."
Sarah's story isn't unique. As more of us become health-conscious, the availability of organic options has grown exponentially. While some say “organic” is just a buzzword, more and more people are choosing organic food and personal care options.
What Does Organic Actually Mean?
The term “organic” refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. Organic ingredients are grown without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or genetic engineering (GMOs). According to the Organic Trade Association, it is the most consumer-driven and most heavily regulated food system. For something to have a certified organic label, 95 percent of its ingredients must be organic.
In the United States, organic products are regulated under the Organic Foods Production Act and overseen by the National Organic Standards Board. Any farmer or company that sells organic products in the U.S. must follow strict guidelines to protect natural resources. Farmers must grow vegetables or herbs in soil that has been free of all prohibited pesticides for three years or more.[1] Organic standards also forbid the use of artificial food colors, flavors, and chemical preservatives.
Are Organic Supplements Better?
The best way to get your vitamins and minerals is through a healthy diet that consists of a rainbow of vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts. But at times, you may need an extra boost in nutrients. Supplements can fill the gaps.
Organic nutritional supplements are superior in several ways.
- Free of artificial fillers and excipients
- No toxic chemicals
- More readily absorbed by the body
- Higher levels of antioxidants and other nutrients
- Potent nutrient concentrations due to freeze drying and raw extraction
Organic dietary supplements come from ingredients that are certified organic. As mentioned, organic products must be free from toxic chemicals and fillers. That purity makes organic supplements better for your body — and the environment.
“Fillers” and excipients include compounds like corn maltodextrin, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, and titanium dioxide. These ingredients typically don’t occur in nature and can be harmful to your health.
The vitamins and nutrients in many supplements are synthetic. That means they’re manufactured in a lab to have a similar molecular structure to the natural nutrients they are trying to replicate. However, it’s more optimal to extract nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from whole foods, herbs, fungi, and other natural substances.
In some cases, synthetics may not be easily absorbed or used by the body at all. A case in point is calcium carbonate, which is like chalk. Physicians have found undigested calcium carbonate pills in the gut, months later!
In contrast, certified organic dietary supplements are typically made with simple, natural processes. Freeze-drying herbs for capsules or extracting them in a liquid retains the full spectrum of nutrients available in the whole plant. The body more readily absorbs nutrients from organic supplements.[2]
Top 5 Reasons To Choose Organic Supplements
Below are the top benefits of choosing organic nutritional supplements.
1. They Contain More Nutrients
More than 300 studies have found that organic crops — from apples, blueberries, and carrots to zucchini — have substantially higher concentrations of antioxidants and other nutrients than non-organic ones.[3] And organic supplements usually come from these organic foods.
2. They’re Free of Toxins & Chemicals
When you take a certified organic dietary supplement, you know that you are using a product that has not been exposed to hundreds of toxic chemicals. Many pesticides and herbicides are carcinogenic or cause endocrine-disruption.[4] Choosing organic means making a conscious effort to keep these harmful toxins and chemicals out of your body.
3. You’ll Experience Better Taste & Nutrient Absorption
Your taste buds will tell you — organic food tastes great! Healthy soils produce nutritious plants that become nourishing food (and sometimes, wholesome supplements). When you consume a supplement derived from the whole plant, you’re consuming a range of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that the body uses.
The body more easily absorbs nutrients from organic products.[5] For instance, your body absorbs natural vitamin E twice as efficiently as the synthetic form.[6] In another case, one-quarter of the amount of natural vitamin K is as effective as the synthetic version.[7]
4. You Help Conserve Wildlife
Organic farmers work in harmony with nature, promoting sustainability and building healthy ecosystems. Organic farms have 30 percent more animal and bird species on average than non-organic ones.[8] These animals live on farmland and assist in natural pest control — a win-win situation!
5. You Help Preserve the Environment
Astonishingly, it takes more energy to produce synthetic fossil-fuel-based fertilizers than to cultivate, harvest, and transport crops — combined![9] Organic farming uses half the energy of conventional methods.[10]
Organic farmers use environmentally-friendly farming methods that not only conserve water but also help keep pesticides out of our clean water supplies. In other words, buying organic reduces your footprint on the earth.
Finding the Best Brand
When you’re in the market for nutritional supplements, you’ll find an overwhelming number of options. Labeling allows you to know what is in everything you purchase, but understanding labels is still a challenge. Below are some suggestions for finding the best options.
Research the Company
The best supplement companies have high standards for customer service and offer policies such as a “satisfaction or money-back” guarantee. A good company will have a trained customer satisfaction team that can answer questions about their products. Excellent customer service includes free shipping and returns!
Product packaging should include:
- Use of the certified organic seal
- Good labeling practices:
- Listing both active and inactive ingredients
- Indicating potential allergens and contraindications
- Clearly listing what is not in the products (i.e., GMO-free, pesticide-free, etc.)
Switching to Organic
Ready to make the switch to organic but still have a cupboard full of non-organic products? Don’t get out the trash bin just yet! It’s okay to transition slowly to organic.
Do your research about ingredients and learn how various supplements support your health. Take your time to educate yourself on which products best align with your health goals. Work to slowly replenish your supplements with organic options.
Types of Organic Supplements
Organic supplements come in a variety of forms. There are fully organic-certified products, which must contain 95 percent organic ingredients, and there are products that include organic ingredients. You can buy organic capsules, powders, teas, and liquid herbal extracts of vitamins and minerals, or of specific compounds. For example, you can buy the coenzyme CoQ10, or herbs like turmeric and moringa.
Herbal Extracts
Herbal extracts are one of the simplest ways to enjoy the goodness of herbs. Extracts are made by soaking plant material in solution, which draws out the naturally-occurring phytochemicals (plant-produced compounds).
Herbal extracts capture the full nutritional complexity of a plant. When you make a supplement from whole plants or herbs, versus a synthetic approximation, you capture not just its vitamins and minerals, but also the enzymes, cofactors, and other phytonutrients that make it unique.
Global Healing uses a state-of-the-art Raw Herbal Extract™ technology for its liquid extract line. Herbs, such as tulsi and valerian, are cold processed in triple-distilled water and organic vegetable glycerin derived from mustard seed.
Vitamins & Minerals
Your body needs vitamins and minerals to function. Aim to get your daily nutrients through a healthy, balanced diet. But sometimes, dietary supplements can provide the nutrition you don’t get from food.
You can purchase multivitamins or individual vitamins and minerals as pills or liquid extracts. Some people do not like taking large pills, so a liquid vitamin or mineral supplement can be ideal in those cases.
Excellent options include Global Healing’s certified organic iodine supplement (Detoxadine®), organic Global Healing's Vitamin D3 and organic Vitamin B12.
Why Organic Matters to Us
At Global Healing, our passion for purity is woven into every fiber of our work. Your health matters to us. We recognize that organic dietary supplements may be more expensive than synthetic options. Nevertheless, the benefits of “going organic” are immeasurable. This is true whether you’re purchasing a standalone vitamin or mineral supplement, an herbal extract, or capsules containing various ingredients.
Our mission at Global Healing is to provide products that revolutionize your journey to better health. We provide the purest supplements on the market to do just that.
Points to Remember
While most of us try to get the nutrients we need from food, our bodies sometimes need the support of dietary supplements. Nutritional supplements come in the form of capsules, tablets, powder, and liquid extracts — or even teas. Supplements can provide your body with the essential vitamins and minerals you need and can be an important part of a healthy, balanced diet. But not all supplements are created equal.
With so many choices lining the shelves, it’s essential to know what to look for in a supplement. When you choose organic, you get the nutritional benefits from whole foods used to produce the supplement, with no chemical compounds. Organic supplements are free of pesticides, insecticides, and other harmful toxins.
Organic supplements provide the nutrients your body needs while knowing you’re consuming something good for your body — and the environment.
References (10)
- Becoming a Certified Operator. United States Department of Agriculture. Updated 2019. Accessed 17.10.2019.
- van Breeman, RB. Development of safe and effective botanical dietary supplements. J Med Chem. 2015 Nov 12;58(21):8360-8372.
- Baranski M, et al. Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses. Br J Nutr. 2014 Sep 14;112(5):794-811.
- Dich J, et al. Pesticides and cancer. Cancer Causes Control. 1997 May. 8(3):420-443
- Thiel, RJ. Natural vitamins may be superior to synthetic ones. Med Hypotheses. 2000 Dec;55(6):461-469.
- Lodge, JK. Vitamin E bioavailability in humans. J Plant Physiol. 2005 Jul;162(7):790-796.
- Schurgers LJ, et al. Vitamin K-containing dietary supplements: comparison of synthetic vitamin K1 and natto-derived menaquinone-7. Blood. 2007 Apr 15;109(8):3279-3283.
- Bengtsson J, et al. The effects of organic agriculture on biodiversity and abundance: a meta-analysis. J Applied Ecol. 2005;42:261-269.
- Woods, J, et al. Energy and the food system. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2010 Sep 27;365(1554):2991-3006.
- Gomiero T, et al. Energy and environmental issues in organic and conventional agriculture. Crit Rev Plant Sci. 27:4:239-254
†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician.
