Tag: Synthetic vitamin

Over 90% of all manufactured vitamin B12 is produced by companies, primarily in China, using large-scale microbial fermentation. This manufactured form, known as cyanocobalamin, is not found in nature and is the most common form found in supplements and fortified foods.

Unlike the naturally occurring vitamin K1 and K2, vitamin K3 is a synthetic, man-made compound known chemically as menadione. This distinct origin significantly impacts its application and availability, especially for humans, due to safety differences.

Up to 90% of all manufactured vitamin B12 is produced in China, largely for use in supplements and fortified foods. Cyanocobalamin, the most common form of this vitamin for commercial applications, has a fascinating origin that is entirely synthetic, resulting from a specific microbial fermentation and chemical stabilization process.

While some people use the terms interchangeably, research from the 1980s and 1990s demonstrated that menadione, or vitamin K3, is harmful to humans. This critical distinction reveals that menadione is not a safe, natural form of vitamin K for human consumption, a misconception that has led to its ban in dietary supplements.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adequate folic acid intake can prevent up to 70% of neural tube defects in newborns, underscoring its critical role in health. This fact highlights why understanding this synthetic form of vitamin B9 and its supplemental role is so important for public health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), getting 400 micrograms of folic acid daily can help prevent serious neural tube birth defects. This vital public health recommendation directly addresses the question, is folic acid man-made?, as the answer reveals key differences between this synthetic version and its natural counterpart, folate.