A lot of people today are going crazy over natural products. They say that they are safer and more effective than those formulated in laboratories.

The same debate goes on in the world of vitamin supplements. On one side are the proponents of natural supplements while on the other are the ones for the synthetic variety.

But is there really a difference between the two? Yes and no. Why? Below are the answers.

The most obvious difference between the two is that one is taken from a natural source while the other is formulated in laboratories.

While advocates of natural products claim that theirs is better because natural products are purer, there is no definitive study that they can refer to to prove their claim.

Then there is the price difference. It is no longer news that the so-called natural products are more expensive than their synthetic counterparts.

While the price difference can be justified by the means they are prepared, unless proof is given that one is more effective than the other then there's no cause for a debate.

But then again, the debate over which is better may never be over since a person will always prefer one thing over the other.

But regardless of the source and the means of producing these supplements, what really is important is the actual amount of vitamins present there.

Some natural ones have additional ingredients which lessen its intended effect while there are synthetic ones that are overstuffed with a lot of vitamins which in effect lessens their effectiveness.

There are a lot of people who do not have enough natural vitamin sources in their diet and therefore suffer from a deficiency of one or more vitamins. Obviously, it is possible to buy vitamin supplements to help overcome any deficiencies but for the majority of people it should be possible for them to obtain the majority of their recommended daily allowance of vitamins from natural vitamin sources. The key to gaining the correct amount of vitamins from natural vitamin sources is to eat a healthy and balanced diet.

There are certain diets, such as vegetarian, that provide a limited number of natural vitamin supplements and therefore a supplement may be necessary. Also, the intake required of these natural vitamin sources at certain periods may need to be increased and a supplement may be the best option. It is important to be aware of each of the different types of vitamins and their best natural vitamin sources so that a person can incorporate as many of these as possible into their regular diet. Water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body and need to be replenished on a daily basis so it is natural vitamin sources for these vitamins that are the most essential to know.

* Natural vitamin B1 sources are brewer's yeast, whole grains, blackstrap molasses, brown rice, organ meats, egg yolk

* Natural vitamin B2 sources are brewer's yeast, whole grains, legumes, nuts, organ meats, blackstrap molasses

* Natural vitamin B3 sources are lean meats, poultry & fish, brewer's yeast, peanuts, milk, rice bran, potatoes

* Natural vitamin B4 sources are egg yolks, organ meats, brewer's yeast, wheat germ, soybeans, fish, legumes

* Natural vitamin B5 sources are organ meats, egg yolks, legumes, whole grains, wheat germ, salmon, brewer's yeast

* Natural vitamin B6 sources are meats, whole grains, organ meats brewer's yeast, blackstrap molasses, wheat germ

* Natural vitamin B7 sources are egg yolks, liver, unpolished rice, brewer's yeast, sardines, legumes, whole grains

* Natural vitamin B8 sources are who1e grains, citrus fruits, molasses, meat, milk, nuts, vegetables, brewer's yeast

* Natural vitamin B9 sources are dark-green leafy vegetables, organ meats, root vegetables, oysters, salmon, milk

* Natural vitamin B12 sources are organ meats, fish, pork, eggs, cheese, milk, lamb, bananas, kelp, peanuts

* Natural vitamin B13 sources are root vegetables, liquid whey

* Natural vitamin B15 sources are brewer's yeast, rare steaks, brown rice, sunflower, pumpkin & sesame seeds

* Natural vitamin B17 sources are whole kernels of apricots, apples, cherries, peaches, plums

* Natural vitamin C sources are citrus, cabbage family, chilli peppers, berries, melons, asparagus, rose hips

The majority of people do not eat a sufficiently balanced diet to provide them with all of the vitamins that they require and this has led to a boom in the multi vitamin supplement industry. Multi vitamin supplements are available in a number of different forms, including tablets, gel capsules and even liquids. Of course the most obvious benefit to taking multi vitamin supplements is convenience. It is far easier for a person to take one dose of a multi vitamin supplement that contains all of the necessary vitamins compared to taking each one individually. This is especially the case for children as it can be difficult for them to take a large number of vitamin supplements but one dose of a multi vitamin supplement is far easier. Of course, a liquid multi vitamin supplement is the most suitable form for children but it is also beneficiate anyone who has difficulty taking supplements in traditional tablet form.

The increase in the availability of multi vitamin supplements has led to a great variety in the brands and also the actual content of the multi vitamin supplements. The names of some of the nutrients in these multi vitamin supplements can be a little bewildering and many people simply do not know which ones they require. To make the decision simpler there are now a number of multi vitamin supplements created for specific people. For example, there are multi vitamin supplements that are designed for children. These multi vitamin supplements contain the specific nutrients that children need for them to grow and develop properly. Pregnant women have unique nutrient requirements to ensure that their baby receives the necessary nutrients and there are multi vitamin supplements prepared for pregnant women. As we get older we also have different nutrient requirements and multi vitamin supplements for the elderly are a popular product.

It is important to consider the contents of any multi vitamin supplement before consuming too many. There are some vitamins that can be toxic if too much is absorbed and this can occur more easily with multi vitamin supplements as some of the content may be overlooked. The labelling of the actual percentage of the recommended daily allowance for each vitamin in a multi vitamin supplement should be clearly labelled and must be assessed before a person takes them. Always seek professional medical advice before taking any multi vitamin supplement if thereis any doubt as to the benefits of the contents.

The majority of mineral vitamin supplements are made from chemicals rather than natural substances. However, there is a steady growth in the demand for natural mineral vitamin supplements. This is due to the amount of debate that there is as to whether chemical mineral vitamins can be more harmful than beneficial in the long term.

The fact is that chemical mineral vitamin supplements are not as easily absorbed as normal food particles are. The mineral vitamin industry is constantly striving to create products that are more easily processed by the body and therefore more beneficial.

Every now and then the industry comes up with a new 'more bio-available' form of a vitamin or mineral. To overcome this, a large number of mineral vitamins have been developed that combine other elements with the vitamins and minerals to enable them to be more easily absorbed by the body. Iron is commonly combined to form iron gluconate which enable the mineral vitamin supplement to be more absorbable.

The amount of a nutrient in a mineral vitamin supplement needs to be far greater than it would be in a more natural form for the body to be able to absorb the amount that is required. This can obviously lead to problem where a toxic level of the particular nutrient is being consumed by the large doses of the mineral vitamin supplement that are needed. It is therefore extremely important that a person does not simply take vast quantities of all of the mineral vitamin supplements that are advertised on television and should seek advice from a health professional. It is also worth being aware of the developments in the mineral vitamin supplement industry as there are constantly new and better combinations being developed.

One method that mineral vitamin manufacturers have developed to help aid absorption is through culturing the raw materials with yeast cells. This form of mineral vitamins are known as 'food state' and are up to four times easier for the body to absorb the required nutrients as the yeast is completely digested.

Of course, the need for mineral vitamin supplements depends on the diet that a person has. There is no doubt that it is far more preferable for a person to obtain the nutrients that they require from their food rather than by taking mineral vitamin supplements wherever possible. During certain periods it may be necessary for a person to take mineral vitamin supplements on a temporary basis but their long term use is not recommended for a number of the supplements that are available.

Most people do not realise that the body can absorb the nutrients from liquid vitamin supplements easier than from tablets. It is estimated that liquid vitamin supplements are actually absorbed at least five times better than regular vitamin pills. Of course, there are many other benefits that liquid vitamin supplements have over pills. For example, the liquid vitamin supplements are easier to swallow. This alone makes liquid vitamin supplements preferable to pills, especially for children and anyone else who has trouble taking pills of any type.

Young children are often unable to gather sufficient nutrients from the foods that they eat but it is almost impossible for them to take vitamin supplements in pill form. Liquid vitamin supplements are ideal because they can be given by a dropper, straight into the child's mouth or even added to their regular bottle of water or juice to ensure that they receive all of the vitamins that they need to grow. For exactly the same reason, liquid vitamin supplements are perfect for anyone who is unwell and not able to eat properly.

Despite the best efforts of most people it is likely that most are not getting sufficient vitamins and minerals from their diet and that is where liquid vitamin supplements are beneficial. The vitamins in many common pill supplements are actually packed too densely. This leads to a lot of the vitamins not being broken down and absorbed as they should do whereas liquid vitamin supplements do not have the same problem. The body is therefore able to absorb far more of the nutritional value from liquid vitamin supplements than it can from those in the traditional pill form. In fact, the body only absorbs about 10-20% of the nutrients from vitamin pills compared to around 80-90% that it can absorb from liquid vitamin supplements.

Another benefit of liquid vitamin supplements is that they often contain more than one type of vitamin and other nutrients. Vitamin pills traditionally contain only one which means that you are going to have to take a whole handful of vitamin pills to get the same benefits as you do from many of the liquid vitamin supplements. Liquid vitamin supplements offer far more convenience and effectiveness for supplying the body with the vitamins that it needs. The cost of buying the equivalent number of vitamin pills to obtain the same results is also far more than that of liquid vitamin supplements.