Episode Details

I want to give horse owners a different perspective on whether to feed their horses vitamins. Most discussions on this subject discuss what diseases are prevented by supplementing with which vitamin. I will not repeat this because 1) others have done this, and 2) there needs to be more good science behind their findings. Instead, I will tell you how vitamins work, if supplementation works, and the difference between vitamins from food, food sources, and chemicals like coal tar.

Doing a thought experiment, I asked listeners if giving synthetic vitamins (and amino acids) can cause inflammation. I also ask if processed foods have more benefits to health than whole foods, identifying some unique situations where they may be indicated (soybean meal).

These are the linked articles mentioned in this podcast:

• Vitamins and Minerals | NCCIH

• Vitamin | Definition, Types, & Facts | Britannica

• Vitamins: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

• Vitamins and Minerals | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

• Dietary Supplements: Separating Fact from Fiction

• Natural vs. Synthetic Vitamins – Why It Matters | Dr. Berg

• Avoid this List of Synthetic Vitamins for Gut Health

• Synthetic vs Natural Nutrients: Does it Matter?

• 90% of Vitamins are Synthetic - Myersdetox.com

• All About Where Vitamin Supplements Come From - Precision Nutrition

• 'Synthetic vs natural': Start-up targets fortification category disruption with organic plant-derived nutrients

• Big Pharma or Family Owned - Who Makes the Vitamins You Take?

• The 10 Largest Vitamin Companies In The United States - Zippia
• Where Do Supplement Ingredients Come From, and Why Does it Matter? | Vitacost Blog