Natural Vitamins
NutrientOverview
Natural vitamins in ultra-processed foods are typically extracted, concentrated, and standardized forms that differ from vitamins in whole food matrices. Even "natural" vitamin E may be molecularly distilled and concentrated to levels impossible to obtain from food.
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Ingredient variations
Common forms
Vitamins from whole food sources, natural vitamin E
Function
Natural vitamin fortification replaces processing losses, enables marketing claims, and standardizes nutritional content in manufactured foods. These vitamins provide consistent potency required for label declarations.
Sources
Natural vitamins undergo solvent extraction, molecular distillation, and concentration from sources like soy (vitamin E) or lanolin (vitamin D3). Processing removes accompanying phytonutrients present in whole food sources.
Health Considerations
Isolated natural vitamins may not provide the same benefits as vitamins consumed within whole food matrices containing cofactors and synergistic compounds. High-dose fortification can interfere with nutrient balance.
Regulatory
FDA permits "natural" vitamin claims for vitamins extracted from natural sources regardless of processing intensity. No requirements exist for maintaining whole food vitamin complexes.
Products Containing Natural Vitamins
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