When you embark on a real food journey, part of that trip means making sure your family is getting enough the right vitamins and minerals. To ensure that we are, most of us take a multivitamin, but beware: not all supplements are created equal. In fact, some toxic vitamins even contain ingredients that you have probably been trying to avoid.
What should you look out for in supplements? Here is a guide to buying supplements that are not only good for you and your family but are also free from toxic ingredients.
Table of Contents
Toxic Vitamins: The Ingredients in Your Supplements
You can find some of the following culprits hiding in popular vitamin supplement brands:
- Artificial Food Coloring:
While this is certainly no surprise for children’s vitamins like Flintstones Vitamins, I was a bit more surprised to find Blue 2 Lake, FD&C Yellow No. 5 Lake, FD&C and Yellow No. 6 Lake in One-a-Day, Nature’s Bounty, and Centrum’s adult multivitamins. They are listed as “less than 2%,” but personally, I don’t want any of these toxins in my food, since they associated with a host of disturbing effects on the brain, central nervous system, and health of cells. - Titanium Dioxide:
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has listed this ingredient as a possible carcinogen. Found in many toxic vitamins, including One-a-Day, Centrum, Nature Made, Solgar and Nature’s Bounty. - Soy Lecithin and other hexane-extracted additives:
In addition to being made from GMO soy, this additive often contains solvents. According to Chris Kresser, the processing usually involves hexane. The processing done to remove the hexane can leave trace amounts. That residue is unregulated by the FDA even though it is listed by that organization as a potential carcinogen and neurotoxin — meaning there can still be hexane in your vitamins. Flintstones Complete contains soy lecithin. - Mono- and Diglycerides:
As discussed in our peanut butter article, these additives can contain trans fats. Found in Flintstones Complete. - BHT:
This suspected carcinogen is in some supplements, such as Centrum Silver. - Maltodextrin and ascorbic acid.
These common ingredients are made from GMO corn. Found in Emergen-C, Centrum, Nature Made, One-a-Day and Flintstones.
Organic/Non-GMO vs. Non-Organic
As you can see, GMOs can commonly be hidden in toxic vitamins and supplements, particularly Vitamin B12, B2, C and E. Key ingredients that signify GMO products in the vitamins include maltodextrin (from corn), ascorbic acid, as well as soy and rice proteins. While supplement ingredients are disclosed in the U.S., according to GMO Compass, additives do not necessarily have to be declared if they are “purified and contain no microorganisms.” These additives can be necessary for forming the supplement into a capsule or gelcap, or they can be unnecessary additives like colorants. If you are trying to avoid GMOs, then, you’ll need to find vitamins and supplements that are USDA organic or Non-GMO Project Verified.
Whole Food Supplements are Better than Synthetic
Humans were designed to get nutrients from real, whole foods. Unfortunately, most supplements are synthetic and, as such, do not necessarily break down in a beneficial way. According to Mercola.com, nutrients exist in nature in combination with other nutrients — that means your body can treat these substances as something foreign rather than as the nutrient they properly receive from whole food. The best way to get your vitamins and minerals is from whole, real food and the best way to supplement is with whole-food based vitamins. Fortunately, there are options readily available for consumers.
The brands that we’ve found meet these standards are:
Best Non-GMO/Organic Supplements for Kids:
- Nordic Naturals offers many cod liver oils and Omegas, as well as a children’s DHA that is Project Non-GMO Verified.
- Chrystal Star offers a line of Non-GMO herbal products that include ADDvantage for Kids and Candida Detox.
- Vitamin Code Kids® by Garden of Life is the first Project Non-GMO verified children’s multivitamin. It’s made from whole foods as well as being gluten- and dairy-free, and contains probiotic.
Best Bets for Organic Multi- and Specific Vitamins (like B12):
- Garden of Life’s entire Kind Organics line is all-organic. Garden of Life also carries a number of Non-GMO Verified supplements and powders in their Raw line, such as Raw B12, Raw Women and Raw Family.
- New Chapter: All their supplements are Non-GMO Project verified and ICS Certified Organic. They offer a number of multi-vitamins for men and women as well as specialized support vitamins, like Perfect Immune Multvitamins.
- Real Food is the all-organic line from Country Life. This new line features multi-vitamins and was the top recommendation by my health food store owner for a high-quality organic vitamin.
- MegaFood has a number of Non-GMO Project verified powders and oral supplements that cover every member of the family. They also feature a vegan collection.
These are the best options to safely and cleanly supplement your family’s nutrition with high-quality vitamins. They do cost more but you’ll be avoiding a confusing mix of chemicals while continuing to provide real, organic food — even in their supplements. That is well worth the price.
Additional Recommendations
Supplements can get pricey. If you would like to save 25-50% off retail for non-GMO food, supplements, and other natural products check out Thrive Market. Click here to get 2 months free, free shipping and 15% off your first order.
Disclosure: Nordic Naturals and Thrive Market is a Mamavation client. Thrive Market is an affiliate link.
Budget Friendly Organic Shopping List
What about Alive, kids chewable multivitamin, by Nature’s Way?
I am still looking for a trusted brand of vitamins for K2 and MK-7. My biological dentist (after a bone graph) has me on name brand PROTOCAL FOR LIFE BALANCE, a K2, Mk-7, & D3 combo. I’m used to purchasing Thorne, Mercola, and NOW. Any advice here?
I believe Xymogen and Pure Encapsulations are toxin-free, allergy-free and non-GMO as well. My doctor highly recommends them. Unfortunately they are pricey too
Yet They list Country Life from RealFood brand & they have fillers & toxic ingredients. Going to your site now.
NESTLE BOUGHT PURE ENCAPSULTIONS! They are not trustworthy now. Nestle is a woke cabal corp.
Before I knew about the corp switch I had bad results an so I opened and/or tested products. They all failed.
I wonder why I am not seeing PURIUM on many of these lists where they are due respect as we are one of the only Organic Superfoods companies with the seal from the detox project, and that actually check off all the boxes you look for in a healthy whole food product!
Low heat dehydrated to maintain peek nutritional value
Certified Organic
Detox Project Varified
Plastic free, at home compostable packaging
Delivered to your door saving you on gas
Discounted to all customers
Leah please include us in your articles as we often share your articles with the field as a resource but if you don’t include us as a top notch product it seem couter active! Please include us in your articles or at lease add that you don’t because far superior Purity standards to all the brands you HAVE TO TEST FOR PURITY!
Thank you,
Your friend at the Million Mom Movement
Nayeva Florie
Nature’s Bounty vitamins are non gmo as well
Nature’s Bounty may be non-GMO, but it contains titanium dioxide.
And we wonder why so people have cancer and other diseases. We are constantly being poisoned by the world around us that is supposed to help us. I almost lost it when I bought Fish Oil that claimed to be Hexane free, I never knew it was in it in the first place but then it had carrageenan in it. Why? How do these manufacturers sleep at night? Carrageenan causes inflammation and is actually used on lab rats to cause inflammation so they can test anti-inflammation drugs on them. I think I will be better off winging it with out any of the vitamins I have been taking for at least 20 years.
Garden of Life was recently purchased by Nestle, so there is your likely answer for the toxicity that didn’t used to be there.
Garden. Of life has chemicals in their products.
Derek and Anonymous,
Check out Frunutta.com. They don’t have any of it and are NON-GMO and gluten free. Also Organic vitamins is a hype because only 70% has to be organic to claim organic. Frunutta is completely transparent and has a great story why they were created.
The Clean Label Project ran a toxicity test on protein powders that included Garden of Life Raw Protein. The test revealed that Garden of Life had one of the highest levels of toxicity. As someone who regularly consumed Garden of Life protein powder, this was concerning. I now wonder if toxicity can be found in their vitamins as well?
thanks for bringing this to our attention!!! I really appreciate it! If we aren’t informed we are at risk! I think we have to get sourcing information from some of these companies because they are still using glyphosate (roundup) and that’s bad news! I hope you would consider doing a google review re: this Garden of life product.
New Chapter has Maltodextrin unfortunately. Thats GMO.
Derek, Country Life of Real Food has that too. Have you found a company that does not use it?
Actually, maltodextrin can be sourced from plants other than corn. Ex. Potato, cassava…etc. Those are not GMO. Just FYI.
And how would we ever know where its ‘sourced’ from?
Better, just avoid it altogether, in my opinion than to assume the filler wasn’t derived from poisonous GMO corn.
Good to know Derek! years ago that stuff messed up my gut flora! people stay away from it!
Not always. Maltodextrin can come from non gmo fermented vegetable sources like corn or it can be from non gmo tapioca