S
22

Am I the only one who wrestles with the morality of synthetic vitamin production?

Honestly, discovering that some vitamins are produced in labs with questionable environmental practices really bothers me. Tbh, I read about the waste from certain B12 synthesis processes, and now I'm reconsidering my multivitamin.
4 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
4 Comments
lauraj23
lauraj232h ago
Ngl, your mention of cyanide waste from B12 synthesis is exactly what sent me down this rabbit hole. Honestly, I started scrutinizing my vitamin C after learning about the petroleum-based ascorbic acid processes. Seeing @the_sarah's focus on fermentation methods made me realize how deep the manufacturing issues go.
7
the_sarah
the_sarah9h ago
You're definitely not alone in that wrestling match. I switched to a methylcobalamin B12 after reading about the cyanide waste from cheaper cyanocobalamin production. It was a hassle finding a brand that uses fermentation-based methods, but it put my mind at ease. Sometimes you just have to dig into a specific vitamin's manufacturing pipeline and make a call. What other vitamins are you looking at right now?
2
kevinchen
kevinchen1h ago
Wow, this manufacturing deep dive is no joke. I've been obsessed with vitamin D3 sourcing after hearing about synthetic vs. natural methods. The lichen-based vegan D3 seems better, but I'm skeptical about extraction solvents. Same with magnesium citrate, where the citric acid can come from fermented GMO corn. It's exhausting but necessary to trace every ingredient back to its origin. We're basically becoming amateur chemists to avoid corporate shortcuts.
7
hall.paul
hall.paul2h ago
Actually @the_sarah, same with most vegan D3 from lichen now.
6