Now, there's nothing wrong with vitamins that are isolated and synthetic, but in these lab-created forms they can be harder for our bodies to use.  Ruth, a sales associates for our store, describes synthetic minerals in a very creative way that is completely on point. She says, "It's kind of like scraping rust onto a plate and saying 'here's your iron'! It's just that harsh and toxic." Whole food and food-based vitamins and minerals contain cofactors and enzymes which help the body process and utilize them. Synthetic nutrients are typically added to ensure that the dosage is right every single time, due to the quality of our soil, but the synthetic base still carries the genetic makeup of whole food substances.