Synthetic vs. Whole Food Nutrients

There’s something profoundly grounding about eating the way our ancestors did. Before supplements lined shelves in sterile aisles, they nourished their bodies with whole foods that spoke the language of nature: organ meats, bone broths, and nutrient-dense staples rich in everything our bodies truly crave.

Modern synthetic supplements, for all their convenience, miss the mark in one crucial way: they are fragments, not the whole. The nutrients may be there in name, but without the full cast of co-factors and natural synergy that real foods provide, their story often falls flat. Organ meats, however, offer the full script, a potent, bioavailable, and balanced nutritional profile that delivers results your body can feel. Let’s explore why.

The bioavailability advantage

Bioavailability is the critical measure of how efficiently a nutrient is absorbed and utilised by the body, determining whether it nourishes your cells or simply passes through unmetabolised.

This is where whole food nutrients and synthetic vitamins draw a stark contrast. Whole foods, like organ meats, provide nutrients as nature intended, complex, balanced, and in forms your body instantly recogniSes. Synthetic vitamins, on the other hand, often isolate compounds, stripping away the cofactors that enhance absorption and function. 

Vitamin A

• Retinol (active vitamin A from liver): Organ meats, especially liver, are the gold standard for bioavailable vitamin A in the form of retinol. Retinol is the active, ready-to-use form of vitamin A, meaning your body can absorb and immediately utilise it. This is crucial for maintaining healthy vision, supporting immunity, and promoting skin health.
• Beta-Carotene from plants: By contrast, plant-based vitamin A sources like carrots and sweet potatoes offer beta-carotene, a precursor that the body must convert into retinol. The efficiency of this conversion is low, with studies suggesting that only about 12-50% of beta-carotene gets converted to usable vitamin A under ideal conditions. Factors like genetics, gut health, and dietary fat significantly affect this rate, making beta-carotene a less reliable source of vitamin A​​.

Vitamin D

• D3 (cholecalciferol) from organ meats: Organ meats like liver and kidney are brimming with vitamin D3, the active form your body craves for calcium absorption, immune support, and hormonal balance. Unlike fortified foods or synthetic pills, D3 from organ meats comes naturally paired with cofactors like vitamin A and K2, enhancing its absorption and impact. With D3 from liver, you’re not just getting a nutrient, you’re getting a tool for building bone density, reducing inflammation, and supporting your immune system​​.
• D2 (ergocalciferol) in synthetic supplements: Synthetic D2 is often added to foods or supplements as a lower-cost alternative, but it’s less effective. Requiring conversion in the liver and having a shorter half-life in the body, D2 pales in comparison to the bioavailability and efficacy of D3 from whole food sources

Vitamin K

• K2 (menaquinone) from organ meats: Liver and heart are rich in K2, specifically the MK-4 form, which is the body’s most effective version for directing calcium into bones and away from arteries. This nutrient doesn’t just prevent calcification, it actively promotes cardiovascular health and strengthens skeletal integrity. Organ meats deliver K2 naturally paired with vitamins A and D, creating a trifecta of bone and heart support​​.
• K1 (phylloquinone) in plants or synthetic sources: K1, found in leafy greens and synthetic supplements, has a limited ability to convert to K2, leaving its benefits restricted mainly to clotting functions. Without the synergistic relationship with D3 and A, it falls short in providing comprehensive support for bone and cardiovascular health​.

Vitamin B12

• Methylcobalamin from organ meats: Organ meats, particularly liver, are nature’s richest source of vitamin B12 in its most active form, methylcobalamin. This form doesn’t need conversion, it’s ready to fuel red blood cell production, DNA synthesis, and brain health the moment you consume it. With nearly 100% bioavailability, B12 from liver energises and restores the body like no synthetic can​​.
• Cyanocobalamin in synthetic supplements: Synthetic B12, commonly found in supplements, requires liver conversion to become active, making it far less efficient, especially in those with impaired liver function. It’s a processed shadow of the vibrant, bioavailable B12 found in organ meats​.

The synergy of whole foods

Synthetic supplements operate in isolation. A pill may deliver vitamin A or iron, but where are the co-factors, the zinc that activates vitamin A or the copper that balances iron absorption? Nature builds nutrients into a matrix, layering them with enzymes, proteins, and minerals that enhance their bioavailability. Organ meats, in their unprocessed form, embody this synergy, offering nutrients in ratios that your body instantly recognises and efficiently uses.

Additional dangers of synthetic supplements

The very capsules or tablets that house synthetic supplements often introduce unwanted chemicals into your body. Many capsules are made from gelatin derived from low-quality, industrial sources or cellulose fillers, both of which can carry contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, or preservatives used during manufacturing. In worse cases, some capsules are coated with synthetic dyes or shellac-like substances to create their glossy appearance, additives that can irritate the gut lining or disrupt hormonal balance over time.

Even vegetarian capsules, often marketed as "cleaner" alternatives, rely on hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), a processed polymer that is far removed from anything your body recogniSes as food.

What you don't need, but get anyway

Synthetic supplements frequently include fillers and binders to stabilise, bulk up, or preserve their contents, but these ingredients often do more harm than good:

• Magnesium stearate: Used as a lubricant in capsule manufacturing, this additive can impair nutrient absorption and irritate the digestive system.
• Silicon dioxide: Added as an anti-caking agent, it has no nutritional benefit and can accumulate in tissues over time.
• Artificial colours and flavours: Common in chewable tablets or coated capsules, these additives are designed for visual appeal but can contribute to inflammation and allergic reactions.
• Sweeteners like sorbitol or aspartame: Found in gummies and chewables, they are linked to digestive discomfort and metabolic disruption.

Every cell, every tissue, every function in your body is shaped and sustained by the nutrients you provide it. 

Organ meats offer a uniquely complete source of nourishment, delivering bioavailable, balanced nutrients alongside the natural co-factors that enhance their effectiveness. Free from fillers and artificial additives, they represent a way of eating that aligns with how our bodies are designed to absorb and utilise nutrition. Incorporating organ meats into your diet is a way to support your body with the most natural, effective nourishment it can receive.