Synthetic versus natural ingredients: more than meets the eye

19 May 2022 --- As consumers increasingly seek out natural alternatives for their supplementary needs, industry is observing a knowledge gap surrounding synthetically produced vitamins and minerals. Companies are increasingly turning to formulations in a bid to tap into growing holistic and wellness trends, utilizing ingredient synergies.

NutritionInsight speaks to a roundtable of experts from Gnosis by Lesaffre, Univar Solutions, Dr. Paul Lohmann and PharmaLinea, who delve into the changes across the space and how companies are adapting to the developments.

“The natural products industry strives to provide formulas that deliver nutrients as close as possible to what is found in nature, and that begins with raw materials,” says Xavier Berger, global market manager at Gnosis by Lesaffre.

Interest within the space is driven by health-conscious consumers who want to ensure the uptake of the necessary nutrients, which includes athletes seeking to support their active lifestyle. 

“Regionally, we note that consumers from countries in Latin America and in the Middle East have a growing interest in the quality of nutritional supplements – they appreciate products with good bioavailable minerals,” outlines Klaus Brockhausen, sales director, business unit food, Dr. Paul Lohmann.Synthetic ingredients have long dominated the market due to cost benefits. 

Natural vs. synthetic
With clean label demands on the rise, there is also greater interest for naturally sourced ingredients, as opposed to synthetic. The former is readily found in nature, mostly available in complex forms. Naturally sourced ingredients can be sourced either from a plant or an animal, or mineral, explains Silvi Siddhu, global scientific and technical manager for nutraceuticals at Univar Solutions.

“Synthetic is when it is industrially produced through various methods, from a wide range of ingredients to mimic the structure and function of the natural form. Synthetic alternatives have long been used to treat deficiencies and they work. It is easy to make synthetic alternatives more potent, and they are usually more economical.” 

Maja Orešnik, science and research director at PharmaLinea echoes similar observations. “In most vitamins, it used to be completely acceptable that synthetic sources are used.” 

Nonetheless, consumers are increasingly seeking out natural items without a clear understanding of what the difference is, she adds. 

“For example, with certain vitamins, where there is a purified product, and the chemical structure is the same, there is no concrete difference between synthetic and natural sources. In the case of vitamin K2, where the end product is menaquinone 7 with minimal levels of impurities no matter the source it came from, the ‘natural’ label is more or less grounds for a marketing angle.” 

Focus on ingredient purity
According to Berger, purity is an important factor when meeting market demand for synthetics. “It is not just about delivering the ‘active,’ but ensuring the quality and purity of the synthetic material,” he explains. 

“While some K2 suppliers talk about the beginning stages of the synthetic process and the sourcing, that is not the full story. The essential step that synthetic material must undergo is the purification process, providing an exceedingly pure quality product.”

The isomeric purity of vitamin K2 as MK7 determines its bioactivity, he adds. The all-trans isomers are the active form of vitamin K2 as MK7 as found in nature. K2 as MK-7 contaminants are known as cis isomers and their bioactivity is less understood.

 “It is difficult to mimic the molecule as it is found in nature when it is produced from chemical synthesis. Further, the synthetic process is the result of a succession of chemical reactions, which can produce other impurities.”

Production process is key
Similarly, Brockhausen explains that most minerals do not exist with food-grade purity in nature. Certain impurities and also pure palatability must be often considered.

“The good thing is that we have the chance of purification of the material within the production process. This includes the elimination of impurities like heavy metals, residues from mining, foreign matter and others.”

For each element, individual impurities are characteristic, he adds. Magnesium is typically accompanied by nickel, whereas zinc occurs with lead and cadmium. Furthermore, iron salts are often accompanied by various heavy metals, and a purification step is crucial.

“Apart from the elimination of impurities, we are able to create a clearly defined structure for the final (organic or inorganic) salt. This can only be ensured by using sophisticated manufacturing processes. The result is a highly pure and fully reacted mineral salt – clean, bioavailable, functional.”

As ingredient formulations become more complex, protective technologies are required to make the process much smoother, ensuring a stable menaquinone ingredient, Berger underscores. To this end, Gnosis by Lesaffre introduced its Matrix technology to make it easier to create more complex formulations utilizing vitamin K2, and to open new formulation opportunities.

Iron deficiency is a worldwide phenomenon the industry is tapping into. 

Growing popularity
Vitamins and minerals continue to dominate the nutraceuticals industry in terms of revenue either as single or multiple vitamins and minerals, Siddhu underscores.

Some ingredients such as vitamin C, D, calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium continue to be widely used because of their key benefits and synergy with other ingredients, such as adding vitamin C as a collagen booster to collagen products, she adds. 

“Vitamin D, which consumers primarily connect with healthy bones is gaining popularity as an immune health supporting ingredient. We have been observing a rise in consumer education on Vitamin K2 and chelated minerals.” 

Orešnik adds magnesium is an “omnipresent” ingredient, as are vitamin D3 and K2, due to their wide array of applications. 

Ironing out opportunity
With iron deficiency being one of the most common nutritional deficiencies across the world, industry is also eyeing the offerings iron can provide. 

“One opportunity and major space for progress is iron. The market traction is following – iron supplements are some of the fastest growing market segments in very different markets, and are following in the footsteps of the Italian iron market – the most developed in the world,” highlights Matevž Ambrožič, marketing and PR director at PharmLinea.

“The largest pharmaceutical and supplement players are picking up on the opportunity, and the battle for dominant market shares among advanced iron supplements with added-value iron sources (liposomal, microencapsulated, chelated) is underway in markets from Southeast Asia to Latin America.”

In most cases, the segment is still relatively small and unsaturated, he explains. 

Innovation furthering future
Looking ahead, Orešnik believes the expectation is that innovation will lead to more ingredients stemming from (environmentally) sustainable sources such as upcycled waste materials. Currently, the commodity market is saturated and adding value through modifications of raw materials is “practically a must,” she explains. 

“While encapsulation was previously more prevalent in minerals, it is now also highly popular in vitamins. Ingredient suppliers are saying that they are developing liposomal vitamins due to the consumer demand.”

“Many liposomal ingredients are appearing, and ingredient manufacturers are focusing their promotion on differentiating truly liposomal ingredients from those with merely an added lipid component.” 

The COVID-19 pandemic has played a pivotal role in the way consumers think about their overall health and wellness, adds Siddhu. She observes a shift from “lifespan” to “healthspan” creating a demand for ingredients targeting holistic health, with a fundamental role for vitamins and minerals. 

“Healthy aging, immunity, anti-inflammation, anti-stress, sustained energy, mental well-being and cognitive well-being continue to be some sought-after health benefits,” Siddhu underscores. 

By Andria Kades