I want to give horse owners a different perspective on whether to feed their horses vitamins. Most discussions on this subject discuss what diseases are prevented by supplementing with which vitamin. I will not repeat this because 1) others have done this, and 2) there needs to be more good science behind their findings. Instead, I will tell you how vitamins work, if supplementation works, and the difference between vitamins from food, food sources, and chemicals like coal tar.

Doing a thought experiment, I asked listeners if giving synthetic vitamins (and amino acids) can cause inflammation. I also ask if processed foods have more benefits to health than whole foods, identifying some unique situations where they may be indicated (soybean meal).

These are the linked articles I mentioned in this podcast:

• Vitamins and Minerals | NCCIH
• Vitamin | Definition, Types, & Facts | Britannica
• Vitamins: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
• Vitamins and Minerals | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Dietary Supplements: Separating Fact from Fiction
• Natural vs. Synthetic Vitamins – Why It Matters | Dr. Berg
• Avoid this List of Synthetic Vitamins for Gut Health
• Synthetic vs Natural Nutrients: Does it Matter?
• 90% of Vitamins are Synthetic – Myersdetox.com
• All About Where Vitamin Supplements Come From – Precision Nutrition
• ‘Synthetic vs natural’: Start-up targets fortification category disruption with organic plant-derived nutrients
• Big Pharma or Family Owned – Who Makes the Vitamins You Take?
• The 10 Largest Vitamin Companies In The United States – Zippia
• Where Do Supplement Ingredients Come From, and Why Does it Matter? | Vitacost Blog

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