Kibble is intensely heated at least four times during the manufacturing process. Vitamins are destroyed, and minerals are altered during the heating process. Manufacturers must add synthetic compounds to the food to meet the nutritional requirements of the National Research Council (NRC). However, there is concern that the synthetic compounds are not comparable to natural compounds, nor are they bioavailable for your dog’s body.

Why are Synthetic Vitamins and Minerals Needed?

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines state that manufacturers add "pre-measured" vitamin and mineral mix to their dog food to ensure the diet is safe and balanced. Sounds reasonable, right? Not when you examine what is in these blends of vitamins and minerals and why they are required.

During the extrusion process, the most commonly used method for kibble production, nutritional characteristics of vitamins and minerals are altered. Vitamins from the B-group, A, and E are destroyed or significantly decreased during extrusion. Pet food manufacturers must add synthetic vitamins to account for the nutrients lost during the extrusion process.

Although minerals are not entirely destroyed during extrusion, they may be combined with other co-nutrients or non-nutrient components and become unavailable for digestion. Supplementation is used to counter this loss of availability of nutrients because of the poor quality of the food components, especially protein sources, used in kibble. Studies have concluded that the mineral changes and losses are minimized during processing if high-quality raw materials are used.

Minerals are naturally found in soil, water, and plants. However, current farming practices are depleting the minerals from the soil; thus, the plants and the animals that eat the plants do not contain the expected level of minerals. For the highest-quality protein, animals must be raised organically and be grass-fed from pastures that have been appropriately maintained.

Concerns about Synthetic Vitamins and Minerals 

Structurally, synthetic vitamins and minerals are identical to their counterparts, but they are mirror images of each other. The orientation of the molecule matters to your dog’s system. The synthetic compound mirrors the natural compound, so it won’t easily “fit” into the body’s metabolic process. 

The laboratory's production process of synthetic nutrients differs significantly from how plants and animals create them. So, despite having a similar structure, your dog’s body may react differently to synthetic nutrients. 

Bioavailability is the amount of a food component, vitamin or mineral, in this case, available for the body to utilize for normal bodily functions. The bioavailability of a nutrient is subdivided into three phases: the amount available in the intestinal lumen for absorption, the amount absorbed and retained in the body, and the amount utilized by the body.

Natural vitamins are complex compounds that contain enzymes, coenzymes, transporters, and co-factors. Without the full complement of components, synthetic vitamins cannot perform their full range of biological processes.

Synthetic vitamins contain one isolated component of the natural vitamin, lacking the essential synergistic compounds linked to the vitamin in its natural state. Although the synthetic vitaminvitamins can stimulate the metabolism of cells, itthey cannot replace the cell’s components as a natural vitamin would. The result is degraded cells that are no longer functional in your dog’s body.   

Examples of the differences between natural and synthetic vitamins and minerals are:

Natural vitamin C comprises the cofactors rutin, bioflavonoids, Factor K, Factor P, tyrosinase, Ascorbinase, and other components, which all work together. Synthetic vitamin C is ascorbic acid only.

Natural vitamin A is accompanied by lipoproteins that protect the body and prevent vitamin A toxicity. Synthetic vitamin A lacks these vital lipoproteins.

The body limits the natural conversion of vitamin D to D1 from exposure to the sun to prevent vitamin D toxicity. This protective mechanism is absent in the synthetic version, and toxicity can develop with too much vitamin D ingestion.

Natural sources of zinc, such as oysters, also contain copper, selenium, and iodine. If you use a zinc supplement, try to find one containing the extra trace minerals, as they work synergistically.

Although manganese supplements can correct manganese deficiency, you must use them cautiously.  Excessive manganese can hinder the absorption of iron.

Calcium supplements are readily available and easily absorbed but should be used cautiously. The body needs the correct balance between calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D to function correctly.

Scientists still do not understand how well synthetic nutrients are absorbed and if the body fully utilizes them. Although your dog’s body recognizes the compound as a vitamin or mineral, it may not be able to use it as it would a natural compound. The synthetic may only provide a fraction of the biological effect of its natural counterpart. The body has to waste metabolic energy to distinguish the synthetic compounds from real food.

Your dog’s body contains nutrient receptor sites that attract vitamins and minerals as they are ingested. Synthetics saturate the receptors, making them unavailable to natural nutrients. Vitamins need minerals to function correctly. 

Synthetic vitamins require more minerals to function, extracting more trace minerals from the body's reserves, potentially leading to mineral deficiencies.

Long-Term Effects of Consuming Synthetic Compounds

The lasting effects of synthetic vitamins and minerals include changes in brain function and development, negative impacts on the immune system, and changes in bone development. The shifts in bone development can lead to an increased risk for bone fractures. Liver and multiorgan toxicity can be the result of the use of synthetics.

Accelerated aging has been attributed to the long-term use of synthetics, which exacerbates debilitating health problems. Synthetic nutrients shown to cause adverse long-term effects due to significant differences in bioavailability include vitamin D, copper, choline, zinc, and phosphorus. 

Diseases associated with long-term use of synthetics include allergies, cancer, organ failure, fertility issues, congenital disabilities, bone disease, liver disease, kidney disease, muscular-skeletal system problems, gastrointestinal issues, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and a shortened lifespan for your beloved dog.

Toxic Effects of Synthetic Vitamins and Minerals

Studies on the toxic effects of synthetic vitamins and minerals In humans are abundant. Death and cancer rates are higher in individuals who take too many synthetic compounds rather than eating a high-quality diet. When given to pregnant women, synthetic iron results in miscarriages. Few studies have been performed on dogs, but tainted foods have revealed devastating effects.

If food manufacturers used only natural foods to meet the NRC minimum requirements, the companies would have to do extensive and likely expensive testing of the nutritional content of each ingredient. Despite the risk of toxicity when using whole raw foods being substantially lower than when adding artificial supplements, the cost is the determining factor for most companies.  The synthetic compounds are chemically analyzed within the laboratory, so expensive feed trails are unnecessary. The dog food manufacturers only need to run the ingredients through a computerized ingredient analysis to verify that all NRC requirements are met.

The vitamin and mineral premixes are not regulated to the standards that most pet parents would think. Excess levels of the compounds are not uncommon. Excessive vitamin D levels were the cause of three dog food recalls in 2021 and a large recall of Hill’s pet food in 2017. If your dog consumes too much vitamin D, he could suffer from kidney disease or even death. 

Depending on the extrusion heat temperatures, kibble can lose up to 50% of Vitamin A and folic acid (B9). Other vitamin losses are Vitamin C at 80%, Thiamin (B1) at 30%, Riboflavin (B2) and Niacin (B3) at 10%. Although not as affected by heat, vitamins D and E are affected by oxidation. To meet NRC minimal requirements, manufacturers must add synthetic vitamins to the food at the end of the cooking process.

If the ingredient list for the dog food you use contains the words acetate, chloride, gluconate, hydrochloride, nitrate, or succinate, it includes synthetic minerals.  Any words that have “Oxide” and “sulfate” forms of minerals (for example, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or copper sulfate) are also synthetic compounds.

Synthetic Vitamin C-L-ascorbic-2-Polyphosphate

Synthetic Vitamin K-menadione sodium bisulfite complex

The more synthetic compounds your dog ingests, the less energy it will derive from any natural food you provide.  Many people add real food to their dog’s kibble bowl, but so much of that beneficial food is wasted as the body exhausts so much energy dealing with synthetic vitamins and minerals. The bottom line is that you cannot fix a poor diet with vitamin and mineral supplements. Your dog needs real whole food to get the required nutrients to survive and thrive for a long, healthy life!

Synthetic vitamins and minerals must be added to commercial dog food to meet AAFCO requirements.

Your dog’s body cannot utilize synthetic compounds the same way as it does natural compounds. Synthetic vitamins and minerals can block the cell receptors, making them unavailable for natural components when your dog consumes whole foods/

Studies have shown the negative impact of the long-term use of synthetic vitamins and minerals on multiple organ systems, including the brain, immune system, reproductive system, musculoskeletal system, gastrointestinal system, and cardiovascular system.

A Randomized Pilot Trial to Evaluate the Bioavailability of Natural versus Synthetic Vitamin B Complexes in Healthy Humans and Their Effects on Homocysteine, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidant Levels   

Impact of processing on  bioavailability examples of minerals in foods  

<a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/kibble">Kibble</a> is intensely heated at least four times during the manufacturing process. Vitamins are destroyed, and minerals are altered during the heating process. Manufacturers must add synthetic compounds to the food to meet the nutritional requirements of the National Research Council (NRC). However, there is concern that the synthetic compounds are not comparable to natural compounds, nor are they <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/bioavailable">bioavailable</a> for your dog’s body.

Synthetic Vitamins and Minerals in Commercial Dog Foods

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