A: All of our Organic Vitamins are acceptable for most vegetarians. In Vita•Min•Herb and Multi•Vita•Min, the vitamin D is derived from lanolin (a naturally occurring oil in sheep’s wool). The sheep are simply brushed (just like brushing your dogs or cats at home) and the lanolin is collected. The sheep are in no way harmed during this process. The lanolin is then saturated with a special UV light (the same as natural sunlight) and is transformed by our certified organic process into vitamin D3--pure and natural. There are no other animal ingredients found in any of our Organic Vitamin products.

A: Either way is perfectly fine. Because our Organic Vitamins are in a food matrix form compatible with your natural digestive processes, they can be taken with food or away from food. Even folks with very sensitive stomachs who normally react to vitamins seem to have no problem taking our products—even on an empty stomach.

A: We have taken great measures to protect the vitality of the precious nutrients found inside your bottle of Organic Vitamins. Packed in brown amber glass to protect from sunlight, vacuum-packed to remove oxygen, and sealed with a dessicant packet inside to remove moisture, the ingredients in your product arrive on your doorstep in their freshest form possible. Once opened, please keep your bottle in a cool, dry place, preferably at a constant temperature. It does not need to be refrigerated.

A: All of our Organic Vitamins are made without any of the following: excipients, fillers, binders, lubricants, stearates, artificial flavorings or sweeteners, artificial colorings, pesticides, herbicides, or any other chemicals. In addition, our products are free of gluten, dairy, and genetically modified ingredients.

A: Most likely yes. Unfermented soybean products contain what are called anti-nutrients—compounds that essentially block the function of certain enzymes and inhibit the absorption of minerals. For many people, this creates digestive distress and soy “sensitivity.” However, the fermentation process effectively breaks down the very high levels of phytic acid and other anti-nutrients in soy thereby permitting ease of nutrient absorption during the digestive process. This results in a nutrient dense form of soy that is a wonderful addition to the diet. On the other hand, if you have a true full-blown soy allergy and a known reaction to even small amounts of fermented soy (miso, tempeh, natto), then our Organic Vitamins should be avoided.

A: No, they are naturally free of both gluten and dairy.

A: We at The Synergy Company cannot comment specifically on your individual situation in regards to combining prescription medicines with herbal or nutritional supplements. We suggest you always discuss this topic with your prescribing physician, pharmacist, or a practitioner skilled in nutritional or herbal medicine.

Herb-drug interactions have been identified on a handful of herbs and are usually dependent on the quantities taken. In general, however, herbal medicine has experienced a long history of safe use. The herbs in Organic Vita•Min•Herb were selected for their long-standing safety profiles and ability to tonify the body without harm with extended use. However, you should always consult with a qualified health care practitioner to discuss potential interactions specific to you.

A: Yes! The certified organic nutritional yeast used in our Organic Vitamins has been used for thousands of years as a food for humans. It is not the pathological yeast associated with the condition known as candida or candidiasis. These yeasts do not feed each other, nor can they reproduce with one another.

A: If you have been instructed to avoid all sources of iodine (including from natural sources) due to your overactive thyroid, then you should avoid Organic Vita•Min•Herb and Organic Multi•Vita•Min which contain whole food iodine. In some cases, iodine may simply need to be minimized and the amount in our formulas may not be a problem at all. Please consult with a qualified health care practitioner for further information specific to your situation.

A: Yes! Some people with hypothyroidism—or sluggish thyroid function—have been instructed to avoid soy products due to their “goitrogenic” or thyroid-blocking activity. Our Organic Vitamins contain a very small amount of fermented soy—the healthiest form for your body--used in the growing of our vitamins and minerals. What’s more, a recent scientific review examining the relationship of soy and thyroid problems concluded that, as long as you have sufficient iodine (contained in our multis!), soy is not a problem. If you have any additional concerns, we recommend that you speak with a qualified healthcare practitioner.

A: Yes, not to worry. Organic Vita•Min•Herb only contains 50 mg of licorice root herb in the recommended 6 tablet serving size. Herb interaction research reveals that it takes long-term use of around 100 mg of one very specific component of licorice root herb (called glycyrrhizin) to potentially cause problems with blood pressure. Licorice preparations generally yield approximately 5% of this particular compound. So in our 50 mg of licorice root, there is only approximately 2.5 mg of glycyrrhizin—an extremely minimal amount and well within the “safe zone.” There are no other known reasons why any of our Organic Vitamins products would pose a problem for you.

If you have any additional concerns, we recommend that you speak with a qualified healthcare practitioner.

A: Vitamin K plays a role in your body’s ability to coagulate—or clot--your blood (among other functions!). Vitamin K found in supplements and foods can potentially alter the effects of blood thinning medications if quantities vary drastically from day to day. However, your body needs vitamin K for many vital health processes. Many practitioners recommend keeping your intake of vitamin K consistent from day to day, not necessarily avoiding all supplements and vegetables rich in this very powerful nutrient. The vitamin K in our multivitamin products is present in whole food form as K1 and K2 and in a conservative quantity—no mega-dosing here!

Certain herbs have also been identified to interact with blood thinners. However, the majority of these herbs represents a low risk situation and can be utilized with proper monitoring of your medication. Like with all other questions regarding prescription medications, please consult with a qualified health care practitioner experienced in herbal medicine.

A: Absolutely! Many folks think that because both Vita•Min•Herb and Pure Synergy contain herbs, there is no need to take both. In actuality, there is ZERO overlap between the ingredients in these two products. Pure Synergy and Vita•Min•Herb were designed to be complementary products, used together to meet your foundational health needs.

Vita•Min•Herb provides ideal amounts of organically grown vitamins and minerals along with an array of organic herbal extracts to optimize your hormones, energy, heart, mind, digestion and immune system. On the other hand, Pure Synergy is a superfood, with a vast array of aquatic greens, sprouts, fruits, mushrooms, and Western and Asian herbs that provide deep cellular nourishment for your entire body on a more generalized level.

Look at your plate the next time you eat a meal. If balanced, there is a protein, carbohydrate and fat, right? Even though all of these provide your body with nourishment, each of them has a different, necessary function in your body. Similarly, Pure Synergy and Vita•Min•Herb are a team. Together they contribute an amazing spectrum of organic, whole food vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and other life-sustaining nutrients to your body.

A: Organic Vita•Min•Herb is our ultimate multivitamin with comprehensive quantities of our organically grown vitamins and minerals and a rich assortment of Synergized® herbal extracts to support your most vital organs and systems. Six tablets daily of Vita•Min•Herb is designed to build your optimal wellness foundation. Even three tablets daily of this powerful formula will have a valuable impact on your health—and is a far superior product to what’s being sold on the market today. However, for people who have a sensitivity to any of the herbs or simply prefer a more basic multivitamin and mineral formula, our two-a-day Organic Multi•Vita•Min can’t be beat (with 200% of the RDA for vitamins, and 100% for minerals—all in organic, whole food form).

A: Yes. The herbs found in Organic Vita•Min•Herb are what we call “tonic” or “adaptogenic.” This is a special category of herbs that help support and balance your various organ systems, without being stimulants. Unlike other herbs that are used therapeutically for specific symptoms, tonic herbs are highly nutritive and nourishing. Thus, they are most effective when used in moderate quantities, daily, over long periods of time. What makes this category of herbs unique is that they help the body to adjust to the effects of stress. Stress is associated with a myriad of undesirable health effects, and tonic herbs help the body to adapt in a more positive way and maintain its equilibrium.

A: In designing Vita•Min•Herb for Women, we intentionally selected herbs and concentrations that would gently support a woman’s body safely, but effectively—even during pregnancy and breastfeeding. That being said, we should acknowledge that there is a lot of controversy around the use of herbs in pregnancy—even herbal experts and medical references can’t reach a consensus! The bottom line is that there is very short list of herbs that are definitely unsafe and these are rarely used in any sort of product on the market today (and definitely not found in any of our products!). The remainder of herbs falls into various classes ranging from “definitely safe” to “probably safe in moderate concentration”, etc. Although not every single plant has been tested in pregnancy, the majority of herbs, especially “tonic” herbs in low daily concentrations like those in Vita•Min•Herb, pose no known threat to pregnant or breastfeeding women. If you have any questions, we suggest you consult with a qualified expert in herbal medicine.

Please note that Organic Vita•Min•Herb is not a prenatal vitamin. It does, however, contain the recommended concentration of folic acid for pregnancy (800mcg).

A: Vita•Min•Herb for Women intentionally excludes iron. Excessive iron can cause “oxidation” in your body, producing unwanted free radicals and causing cellular damage. While iron is an essential nutrient for hemoglobin production within our red blood cells, one is not advised to supplement with it unless guided by a healthcare practitioner or in a known deficiency state. There are certain ages and conditions (pregnancy) where your body may need extra iron in supplement form. Please speak with your health care practitioner.

A: Calcium and magnesium are considered macrominerals (versus trace minerals), meaning your body requires them in quantities over 100 mg per day. The adult daily requirement from both diet and supplements is much higher for these two nutrients--closer to 1000 mg for calcium and 500 mg for magnesium. This is a large quantity in the world of vitamins and minerals! For minerals such as this to be optimally absorbed and utilized by the body, they must be in proper proportion to all of your other essential nutrients, particularly those in the mineral family. If these ratios are destabilized by a large, disproportionate amount of just one mineral (like calcium), the absorption of all minerals is adversely affected. So while a larger quantity of calcium and magnesium in Vita•Min•Herb might seem desirable, this would imbalance the ratios and have the potential to unfavorably affect the utilization of other minerals in the formula.

For this reason, most nutritionists and healthcare practitioners recommend that if you need extra calcium, you should take a separate supplement that contains calcium, magnesium plus all the other very important bone-building nutrients often missing from multivitamins. That is why we created Bone Renewal, our 3-part, plant-based bone support formula containing vitamins and minerals (including ample amounts of calcium and magnesium), co-factors, and an exclusive class of rare botanical Synergizers. This formula was designed to work hand in hand with Vita•Min•Herb for men and women of all ages.

A: Vita•Min•Herb for Women was specifically formulated for adult women. Our general recommendation is to start Vita•Min•Herb once puberty is fully achieved (usually in upper teens) and to start with just 1-2 tablets daily. All of the botanical extracts in the product are included in small, safe, tonic amounts that are appropriate for everyday use. However, these extracts are designed to nutritionally support physiological systems that have reached maturity. We recommend using our Organic Multi Vita•Min instead as a basic multi for adolescents who are able to swallow tablets.

A: Absolutely! Many folks think that because both Vita•Min•Herb and Pure Synergy contain whole food nutrients and herbs, there is no need to take both. In actuality, there is ZERO overlap between the ingredients in these two products. Pure Synergy and Vita•Min•Herb were designed to be complementary products, used together to meet your foundational health needs.

Vita•Min•Herb provides ideal amounts of organically grown vitamins and minerals along with an array of organic herbal extracts to optimize your energy, heart, mind, digestion and immune system. On the other hand, Pure Synergy is a superfood, with a vast array of aquatic greens, sprouts, fruits, mushrooms, and Western and Asian herbs that provide deep cellular nourishment for your entire body on a more generalized level.

Look at your plate the next time you eat a meal. If balanced, there is a protein, carbohydrate and fat, right? Even though all of these provide your body with nourishment, each of them has a different, necessary function in your body. Similarly, Pure Synergy and Vita•Min•Herb are a team. Together they contribute an amazing spectrum of organic, whole food vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and other life-sustaining nutrients to your body.

A: Organic Vita•Min•Herb is our ultimate multivitamin with comprehensive quantities of our organically grown vitamins and minerals and a rich assortment of Synergized® herbal extracts to support your most vital organs and systems. Six tablets daily of Vita•Min•Herb is designed to build your optimal wellness foundation. Even three tablets daily of this powerful formula will have a valuable impact on your health—and is a far superior product to what’s being sold on the market today. However, for people who have a sensitivity to any of the herbs or simply prefer a more basic multivitamin and mineral formula, our two-a-day Organic Multi•Vita•Min can’t be beat (with 200% of the RDA for vitamins, and 100% for minerals—all in organic, whole food form).

A: Yes. The herbs found in Organic Vita•Min•Herb are what we call “tonic” or “adaptogenic.” This is a special category of herbs that help support and balance your various organ systems, without being stimulants. Unlike other herbs that are used therapeutically for specific symptoms, tonic herbs are highly nutritive and nourishing. Thus, they are most effective when used in moderate quantities, daily, over long periods of time. What makes this category of herbs unique is that they help the body to adjust to the effects of stress. Stress is associated with a myriad of undesirable health effects, and tonic herbs help the body to adapt in a more positive way and maintain its equilibrium.

A: This is a valid question! When some people hear the word “herb” they think of the oregano and basil that season their tomato sauce or the cinnamon they sprinkle on their toast every morning. Herbs in the culinary sense make for some tasty meals. But herbs can also be used medicinally to exert very powerful effects on your body. Herbal medicine actually has a very long tradition of use—long before recorded history. Now, science is validating many of the very real, health-supportive properties of plants and a large segment of the population is turning to herbal medicines to support their health. In fact, most people don’t realize that some prescription medications actually originate from very particular plant components. For example, the heart medication “Digoxin” is derived from an extremely potent constituent found in the Foxglove plant (it’s latin name is Digitalis). Although the herbs found in Vita•Min•Herb are not considered therapeutic (meaning we can’t claim they can “treat” your specific ailments), they do have very supportive, long-term benefits for keeping all of your important systems in balance. You might be interested in reading the previous question about how “tonic” herbs work over time to positively impact your health and well-being.

A: Vita•Min•Herb for Men intentionally excludes iron. Excessive iron can cause “oxidation” in your body, producing unwanted free radicals and causing cellular damage. While iron is an essential nutrient for hemoglobin production within our red blood cells, one is not advised to supplement with it unless guided by a healthcare practitioner or in a known deficiency state. Men in particular rarely need to supplement with additional iron supplements. Please speak with your health care practitioner if you are concerned that you might need an iron supplement.

A: Calcium and magnesium are considered macrominerals (versus trace minerals), meaning your body requires them in quantities over 100 mg per day. The adult daily requirement from both diet and supplements is much higher for these two nutrients--closer to 1000 mg for calcium and 500 mg for magnesium. This is a large quantity in the world of vitamins and minerals! For minerals such as this to be optimally absorbed and utilized by the body, they must be in proper proportion to all of your other essential nutrients, particularly those in the mineral family. If these ratios are destabilized by a large, disproportionate amount of just one mineral (like calcium), the absorption of all minerals is adversely affected. So while a larger quantity of calcium and magnesium in Vita•Min•Herb might seem desirable, this would imbalance the ratios and have the potential to unfavorably affect the utilization of other minerals in the formula.

For this reason, most nutritionists and healthcare practitioners recommend that if you need extra calcium, you should take a separate supplement that contains calcium, magnesium plus all the other very important bone-building nutrients often missing from multivitamins. That is why we created Bone Renewal, our 3-part, plant-based bone support formula containing vitamins and minerals (including ample amounts of calcium and magnesium), co-factors, and an exclusive class of rare botanical Synergizers. This formula was designed to work hand in hand with Vita•Min•Herb for men and women of all ages.

A: Vita•Min•Herb for Men was specifically formulated for adult men. Our general recommendation is to start Vita•Min•Herb once puberty is fully achieved (usually in upper teens) and to start with just 1-2 tablets daily. All of the botanical extracts in the product are included in small, safe, tonic amounts that are appropriate for everyday use. However, these extracts are designed to nutritionally support physiological systems that have reached maturity. We recommend using our Organic Multi Vita•Min instead as a basic multi for adolescents who are able to swallow tablets.

A: Absolutely! B vitamins are essential for combatting the stress present in our day to day lives. We consider taking a separate B vitamin in addition to your multivitamin as extra protection. On a daily basis, it pairs perfectly with our Organic Multi•Vita•Min to provide you with a very generous supply of all eight B vitamins and three co-factors. If you are taking six tablets of Organic Vita•Min•Herb, you are already getting a substantial serving of B vitamins, but please feel free to take an extra B tablet whenever you feel you might need it.

A: There is a reason we call our B vitamins “Nature’s Stress Relievers and Revitalizers.” B vitamins are essential for countless everyday functions in your body: changing your food to energy, producing red blood cells, assisting in the production of our natural mood enhancers (like serotonin), and much more. Of course, everyone has different needs, but the majority of people who experience stress in their lives (which most of us do!) have bodies that are gobbling up B vitamins faster than they can be replenished. Many common foods contain B vitamins, so it is rare to become truly deficient. But do you want to have barely “sufficient” quantities of these vital nutrients, or optimal amounts so your body can be at its best?

So the short answer is: everyone can safely benefit from extra B vitamins. (They are water-soluble—so if your body doesn’t need the amount you provide, the excess will simply be excreted it in your urine. Better to have too much than too little.) Situations that may require greater quantities of B vitamins include: pregnancy and breastfeeding, excessive alcohol intake, smoking, strenuous exercise, chronic high stress, digestive disorders (that prevent you from absorbing nutrients properly), dietary restrictions (like veganism), and use of certain medications. Please consult with a qualified health care practitioner if you are concerned about a possible B vitamin deficiency.

A: Generally, we recommend taking your B-Complex tablet first thing in the morning. This way the essential B vitamins can be in your system throughout the entire day to support you in better handling all the things life throws your way!

A: Sure, it is safe. But you probably won’t need to! The vitamins and co-factors are present in ample amounts in just one tablet. If you are experiencing significant stress, feel free to try more than one tablet daily.

A: Yes. Although it is designed as a two-a-day formula, one tablet daily provides 100% of your daily requirement for 13 essential vitamins and 50% for 8 key minerals. One is always better than none!

A: Yes. This formula contains safe amounts of vitamins and minerals in an easily digested whole food form. Please keep in mind, however, that this is not a prenatal vitamin (although the two-a-day serving size does provide 800 mcg of folic acid).

A: Organic Multi•Vita•Min intentionally excludes iron. Excessive iron can cause “oxidation” in your body, producing unwanted free radicals and causing cellular damage. While iron is an essential nutrient for hemoglobin production within our red blood cells, one is not advised to supplement with it unless guided by a healthcare practitioner or in a known deficiency state. There are certain ages and conditions (pregnancy) where your body may need extra iron in supplement form. Please speak with your health care practitioner.

A: Calcium and magnesium are considered macrominerals (versus trace minerals), meaning your body requires them in quantities over 100 mg per day. The adult daily requirement from both diet and supplements is much higher for these two nutrients--closer to 1000 mg for calcium and 500 mg for magnesium. This is a large quantity in the world of vitamins and minerals! For minerals such as this to be optimally absorbed and utilized by the body, they must be in proper proportion to all of your other essential nutrients, particularly those in the mineral family. If these ratios are destabilized by a large, disproportionate amount of just one mineral (like calcium), the absorption of all minerals is adversely affected. So while adding calcium and magnesium to Multi•Vita•Min might seem desirable, this would imbalance the ratios and have the potential to unfavorably affect the utilization of other minerals in the formula. Not only that, but there would be no way to fit that much calcium and magnesium into the tablet and keep it a simple two-a-day formula!

Most nutritionists and healthcare practitioners recommend that if you need extra calcium, you should take a separate supplement that contains calcium, magnesium plus all the other very important bone-building nutrients often missing from multivitamins. That is why we created Bone Renewal, our 3-part, plant-based bone support formula containing vitamins and minerals (including ample amounts of calcium and magnesium), co-factors, and an exclusive class of rare botanical Synergizers. This formula was designed to work hand in hand with Multi•Vita•Min or Vita•Min•Herb for men and women of all ages.

A: Yes, once they are able to swallow the tablets. We recommend starting with 1 tablet daily and increasing to 2 tablets once they reach their upper teens.