The $40 Billion Supplement Scam: What Food Scientists Donโt Want You To Know
A Deep Dive Into The Synthetic Vitamin Industry (And Why Your Daily Pills Are Making You Sicker)
I spent the last month doing something most people are too lazy to do…
Actually researching what’s IN the supplements we take every day.
And what I found should terrify anyone who gives a damn about their health.
See, the supplement industry has convinced us of a simple narrative:
“Modern food is depleted… so you need our pills to stay healthy.”
On the surface? Makes sense.
But here’s what they DON’T tell you…
The “vitamins” and “minerals” in most supplements aren’t even CLOSE to what you’d find in actual food.
They’re synthetic chemicals.
Petroleum derivatives.
Literal industrial waste products.
Rebranded and sold to you at premium prices.
The Great Synthetic Vitamin Deception
Let’s start with some basic biochemistry…
Your body evolved over millions of years to recognize and process nutrients from FOOD sources.
Real vitamins come with cofactors… bioflavonoids… enzymes… and other compounds that help your body actually USE them.
This is called the “vitamin complex.”
But synthetic vitamins?
They’re isolated chemical compounds.
Often the exact OPPOSITE molecular structure of what’s found in nature.
Take “Vitamin C” for example…
What you buy at the store is ascorbic acid.
Which is only ONE component of the actual vitamin C complex.
It’s like getting a single wheel and calling it a car.
Here’s where it gets disturbing…
Most people assume vitamins are extracted from fruits and vegetables.
Wrong.
The economics don’t work.
It’s WAY cheaper to synthesize them in labs using industrial chemicals.
Let me break down what’s ACTUALLY in your daily vitamins:
| Vitamin | Industrial Source | Manufacturing Process |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | Fish liver oil (mercury-contaminated) | Extracted from waste products of fish processing |
| B12 | Cow liver waste + cyanide compounds | Uses cyanide in synthesis process |
| B Complex | Coal tar derivatives + petroleum | Synthesized from ammonia, formaldehyde, sulfuric acid |
| “Vitamin C” (Ascorbic Acid) | GMO corn + acetone | Processed with hydrochloric acid |
| Vitamin D | Irradiated sheep wool or cattle brains | Exposed to UV radiation |
| Vitamin E | Petroleum derivatives | Refined oils + synthetic compounds |
| Vitamin K | Petrochemicals + aluminum | Contains aluminum as preservative |
Now the minerals…
This is where it gets REALLY fucked up.
Your body needs minerals in their organic, plant-processed form.
But that’s expensive to produce.
So instead, they literally grind up rocks and metals.
The “Rock Dust” Problem
Here’s a basic fact from nutritional science:
Inorganic minerals (from rocks/metals) have an absorption rate of less than 1% in humans.
Organic minerals (from plants) have absorption rates of 90-95%.
Yet 99% of supplements use the inorganic forms.
Because they’re dirt cheap. Literally.
| Mineral | Rock/Metal Source | Also Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium Carbonate | Malachite rock/limestone | Paint pigment, plastic filler, insecticide |
| Iron | Melanterite rock/metal shavings | Fertilizer, weed killer, pesticide |
| Magnesium Chloride | Salt deposits | Cement additive, glue ingredient |
| Zinc Oxide | Zincite rock | White paint, concrete additive |
| Copper Sulfate | Mineral ore processing | Industrial drain cleaner |
So when you take an iron supplement…
You’re essentially eating metal filings.
When you take calcium…
You’re eating crushed limestone.
Your body doesn’t know what to do with this shit.
So it either passes through unused…
Or gets stored in your tissues where it can cause problems.
The Biological Transmutation Process
Now here’s how nature ACTUALLY works…
Plants have this incredible ability called “biological transmutation.”
Their root systems absorb inorganic minerals from soil…
And through enzymatic processes, convert them into organic, bioavailable forms.
The plant essentially “pre-digests” the minerals for you.
This is why eating an iron-rich plant like spinach gives you usable iron…
While taking an iron pill gives you expensive urine.
(And potentially liver damage.)
The Research They Don’t Want You To See
The Iowa Women’s Health Study followed 38,772 women for 25 years.
Published in Archives of Internal Medicine.
The findings?
Women taking synthetic vitamin supplements had HIGHER mortality rates than women taking nothing.
Let that sink in.
You’re literally paying to die faster.
Other studies have shown:
โข Synthetic beta-carotene increases lung cancer risk in smokersโข High-dose synthetic Vitamin E increases prostate cancer riskโข Synthetic folic acid may accelerate cancer growthโข Calcium supplements increase heart attack risk
Why The Medical Community Stays Silent
Here’s the dirty truth…
Most doctors get maybe 4 hours of nutrition training in medical school.
They know NOTHING about biochemistry of supplements.
But they see the marketing…
They hear the sales pitches…
And they assume “vitamin = good.”
Meanwhile, naturopaths and “health experts” are even WORSE.
I lurk in their private forums…
And they’re all recommending the SAME synthetic garbage.
From the same Chinese manufacturers.
They just slap “natural” on the label and charge more.
The Filler Scam
Even products marketed as “whole food” supplements are usually bullshit.
They take synthetic vitamins…
Mix them with a tiny amount of real food…
Add a bunch of cheap fillers like:
โข Rice branโข Soy lecithinโข Brown rice powderโข Silica
Then claim it’s “food-based.”
The fillers add weight and bulk…
Making the product seem more valuable…
While watering down the actual nutrients.
The Solution: How Nature Intended
Look, your body DOES need vitamins and minerals.
The soil is depleted.
Modern food processing destroys nutrients.
But the answer isn’t synthetic chemicals.
It’s concentrated REAL FOOD.
After digging through all this research…
I found exactly ONE company doing it right.
Mountain Nutrition.
It’s not a “supplement.”
It’s dehydrated, concentrated plants.
Here’s what’s actually in it:
Chlorophyll Powerhouses:โข Barley grass – Rich in chlorophyll, enzymes, and naturally occurring B vitaminsโข Wheat grass – Contains over 90 minerals in bioavailable form
Protein & Amino Acid Sources:โข Spirulina blue-green algae – 65% protein by weight (3x more than beef)โข Contains all 18 essential amino acids in perfect ratios
Blood Builders & Iron Sources:โข Beetroot – Natural nitrates for circulation, folate, manganeseโข Nettle leaf – Bioavailable iron, silica, potassiumโข Spinach leaf – Iron, calcium, vitamin K in food form
Mineral Powerhouse:โข Dulse seaweed – Contains every mineral needed by humans in perfect ratiosโข Naturally chelated by the plant for maximum absorption
Natural Vitamin C Complex:โข Acerola cherry – 30x more vitamin C than oranges, includes bioflavonoidsโข Rosehip – Natural vitamin C with cofactorsโข Orange/lemon peel – Whole vitamin C complex, not just ascorbic acid
B-Vitamin Source:โข Nutritional yeast – Contains all B vitamins in bioactive formโข 18 amino acids including all essentials
The key difference:
Every ingredient is a WHOLE FOOD.
Your body recognizes it.
Absorbs it completely.
Uses it efficiently.
No synthetic chemicals.
No rock dust.
No petroleum derivatives.
Just concentrated nutrition the way nature intended.
Why This Actually Works
When you consume whole food nutrients…
They come with their natural cofactors intact.
The vitamin C comes with bioflavonoids and enzymes.
The iron comes with vitamin C to enhance absorption.
The B vitamins work synergistically with each other.
This is how your body evolved to process nutrition.
And it’s why whole food concentrates have absorption rates of 90%+…
While synthetic supplements hover around 1%.
The Bottom Line
The supplement industry has built a $40 billion empire…
By convincing you that synthetic chemicals are equivalent to real food.
They’re not.
Most of what you’re taking is either useless…
Or actively harmful.
But your body DOES need concentrated nutrition.
Just not from a lab.
From actual plants.
Dehydrated and concentrated into bioavailable form.
That’s what Mountain Nutrition provides.
Real food. Real nutrition. Real results.
Without the petroleum derivatives and rock dust.
If you want to experience what it feels like to actually NOURISH your body…
Instead of just filling it with expensive chemicals…
Get Mountain Nutrition here before I change my mind about sharing this
Stephen
P.S. – Do yourself a favor. Look up the actual ingredient list of your current supplements. Then Google what those chemicals are used for in industry.
You’ll never look at that pill bottle the same way again.
