I took some time last week to go to my local health store and the two pharmacies to check what kind of supplements loiter on their shelves. Then I visited all the supermarkets. I have to say that I was left a little perplexed by the non quality of most supplements I've found. Most vitamin products (particularly those sold in health food stores & supermarkets) contain synthetic vitamin powders, also known as junk vitamins.
Digging a little further and checking what's available online it is worth noting at least 90% of all vitamins sold in the U.S. are synthetic. There are only a few manufacturers of vitamin powders, and they are almost always large pharmaceutical companies. Many of today's vitamin and mineral supplements are made synthetically through chemical processes, rather than derived directly from plants or other materials. Some manufacturers do make supplements directly from natural sources, and claim that these vitamins are superior in quality to their synthetic cousins.
Americans are now spending more than $20 billion a year on supplements for health and wellness.