Dear David: CAVEAT EMPTOR! This means you should not buy a pig in a poke. BEWARE! Everyone's after your money, and charlatans roam freely in every country. It would take a factory with high technology of separation to extract and refine Levodopamine, a simple amino acid, from fibers, carbohydrates, and proteins. Indeed, synthetic and natural should be identical IF AND WHEN THEY ARE PURE, that is totally free of impurities, and 100% purity is very hard to achieve. Do not be swayed by honeyed words especially if the bee has not removed his sting. Michel Margosis 'Carpe Diem'