The most glaring fallacy in your argument is:
"They don't have to spend money on getting them approved or doing trials to prove the safety - it's pure profit."
One small detail you omit - if they don't get vitamins, minerals, or any other natural compound or supplement approved or go through the hugely expensive yet laughable FDA safety approval process, they cannot make any medical claims beyond mamby-pamby things like "supports immune function" or some other tripe because they have made sure that no such claims can be made which might threaten the huge profits of their precious synthetic abominations.
Neither can they bombard us with an onslaught of brainwashing ads like they prefer and say "Ask your doctor."
Can't you just imagine Big Pharma companies coming out with ads that say "Ask your natural health practitioner" or "Ask your local vitamin and supplements store"?
BTW - Nice fillet work over at the Alkaline debate.