The American diet is lacking in many essential high quality vitamins and minerals that our body needs to thrive and function optimally. Even for those of use who attempt to “eat clean” and buy non-GMO organic fruits and vegetables, grass fed meat, the quality of these products are not what they could be due to low quality, depleted soil. Several medical conditions, restrictive diets and lifestyle preferences can further affect the absorption of vitamins and minerals including certain bowel disease, gut microbiome imbalance and alcohol consumption. Those on vegetarian and vegan diets are frequently B12 deficient. Vit D, Omega- 3 fatty acids, iodine. Those who are gluten free are prone to deficiencies in iron, B12, thiamin, calcium, Vit D, folate and B6.
How do you know if you are deficient in certain vitamins and minerals? Unfortunately your Primary Care Physician will likely be unable to answer this question for you. The lab testing is not often covered by insurance and many PCPs are not familiar with ordering and interpreting these results. Often, the lab test will reveal a “within range” level for a vitamin- such as B12- but you are still showing clinical symptoms of B12 deficiency.
What are my top 4 recommended supplements for optimal wellness?
Magnesium (Mg) can help improve sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, and aid in blood sugar management. Mg plays a role in over 350 different reactions in the body and an astounding 80% of people in the US are deficient in this vitamin. Stress, poor diet, alcohol consultation can all deplete this vitamin in the body.
B vitamins help support metabolism, lower the risk of melanoma, help skin wounds heal faster, alleviate PMS symptoms, improve mood and boosts cognitive performance.
1 billion people worldwide are Vit D deficient. Vit D with calcium for stronger bones but also helps improve mood, regulates glucose metabolism, and helps keep our immune system healthy. You can get this vitamin naturally from the sun.
Vitamin b12 is vital for optimal performance for every single cell in the human body. It aids in Red blood cell function and production/ prevention of anemia, supports bone health and helps prevent osteoporosis, improves mood and symptoms of depression, benefits the brain by enhancing nerve and neuron function, and helps improve energy.
IV, IM or Oral Supplementation?
Oral supplementation is widely available but is poorly regulated by the FDA in the US. Many manufacturers do not utilize 3rd party testing to ensure their ingredient quality. These supplementals also often include unnecessary and often, unnatural, fillers. Another potential problem with oral supplementation is the fact that many vitamins are not fully absorbed in the GI tract, rendering them useless. Those with GI disease such as malabsorption, small bowel microbiome imbalance, crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, ect., are at high risk for vitamin deficiency due to malabsorption. Intramuscular injection and IV infusion of vitamins delivers the vitamin directly into your muscle or vein where it is immediately available to your body, making it 100% bioavailable. Vitamins delivered this way typically last 7 days. These vitamins are produced by an FDA regulated compounding pharmacy and are dispensed only after all testing is received back from 3rd party analytical labs.
If you decide to supplement your vitamins and minerals make sure you are purchasing third party tested oral supplements from a reliable source or receiving high quality intramuscular injections or IV infusions from an FDA registered compounding pharmacy and administered by licensed medical professionals.