Do you get confused about what vitamins to take? Do you wander down the vitamin aisle and get overwhelmed? Hear conflicting and confusing information from friends, relatives or the media? You are not alone.
Some people have experimented with a do-it-yourself (DIY) method of vitamins, mixing and matching pills and then jumping from product to product, unsure if what they are taking is actually helpful. Others are put off by excessive pill loads and sometimes unpleasant side effects from vitamins (after tastes, “fish burps”, stomach aches and more.
As doctors we hear these stories often. Patients come in asking “Do I need to take vitamins? What vitamins should I take?” It turns out that most of us in fact can benefit from taking the right vitamins. However the answer to which vitamins to take is not the same for everyone. Just as we are not all the same in our overall health needs, (one person needs a certain treatment, another needs a certain test), we do not all need the same vitamins. We each have a different diet, lifestyle and unique health concerns. Why would or should we all take the same vitamins?
Taking a personalized vitamin is the best way to get the exact vitamins you need given who you are, what you eat, your habits and what your body is telling you about its needs. For example, if you are a vegetarian or don’t eat a lot of red meat you may need iron and certain B vitamins while if you are an athlete with extreme workouts you may need magnesium to help replenish electrolytes. Many or most Americans are deficient in Vitamin D to varying degrees which can have wide ranging effects such as impairing immune health, causing migraines, thinning hair and more. However, it can be challenging to know how much vitamin D to take.
This is where a personalized vitamin regimen is essential. Taking an online vitamin quiz about your diet, lifestyle and health issues is a great way to get a the right nutrients. A doctor created personalized vitamin is a great way to know that the experts are weighing in on your unique needs.
Targeted formulas with curated nutrients and calibrated dosing are the best way to be sure you are getting safe and useful vitamins to meet your needs. When taking vitamins it is also important that formulations are properly balanced for the best absorption and tolerability. A doctor created personalized vitamin regimen can help ensure your vitamin needs are met.
Taking the wrong vitamins or excess doses of even the proper vitamins can be unsafe and harmful to your health. For this reason it is essential to take both high quality vitamins (look for USP or GMP certification). It is also essential to get the proper vitamins for your individual needs. A physician created personalized vitamin regimen is a medically sound way to do this. It will make those frustrating trips to the vitamin aisle a thing of the past.
Arielle Levitan M.D.
Co-founder Vous Vitamin LLC
Author of The Vitamin Solution:Two Doctors Clear the Confusion About Vitamins and Your Health