This week a patient of ours in Lafayette LA asked…

Q: Do I need a multivitamin?

A: Since your doctors here at Modern Chiropractic do not take a "cookie-cutter" approach to patient care in Lafayette LA, we carefully tailor treatment plans to the specific needs of the patient and sometimes our specific recommendations include the implementation of a good multi-vitamin. Everyone is different and there cannot possibly be one approach to care that applies to everyone for the simple fact you are not only genetically unique, but your life stressors are not the same as those of the person next to you, and your diet for the past five years is uniquely yours.

All these factors determine whether or not you need a multi-vitamin right now and to better understand why we recommend a multi-vitamin, it is important to discuss what vitamins actually do.

Vitamins help to activate all the enzymes that make your cells and organs function optimally. Vitamins and minerals provide antioxidants necessary for not only a healthy immune system, but also to protect your tissues from damage and provide your liver with the nutrients it needs to detox.

You may now be asking, "How do I know if I don't have enough and need a supplement?"

Here are 7 signs you might benefit from a good Multi-Vitamin:

You don't eat many fruits and vegetables.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that "fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health." So if you count corn-on-the-cob and a baked potato as your daily vegetables, you might be missing some key nutrients.

You have been diagnosed with an illness of any kind.
Nearly 65% of our immune system lies within our gut. If your immune system is currently working through an illness of any kind, chances are your gut is depleted of "essential" vitamins. Vitamins classified as "essential" mean that the body needs them but cannot produce them on its own so we have to consume them from other sources. The most popular essential vitamin is Vitamin C.

You are having symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, hair loss, peeling nails, or bumpy skin on the back of your arms, to name just a few.
Inadequate intake of B vitamins and essential fatty acids (like Omega-3 Fish Oil) can lead to any of these symptoms. Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are also named as such because they are essential for body system function but not made by the body so they must be consumed.

You have a sweet tooth.
Vitamin C and glucose (sugar) use the same transporters to get into cells, so they compete with one another. When we consume too much sugar, the intestines reject Vitamin C and instead feed the sugar to the bacteria in your gut (gross!) leading to bacteria overgrowth. This extra bacteria then tends to steal other nutrients and, not to mention, damages intestinal cells which ultimately inhibit absorption of calcium and magnesium.

You've been under a LOT of stress for a looooooooooooong time…
If so, your body needs more B vitamins and minerals than usual, since stress causes you to burn through these nutrients quickly.

You have digestive issues, or find yourself taking an antacid on a daily basis
Malabsorption is term used to describe failure to fully absorb nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract. A whole host of things can cause this! But more importantly that "Tums" or "Prilosec" you are popping can be preventing the very stomach you need not only utilize protein, but absorb B12 and minerals such as zinc and magnesium.

You have a hypo-thyroid (underactive)
Most folks with thyroid and auto-immune conditions have a higher need for vitamins and minerals and in some cases, iodine. With regards to thyroid health, did you know that thyroid hormone is needed to convert beta-carotene to vitamin A? As a result, if someone has hypothyroidism, then this could theoretically lead to a vitamin A deficiency. If you attempt to correct this by giving the person beta-carotene then this very well might not correct the deficiency since the body will have problems converting it into vitamin A.

Of course, it's impossible to list all the conditions that indicate you may need more vitamins, but to help you figure this out we can run a metabolic analysis and examine several levels and markers which will indicate deficiencies.

At Modern Chiropractic all of the supplements we provide are from Nordic Naturals and Innate Response so you know you are consuming an environmentally friendly supplement from a whole foods source. When choosing a multi-vitamin, it is critical to choose one from a whole food source so that it is easily digestible and highly absorbable. If you want more information, ask one of us!

Have a great week!

By Francesca Marino D.C.