In a country with such an abundant food supply that’s easily available, how is it that so many Americans are nutritionally deficient?
Some of the reasons are due to our fast-paced, no-time-to-cook lifestyle. Relying on processed foods, even natural or organic ones, will not provide the same vitamins, minerals and other nutrients as a whole-food diet.
But even if you cook every meal from scratch, we now know that over the past several decades, our food has become largely depleted of essential nutrients due to the overuse of chemical pesticides, herbicides and artificial fertilizers, along with the growing infiltration of genetically modified crops.
Why might supplements, vitamins and nutritional therapies be needed?
The fact that our food supply is not as healthy as it was in your parents’ or grandparents’ day is quite clear by the increase in many chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases, obesity and cancer.
When the body isn’t getting the nutrition it requires to function, many things can and do go wrong. We can be subject to problems that range from a lack of energy and general well-being, all the way to serious illnesses. Many of the common health conditions we see today have their root in dietary deficiencies. For these reasons, we often recommend a targeted, individualized nutrient plan.
In addition, many of us are exposed to heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium or arsenic and may take medications such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, acid blockers, statins and birth-control pills. All of these agents can impede our ability to metabolize food and contribute to difficulty in absorbing nutrients.
How we identify and correct nutritional deficiencies
At the Magaziner Center for Wellness, we utilize an extremely thorough series of blood and urine tests, along with other diagnostic techniques, to determine your individual levels of nutrients and vitamins, environmental toxins, intestinal flora and more. We have found that nearly everyone we examine has some degree of deficiency of an important nutrient, and in many cases, excesses of others that can lead to an imbalance. In addition, some patients may have high levels of one of more unhealthy substances.
Once we’ve identified a specific imbalance, we then take steps to remedy it through dietary modifications and oral and intravenous nutrients, depending on the individual case. This helps the body to heal itself of any current illness, while also helping prevent additional health problems in the future.