Health Supplements
Even if you consume a healthy diet, you may need to take supplements. You may not be getting enough of certain nutrients from your food, or sometimes, the body does not absorb dietary sources of nutrients properly, making it necessary to supplement your diet with important vitamins and minerals.
Quality dietary supplements can be hard to find. It isn’t easy to determine what products you need, let alone what the hidden ingredients in those products are. At Melville Medical Care, we conveniently offer the highest quality supplements available right here in our Huntington Station office.
Dr. Sonia Qadir will evaluate your individual supplementation needs and determine exactly what is best for you.
Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
Vitamin D has many important functions in the body, such as contributing to bone health, lowering blood pressure, and regulating cholesterol. Vitamin D can be found in certain foods and can also be made by the body when skin is exposed to the sun, which is where the nickname “Sunshine Vitamin” comes from.
Signs of a vitamin D deficiency include:
- Bone pain
- Muscle pain and weakness
- Irregular sleep patterns
- Disruption of immune function
- Low or no energy
- Weak bones or bone loss (osteoporosis)
Vitamin D deficiency occurs for many reasons. The most common is inadequate dietary intake, but those who have cystic fibrosis or Crohn's disease are also at increased risk. Supplementation and a nutritious diet can help resolve a vitamin D deficiency.
B12 is an essential vitamin that must be obtained through the diet. It is used by the body to reduce the risk of heart disease and is necessary for the production of red blood cells. Deficiencies of vitamin B12 typically occur due to the inability of the digestive system to absorb it from the foods you eat.
Signs of a B12 deficiency can range from mild to severe and may go unnoticed. They include anemia, memory loss, depression or changes in mood, and/or numbness in the fingers or toes.
Symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency can be a cause for alarm, so it is important to supplement, especially if you are a vegetarian or vegan, as most dietary sources of vitamin B12 come from meat.
Like calcium, iron is an important mineral for the body. It is used in cell growth, oxygen transportation, and a strong immune system. Iron can be found in many foods but only about 10-15% of it is absorbed.
Iron deficiency leads to anemia, which has many symptoms, including:
- Depressed immune function
- Fatigue
- Inability to maintain body temperature
- Slowed cognitive development
- Swollen tongue
- Weakness
Severe anemia can lower the oxygen levels in blood, leading to fatigue, shortness of breath, and even a heart attack.
Acidophilus (aka Lactobacillus acidophilus) is a bacterium found in the mouth, intestine, and vagina that is used as a probiotic. Probiotics are the good bacteria that are either the same as or very similar to the bacteria that already exist within your body.
Acidophilus supplement is available in capsule, tablet, powder, or wafer form, as well as a vaginal suppository. Acidophilus is also found in some dairy products, including yogurt, and is often added to many store-bought foods.
Acidophilus is commonly used to promote the growth of good bacteria and to treat vaginal inflammation, such as bacterial vaginosis, as well as a variety of digestive disorders.
Nutrafol is a supplement with medical-grade, natural ingredients designed to improve hair growth and support your whole-body health. It specifically targets the root causes of thinning hair, such as stress, environment, hormones, and nutrition, visibly producing thickness and scalp coverage without compromising sexual performance.
To learn more about the health supplements available at Melville Medical Care, please call our office at (631) 271-3075 or request an appointment online.
