Society has become more focused on getting and staying healthy. People are starting to realize that it doesn’t matter how much wealth, fame, or power that an individual has because without their health, they really don’t have much. Proof of this is seen in the way that many celebrities who were once known for living an outlandish lifestyle that included unhealthy habits have changed. We watched as they have lost weight, cleaned up their diet, and made other health-related decisions. Many have turned to things like vitamin injections to help them improve their mental focus, their mood, and their overall well-being. This has led many to question whether or not having vitamins and supplements injected is beneficial.
What Do Vitamins and Minerals Do for Your Body?
Vitamins and minerals are key to your overall health and well-being. They provide your body with the nutrients that it needs in order to function properly. Of course, as with all things, balance needs to be maintained. There is a line between getting a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals in order to maintain optimal health and getting too much, which can eventually harm you.
Most medical professionals would agree that the best way for a person to get a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals is through having a balanced and healthy diet. Unfortunately, it is a lot easier to say that you are going to eat healthy than it is to actually do it.
You are what you eat. You probably have heard that before. The truth is that every single day your body is creating hair, skin, bones, and other tissues out of the nutrients that are carried through your body. Red blood cells, nerves, and the chemicals needed to send signals between the brain and the body also come from the nutrients you ingest. Clearly, all of these things are essential for you to have a healthy life.
It is estimated that the human body needs at least 30 vitamins and minerals to function properly. These are vitamins and minerals that your body does not have the ability to manufacture of its own accord. In addition to helping you create new skin, bones, and other body tissues, the vitamins and minerals that you ingest help heal your bones, strengthen your immune system, convert the food that you eat into energy, and repair any cellular damage you may experience.
A person could easily dedicate their life to learning about all of the vitamins and minerals that are available and what your body uses them for. Vitamins are known by letters that represent their initials. Some of the more common vitamins are vitamin A, B, C, D, E, and K.
Benefiting from the Micro-Nutrients that are the Building Blocks of Life
People often refer to minerals and vitamins as micronutrients. This is because in most cases your body only needs a very small amount of them. However, if you do not get a sufficient quantity of vitamins in your body, you are guaranteed to develop certain diseases. Some of the well-known diseases associated with vitamin deficiencies include:
Scurvy: It was not uncommon to hear that sailors and other individuals who spent months at sea or in circumstances where they were deprived of fruits and vegetables developed scurvy. Scurvy is the result of not getting a sufficient amount of vitamin C. Some of the effects of scurvy include bleeding gums and listlessness.
Blindness: Many are surprised to learn that a reason why many go blind is because they do not get a sufficient amount of vitamin A. Although this is relatively rare in developed countries, a lack of vitamin a leading to blindness is relatively common in some developing countries.
Rickets: This is a condition that comes from not getting enough vitamin D. The result is soft and weak bones, skeletal deformities, and bowed legs. In an effort to combat the spread of this disease, some governments have fortified their milk with vitamin D.
In the same way that not getting enough of a particular micro-nutrient can be harmful to you, getting a sufficient amount of said micro-nutrient can be very beneficial. There are a number of examples that are well known. If you get a sufficient amount of vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium, you are going to have stronger bones that are less inclined to fracture.
If you get a sufficient amount of folic acid, especially during the early stages of pregnancy, certain birth defects can be prevented. The birth defects that are most affected by this include spinal defects and brain defects.
In many countries, the water is fortified with fluoride. This makes for healthier bones and prevents the formation of dental cavities. It is clear to see that although vitamins are only present in the body in small quantities, they play a major role in your overall health. Many have seen the benefit of supplementing their dietary vitamin intake by getting vitamin injections.
What is the Difference between Vitamins and Minerals?
It is not uncommon to hear people use the terms vitamins and minerals interchangeably. However, they are not the same thing. Vitamins and minerals are both micronutrients and are both essential for your health. Vitamins, however, are organic. This means that things like heat, air, and acid can cause vitamins to break down.
Minerals, on the other hand, are inorganic. This means that they maintain their chemical structure even when they are exposed to external forces.
But someone could ask, why does it really matter? Well, the minerals you need to survive find their way into your body a lot easier than vitamins. You will ingest them when you eat plants, fish, and meat. This is true even though the food has been cooked prior to serving it.
Conversely, it is difficult to ingest a sufficient amount of vitamins. When you cook food, when you store food in the cold, or when you simply expose food to the air, any vitamins that it has may be damaged because they are made up of fragile compounds.
Vitamins and minerals will often work with in the body as a pair. For example, if you get a sufficient amount of vitamin D, your body is going to find it easier to pluck calcium from the food that you are eating as it goes through your digestive system. This calcium is then used to help build stronger bones. Vitamin C makes it easier for your body to absorb iron, which is a major component in your blood.
Sometimes vitamins and minerals work against each other. For example, if you take vitamin C, it may be harder for your body to assimilate copper. Or, if you have too much magnesium, any iron deficiency you have will be exaggerated.
How to Know If You are Vitamin-Deficient
The goal should be to have a balanced diet that has the vitamins and minerals that you need. However, if you are vitamin deficient, you are going to start noticing the effects in short order. The symptoms that vitamin deficiency causes can be frustrating. However, they are a warning sign, indicating that a change needs to be made.
For example, if you are vitamin B7 deficient, you are going to notice that your bones are thin, your fingernails are brittle, and your hair is thinning or that it is splitting. Other symptoms that may alarm you to the fact that you are vitamin B7 efficient would include pain, cramps, muscle tingling, and chronic fatigue.
There are some people who are dealing with lesions around their mouth that could be the result of insufficient intake of certain vitamins and minerals. For example, if a person is battling with mouth ulcers or they have canker sores, it’s likely that they are deficient in iron or vitamin B.
The Unique Role of Vitamin C
There are patients who are battling with bleeding gums. For some, bleeding gums is a result of brushing their teeth too hard or not being careful when they floss. However, for many people, bleeding gums is a result of a diet that does not have a sufficient amount of vitamin C.
Vitamin C is what helps your body heal. It plays a powerful role in preventing cellular damage.
The interesting thing about vitamin C is that your body cannot create it on its own. The only way that you are going to get a sufficient amount of vitamin C is if you take it via a balanced diet or if you get vitamin supplements.
It’s rare for a person to have an extreme vitamin C deficiency because most people eat enough fruits and vegetables to have at least the minimum amount of vitamin C that their body needs in order to function properly. However, it is suggested that most people do not get enough vitamin C to keep their body running at an optimal level.
Vitamin C can be taken orally. However, there is only so much vitamin C that you can take orally before your body starts to get rid of it. When a person starts to take too much vitamin C orally, they may suffer from diarrhea.
Here is where vitamin injections show another benefit. You can tolerate higher doses of vitamins if they are given intravenously. Sometimes people will go this route and get a quick boost to their immune system because they are battling with a cold or other condition.
The Benefits of Vitamin Injections
If a person is feeling worn out or they feel that a cold is coming on, vitamin injections could be a simple solution that does not involve pills. Vitamin shots can be administered quickly in a doctor’s office or by another professional. Those who are proponents of this treatment say that it makes their skin glow, it gives them energy, and it promotes weight loss.
This can be beneficial for people who are vitamin deficient. Many studies say that upward of 90 percent of people are deficient in at least one vitamin or nutrient. When vitamins are taken orally, they are not absorbed as efficiently by their body as they are when administered via injection. This means that you need to take vitamins in a higher dose orally than you would if you were to get it as an injection.
Since the nutrients are injected into the bloodstream, they are able to skip the digestive system. They are pushed into the cells directly, allowing them to be effectively used by the body. For many, weekly vitamin shots are a great way to increase their energy, boost their immune system, and just feel better.
One of the most popular vitamin shots is vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 gives a person a quick boost of energy and can help them improve their metabolism and deal with fatigue. Some people claim that they come in to get an injection feeling tired and sore and then 30 minutes later have the energy that they need to be a success during their day.
Of course, if a person is dealing with fatigue, it is good for their medical professional to look at their health history. For some people, getting a vitamin B12 shot or getting another vitamin cocktail is going to be just what they need to get their body to function properly. For others, their fatigue may be a sign of a more serious problem that will need to be addressed.
Get In Touch with Us for More Information
Vitamin injections have helped many individuals improve their overall health. They have made people feel more energetic and have helped them ward off colds and other sicknesses that might be present in their community. Of course, these injections are not designed to replace a healthy diet and exercise. However, they can serve as a supplement to give a person the boost that they need. If you would like to learn more about this treatment and see if it can help you start living your best life, we warmly invite you to make an appointment with Optimal Health and Wellness. At our convenient location in Pasadena, our caring and dedicated team of professionals will be pleased to explain this option to you in greater detail and answer any questions you may have. Contact us today to set up your consultation – we look forward to speaking with you!