Thousands of studies in medical and nutritional literature describe the importance of having appropriate vitamins and minerals in our diets. All of us have requirements for these substances and we utilize them to help our organs, tissues and cells work. Antioxidants help to inactivate free radicals and therefore protect our cells, various nutrients enhance immune response, and others decrease heart disease and cancer risk(please see the Article section of my website for some of this research). All of this information is not really new, and forms the basis for people to take vitamin and mineral supplements.
Many people go to the vitamin stores to purchase products and either pick out things that look good, or go on the recommendation of a salesperson in the store. Others will buy product from advertisements or programs on the radio. Some will buy products from friends or enter into multilevel marketing programs to both use product and as well sell product.
Although these efforts seem to be the most prevalent way to get vitamins, they are the least accurate, effective and beneficial. The man or woman in the vitamin store, or the salesman on the radio, or the multilevel personhave no knowledge about the specifics of your body. They don't understand your requirements for nutrients, absorptive and digestive function or dysfunction, deficiencies, hormone ability and influence, potential allergy to fillers or excipients in product, or really anything about the human biochemical function. They can't evaluate anything about your function. They have no medical background, nor can they examine persons. Many are recommending products that have no specific research behind them, and when people react badly to these recommendations, the consumer has no understanding as to why, or what to do next.
Of course it is important to take supplements. But it is far more important to ensure that the nutrients are being absorbed and are actually doing what we expect them to do.
This is done with a simple blood test.
I have seen literally thousands of people taking a wide variety of things and still have deficiency, and minimal benefit.
Over the past 18 years, my approach has been to ensure excellence in nutritional recommendation and therapy.
I have always tested vitamin and mineral levels on all of my patients.
This is done at the time of the first visit to evaluate whether or not what they're taking is working, and to look for deficiency. From this test I can determine if their problems are linked with deficiency. I will also evaluate absorption, digestion, gastric acid and PH with a Heidelberg test. In many of these patients I will also test for hormones, and evaluate activity and need for nutrients.
This is the only accurate way to make vitamin and mineral recommendations (typically, most insurance covers the test).
This could be the most important test for people to do(since vitamin deficiency is linked with heart disease, cancer and immune problems).
As the individual mechanisms are understood with each patient, a specific protocol can be reached. Then after a few months vitamin testing can be redone to ensure the most effective levels. In essence all of the patients that I have seen over the years allow me to understand exactly what people need, and as well which supplements work and which don't.
My experience with many thousands of patients, and evaluating all of their parameters, enables the best possible outcomes and results. This experience is never seen with vitamin store, radio, or multilevel recommendations.
Over many years I have created and tailored products to meet the obvious needs of patients and have come to see what works and what does not. My practice has been an ongoing study of nutrition. Over the years, many people have called the office and wanted to buy vitamins, without becoming a patient. I did not allow that. Recently I have changed my position. It is better that people have access to quality products that have been part of an ongoing study, with the experience of a nutritional physician as opposed to taking things without that knowledge behind it.
On my website I have set up a section for people to see the products that I have created and used. I understand that it might not be possible for all people to come to my office to get the vitamin testing done, and I have made these supplements available for people to use.
To your best health,
Dr. Chris Calapai