Can Vitamins Be Customized?
Everyone knows it’s important to get their vitamins. But do people need the same amount of certain vitamins, or does it vary? Some researchers say it varies, so vitamin supplement companies, like monthly vitamin subscription service Care/of, customize their pill offers based on your personal health and/or goals. But do these services actually work? Since supplements aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, how do we know whether their packages contain the vitamins and minerals promised? VITAMINS MAY NOT HELP AS MUCH AS YOU THINK. Johns Hopkins researchers found that for many illnesses (especially heart-related), taking supplements didn’t make a big difference. One study involving 450,000 people found that multivitamins did not reduce risk for heart disease or cancer. Another study tracking the mental functioning and multivitamin use of 5,947 men for 12 years found that multivitamins didn’t reduce risk for mental decline such as memory loss or slowed-down thinking, either. The only exception? Young women. Larry Appel, M.D., director of Johns Hopkins Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, says that supplemental folic acid for women of reproductive age may be helpful. “Folic acid prevents neural tube defects in babies when women take it before and during early
pregnancy. That’s why multivitamins are recommended for young women.” The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention recommends women of reproductive age to intake 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, and the amount of iron in a multivitamin may also be beneficial. BUT CAN CUSTOMIZED VITAMINS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
If you’re a young woman, or you have a doctor’s orders to get a multivitamin for certain conditions or treatments, the bad news is that right now, hardly any customizable vitamins have a third-party certification for quality and accuracy. If the vitamin or brand doesn’t have ConsumerLab.com, NSF International, or U.S. Pharmacopeia certification, you simply can’t know what you’re getting. So, the best multivitamin is the one designed for your age group with third-party certification. Even if it’s a $10 bottle from Target, it’s likely more effective than what’s trending online.
Introducing Our Brunswick Office Leader! Meet Réchel Hoisington!
We are honored to have so many great, talented, and friendly people working with us at Signature Smiles, and at our new location in Brunswick, Réchel Hoisington will be our office leader! Réchel was born in Medina, Ohio, but grew up in Brunswick. She even went to school there. After graduating from high school, she became a medical assistant. She began working at Signature Smiles because we are a place that specializes in patients that are scared of the dentist. Being scared to go to the dentist is a different form of mental health that people don’t talk about. Like our patients, Réchel is afraid of the dentist herself, so she is able to empathize with our patients’ fears and relate to them on a personal level.
Before coming to Signature Smiles, Réchel worked in psychiatry for a few years and also worked with orthopedic patients who have lost limbs. Réchel has a special place in her heart for mental health due to her past work experience, so she knew that she wanted to lead a team and stick with something that involves mental health. When Réchel is not working, she enjoys spending quality time with her family. She is married and has two children — a 13-year- old daughter and a 6-year-old son. They enjoy spending quality time together with any activities that they can do outside, like bike riding. During her free time on the weekends, she also enjoys boxing.
Réchel is a perfect fit here at Signature Smiles, and we are so happy to have her!
2 — SignatureSmilesOH.com
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