Customized supplement for better health, immunity

Our nutrient and energy needs change as we age and undertake specific tasks and activities. This is the reason why our body would require more of certain vitamins and minerals especially if we are eating too much or too little of the recommended food groups.

In fact, the Journal of the American Medical Association states that getting less than the required amount of certain vitamins is associated with many chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis. The same group stressed the importance of doctors in identifying patients with poor nutrition and in recommending an increase in their vitamin intake. Since most people do not consume the optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone, it would be prudent for them to take vitamin supplements.

These days, experts agree that a personalized approach is needed to determine the right daily supplementation.

Dr. Ben Valdecañas, medical director of LifeScience Center for Wellness and Preventive Medicine (lifescience.ph), explained: “Because our body is as unique as we are, it needs vitamins and minerals that are different from one another. It is also based on our lifestyle: for example, an athlete’s needs differ from a person who just exercises. The needs of person who works on regular office hours are not the same with someone who works on a night shift at a call center.”

Tailored approach

Recognizing the importance of a tailored approach to wellness, LifeScience is currently pushing for a customized health management in the country.

“As the first of its kind in the country, the center has developed an evidence-based and customized supplementation program to help our clients achieve their full health potential,” Valdecañas said.

Called the micronutrient test, the procedure analyzes the body’s unique nutrient levels to cellular level, and reveals the exact type and amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants needed by the person based on his/her needs and lifestyle.

“The body is like a well-oiled machine, with thousands of interlocking parts and gears working together to achieve optimal health. Taking the right levels of vitamins is like using the right type of fuel for your car: your body runs better and your system works more efficiently, leading to better resistance to diseases. Your body simply functions better when it has the proper nutrients it needs, preventing aging and health issues,” the doctor explained.

Valdecañas said micronutrient levels can still be corrected through intravenous (IV) therapy as well as vitamin supplementation. “You really can’t get all the micronutrients that your body needs just from food. For example, to boost your immune system, you need 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day. To get this amount, you need about 22 oranges, since each orange has 45 mg of vitamin C. That’s just one vitamin. Also, what if the food source of the vitamin is one that you don’t or can’t eat? That would mean nutrients lost on a daily basis,” he said.

The doctor explained that LifeScience could perform tests to determine an individual’s nutrient levels as well as series of interviews that could reveal more about one’s lifestyle practices. Afterward, based on these results, the center would prepare a customized supplement on a sachet (taken every morning and evening).

No allergic reaction

“Each supplement contains the right levels of vitamins, natural antioxidants and amino acids that could supply one’s body with nutrients that it needs to function well. What’s more, because it is based on one’s blood test results, there will be no possible allergic reaction or overdosing,” Valdecañas explained.

The doctor added that clients visiting the center, located at the eighth floor of ACCRA Law Tower in Bonifacio Global City, will undergo a body composition analysis as well as a comprehensive consultation with a physician and a nutritionist.

The next step is for the center to prepare the client’s “cellular profile” complete with expert analysis. To make this possible, LifeScience has partnered with medical innovators from around the world to provide its clients with cutting-edge tests and advanced personal diagnostics like the food intolerance test, micronutrients test and hormone test, said Valdecañas.