What are the signs of nutrient deficiencies?
Nutrient deficiencies are very common in today’s world, and many people aren’t even aware they have a nutrient deficiency until they receive a genetic or blood test. What’s more, symptoms of nutrient deficiencies can be easily confused with other medical conditions or disorders, which is why so many people are taking heavy medications when what they really need is a customized supplement regimen.
There are tons of signs of nutrient deficiencies, and a deficiency in each vitamin may present in the form of different symptoms, but some of the more serious signs that should trigger a red flag in your brain include:
- Severe hair loss
- Burning sensation in feet or tongue
- Slow healing wounds
- Bone pain
- Irregular heartbeat
- Loss of night vision
How do you test for nutrient deficiencies?
There are a few key ways you can test for nutrient deficiencies, and at 10X Health, we leverage two detailed tests to identify and confirm nutrient deficiencies.
First, we leverage a highly specialized genetic test that helps us identify gene breaks that prevent the body from processing and using nutrients we eat or take through supplements. More specifically, we look at five genes (MTHFR, MTR, MTRR, ACHY, and COMT) that, if broken in one or more places, can make it harder for your body to methylate, the process that takes raw materials and turns them into usable forms for your body to use.
A break in any of these five genes is usually a pretty good indicator of the presence of a nutrient deficiency, as each gene plays a key role in processing certain nutrients. For example, if you have a break in MTHFR, you may struggle with anxiety and maybe have panic attacks. And, if you have a break in COMT, you may suffer from ADD or ADHD or have poor sleep.
The other way you can test for nutrient deficiencies is with a blood test, which tests the exact levels of nutrients circulating in your bloodstream. We use a highly detailed and thorough blood test that looks at 60 unique biomarkers to confirm nutrient deficiencies we can see in the genetic test and to help us determine exactly how big or small the deficiency is. Larger deficiencies will require a larger dose of supplements and perhaps additional therapies to help get nutrient levels back to optimal.
What are the benefits of supplements?
Supplementation is one of the best ways you can support your wellness because nutrients are at the center of many key bodily functions, and without the optimal amount of certain nutrients, your body may not be functioning as effectively as it could.
With the exception of fruits and vegetables, most of the food we eat today is highly processed and has lost most of its essential nutrients by the time it reaches our tables, so it is much harder for humans to get the vitamins and minerals we need today than it was hundreds of years ago. Additionally, fruits and vegetables have been modified through breeding over the years to prioritize taste and appearance, which has caused these foods to lose some of their nutrient value.
Lastly, a large portion (44%) of the population has a genetic mutation with MTHFR, which has a profound impact on the methylation cycle and the body’s ability to process nutrients it receives. But, by supplementing what your body is lacking, we can combat the effects of the mutation and ensure your body gets the right amount of any nutrients it’s lacking or is less efficient at processing.
What supplements does 10X Health offer?
Effective supplementation dictated by detailed genetic and blood test data is at the core of how 10X Health helps people optimize their well-being. While supplements can’t fix everything, a highly personalized supplement program can make a huge difference in how you look, feel, and perform in your day-to-day.
Because each person is different and requires a different combination of supplements to address genetic mutations and deficiencies, we offer a variety of high-quality supplements for our clients looking to optimize their wellness. But, the success of a supplement program depends heavily on 10X Health’s highly specialized genetic test, which analyzes how effective your body is at processing the nutrients you eat.
10X Health Optimize (Multivitamin) Supplement
Almost everyone can benefit from taking a multivitamin, but not many people know what a multivitamin is or the true benefits of it. By definition, a multivitamin is a dietary supplement that contains a large variety of vitamins and minerals essential for bodily functions. With each manufacturer controlling what specific nutrients and what amount of those nutrients are included in their supplements, not all multivitamins are exactly the same.
Multivitamins are usually taken daily, and the exact dosage usually depends on your weight, lifestyle, and any nutrient deficiencies identified through testing.
The biggest benefit of a multivitamin is that it allows you to get all the core nutrients your body needs most in a single pill. It can support your immune system, improve energy levels, promote healthier-looking skin and hair, aid in weight loss, and more.
The 10X Health Optimize supplement, in particular, is formulated to target deficits in your methylation pathway specifically, meaning all the vitamins and minerals included in the supplement have a direct impact on your body’s ability to process vitamins and minerals naturally. Some of the key ingredients include methylfolate (5-MTHF), riboflavin (B2), pyridoxine (B6), methylated B12, magnesium, and zinc.
While Optimize includes a large variety of nutrients, it is only meant to act as a baseline to provide the bare minimum of what your body really needs to function optimally. We usually recommend Optimize in combination with more customized supplements based on your genetic and blood test results.
10X Health D3 + K2 Supplement
If you live in a rainy or cooler part of the US, you may have taken a vitamin D supplement in the past, because it’s estimated 95% of the population is deficient in vitamin D, with a higher prevalence of deficiency in areas that don’t get as much sunlight.
Vitamin D is the only nutrient that your body can produce on its own, and production is triggered by sunlight, so when sunlight is limited, it’s harder for your body to produce the amount it needs to thrive. Vitamin D plays a key role in mood regulation and supporting the immune system as well as strengthening bones and muscles, and deficiency in this key nutrient can lead to a variety of symptoms, like fatigue, bone pain, depression, and more.
Many vitamin D supplements you find on shelves at the grocery store or pharmacy only contain vitamin D3, but the 10X Health supplement combines the powers of vitamin D3 with vitamin K2 to ensure we maximize the impact of the supplement on your body. One of the key functions of vitamin D is to transport calcium to the bones, and K2 helps make sure that calcium is deposited in the right place, your bones, and not the wrong places, like your arteries.
We usually recommend the D3 + K2 supplement for folks who have specific genetic breaks, get limited sunlight, have poor diets, or have certain medical conditions that affect the bones or heart.
10X Health Sleep Supplement
Many studies have shown the prevalence of sleep disorders in the US population, and an even higher percentage of the population has trouble sleeping in general. Not getting enough sleep can quickly interfere with daily life, leading to mental health issues, loss of productivity, and even a higher risk of developing serious medical conditions, like heart disease or depression.
There are a variety of reasons why someone may suffer from poor sleep, but for those whose sleep issues are caused by nutrient deficiencies, supplementation can be an effective way to improve sleep quality and duration.
The 10X Health Sleep supplement contains three essential nutrients that play a role in getting restful sleep — magnesium, theanine, and melatonin. Each of these nutrients can contribute to healthy sleep in its own unique way.
Magnesium has a few different roles in bodily function, including supporting muscle and nerve function, but it’s also very effective at reducing the time it takes to fall asleep and increasing the duration of sleep. Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea and is used to promote relaxation and decrease anxiety, making it easier to quiet the brain and fall asleep. Finally, melatonin is a hormone produced by the brain that triggers sleep, and supplementing with it can regulate sleep-wake cycles and improve sleep quality.
We recommend our Sleep supplement most often to those who have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep and those who experience high levels of stress or anxiety that may contribute to lower quality of sleep.
10X Health 5-MTHF Supplement
For those with a mutation in the MTHFR gene, which 44% of the population has, a 5-MTHF supplement is one of the best ways to offset the methylation inefficiency and make it easier for your body to process vitamins and nutrients that it receives.
5-MTHF is the methylated form of folate, which is a type of B vitamin. Folate — and its synthetic form folic acid — is most important during pregnancy but plays an important role in overall wellness for non-pregnant people, too. When the MTHFR gene mutation is present, the body cannot process folate as it should, so 5-MTHF allows your body to get the benefits of this methylated nutrient without having to process it itself.
If you don’t have an MTHFR mutation, 5-MTHF certainly won’t hurt you, but it also probably won’t help you a lot, which is why it’s important to identify a break in MTHFR and supplement accordingly.
How do I create an effective supplement regimen?
Many people who start taking supplements find that they don’t feel any different even after months of taking them, and that’s probably because they’re not taking the right supplements. But, creating a supplement regimen that actually works to address your body’s needs is a fairly simple process.
Step one should be thorough testing, including a genetic test and a blood test. These tests can help identify issues or deficiencies that are unique to your body and can ensure the supplements you take will actually address a need. Genetic testing will identify the genetic breaks present in your genome and blood testing will confirm deficiencies that are common with those genetic breaks, so, while you can do one or the other, doing them in combination is much more effective.
Step two is working with your 10X Health Wellness Advisor and our team of medical experts to determine your initial personalized protocol, based on your genetic and blood test results. We can help you interpret the results of your test and recommend a combination of supplements that will move you closer toward optimized wellness.
Lastly, step three is where we measure the impact of your personalized protocol and adjust as needed to help you reach your wellness goals. One key part of this step is regular blood testing, so we can see if the supplements are impacting your nutrient levels or if we need to increase the dosage you’re taking. Another key part is recommending other therapies that can work in tandem with supplements to help you reach optimal wellness.
10X Health Supplement Program
At 10X Health, we make it as easy as possible to get the vitamins your body needs to thrive even past establishing your personalized protocol. You can order all the supplements you need and have them delivered on a monthly basis to your doorstep, so you never have to worry about running out or getting the right thing from the store.
If you’re not quite ready to take the leap into genetic or blood testing but still want to support your overall well-being, you can also order the 10X Health System, our ultimate supplement protocol that bundles our essential supplements together. In combination, these supplements can support immune function, cognitive performance, cardiovascular function, mental clarity, and more.
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Ready to get started on your path to optimized wellness? It all starts with the 10X Health genetic test! Order your test today.
