Common Vitamin Deficiencies and How They're Treated

While vitamin deficiencies might seem like a thing of the past, the truth is that Western diets leave a lot to be desired when it comes to vitamin content. Most diets in the United States consist of packaged and processed foods, red meat, and foods high in saturated fats, along with alarmingly low levels of fruits and vegetables. 

Even with oral supplements, a diet without nutritional content sets your health up to fail. That’s why Elaine Phuah, DO, MBA, FACOI, Leon Tio, DO, MA, FACOI, and the rest of our team at Clover Internal Medicine Associates in Fort Worth, Texas, offer IV infusion therapy. It quickly provides you with optimal vitamin levels to balance out any deficits. 

IV infusions bypass your digestive tract, which typically absorbs a vast majority of vitamin content. This means that you’ll reap considerably more benefits than you would with oral multivitamins.

In this blog, we review some of the most common vitamin deficiencies that IV infusion therapy can help with.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a necessary nutrient that strengthens your bones and muscles. It can also protect you against autoimmune disorders, cancer, and diabetes. 

Studies estimate that about 42% of people living in the US are deficient in vitamin D. Noticeable symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include muscle weakness, fatigue, mood swings, and increased risk of fractures. 

You need about 15 micrograms of vitamin D each day, and you can get this vitamin from foods such as cod liver oil, fatty fish, and eggs. Another great source of vitamin D is sunlight. When you’re exposed to sunlight, your body converts cholesterol into vitamin D. 

Most people can’t get nearly enough vitamin D from diet and sun exposure alone, which is why supplementing with IV infusions is so important. 

Folate

Folate, or folic acid, is a B vitamin that’s especially important for women of childbearing age. Prenatal vitamins contain high amounts of folate to promote healthy growth and development and reduce the risk of birth defects involving the brain and spine. 

If you have a folate deficiency, you may notice symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, diarrhea, and a smooth-feeling tongue. Women who could become pregnant can obtain folate from foods such as fortified cereals, beans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, whole grains, eggs, and leafy greens.

However, your body best absorbs folate from supplements, which is why we highly recommend getting folate infusions.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)

Vitamin B6 helps to regulate your mood, appetite, and sleep. It also fights off infection, turns food into energy, and carries oxygen to your blood. Things that can affect your ability to absorb optimal amounts of vitamin B6 include aging, kidney disease, and alcohol abuse. 

Symptoms of a vitamin B6 deficiency include skin rashes, chapped lips, weakened immune system, numb hands or feet, and brain fog. It’s possible to find vitamin B6 in foods like poultry, fish, chickpeas, potatoes, corn, and yams. 

However, to ensure you’re getting the amount of vitamin B6 you need, we offer IV infusions of this nutrient. 

Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) 

You need vitamin B12 for red cell production along with brain and nerve function. Your body can’t produce this vitamin on its own, so you must obtain it from your diet and supplements. Vegans and vegetarians are at a high risk for vitamin B6 deficiency since this nutrient can’t be found in plants, only animal products such as shellfish, organ meat, beef steak, eggs, and milk. 

Signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency include issues with walking and balance, anemia, fatigue, and problems with cognitive function. 

If you’ve recently undergone weight loss surgery or follow a plant-based diet, you need to receive regular boosts of vitamin B12 through our IV infusions. 

To learn more about our available infusions, contact us by calling our office at 682-708-0982 or by scheduling an appointment online.