Many people supplement or self-medicate based on how they feel… or, more often, based on the marketing of various providers.

But who actually knows, on their own, whether they have too much or too little iron? And even if they do have a hunch, who knows whether their transferrin or ferritin levels are truly in a healthy range — or whether there might even be an issue such as haemochromatosis? And who really knows whether there’s a B-vitamin deficiency? And if there is… why? Is it simply that you’re not getting enough through food, or could it be an absorption problem? And if it’s absorption — where is that problem coming from in the first place?

If you want to supplement with vitamins, trace elements and minerals, it’s wise to do a proper analysis beforehand. Otherwise, the whole thing can either a) backfire (too much calcium, for instance, is something the thyroid really doesn’t appreciate!), or b) simply become an expensive habit that doesn’t actually do anything.

Deficiency symptoms caused by an absorption problem

If you have, for example, ongoing stomach or bowel issues, it’s worth clarifying the underlying causes first — rather than throwing vitamins at the symptoms. Because it may well be that malabsorption means your body isn’t actually taking in the contents of those expensive pills in the first place, and as a result can’t make use of them. In other words: what goes in at the top may come out at the bottom much the same… just a “very pricey poo”.

Of course, our bodies do need nutrients such as zinc, selenium and the like to build and maintain the gut lining. Supporting the gut — rebuilding it, and also preserving it — really does matter. But if there’s already damage, then replacing nutrients via infusions may be the more sensible route, because it bypasses the very absorption pathway that might not be working properly. And realistically, I don’t know anyone who injects themselves or sets up their own IV drips at home. A proper course of treatment should be guided by a qualified practitioner — in some cases a complementary therapist, and in others a conventional medical doctor.

Otherwise, the person isn’t really being treated as a patient at all — they’re simply a customer.