What Are Vitamins and Why Do You Need Them?

Your body relies on a number of important factors to function properly. Vitamins and minerals may not seem that important, but they actually regulate many of the processes in your body. In fact, vitamin deficiencies may lead to serious complications.

At Delmarva Pain and Spine Center, our team offers a number of treatments to help you feel your best, including IV vitamin infusion therapy. Dr. Shachi Patel is our pain management specialist who helps you understand why your body needs vitamins and nutrients to work efficiently.

The facts on vitamins

Vitamins are substances that your body requires for most processes. They’re vital for cell growth, function, and development. However, most vitamins need to be consumed through your diet, as your body either doesn’t make enough or can’t store them.

All living organisms require vitamins to survive. Each living thing needs different types of vitamins and nutrients to maintain overall health. Even animals and plants need vitamins.

Vitamins are either dissolvable in fat or water. This means they’re either considered fat-soluble or water-soluble. Here is what each type means:

Fat-soluble vitamins

These vitamins are stored in your body, specifically in your liver, muscles, and fat deposits. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are the only fat-soluble vitamins. They’re more easily used by your body when you have fat in your diet.

Water-soluble vitamins

These vitamins aren’t able to be stored in your body. You need to eat foods containing vitamin C and all of the B vitamins. Excess amounts of these nutrients are excreted through your urine, so keeping up on your intake is vital to your health.

If you eat a healthy diet rich in many different types of food, you’ll likely get the amount of vitamins you need. However, some health conditions affect how your body uses certain vitamins, which can lead to problems.

Common vitamins you need

There are 13 essential vitamins that your body must have to stay healthy. Some of these vitamins are present in your body, while others need to come from outside sources, like food or supplements. The 13 vitamins that you need include:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Folate (B9)
• Biotin (B7)
• Pantothenic acid (B5)

Other B vitamins that are also an essential part of your health include thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), and niacin (B3). Vitamins B6 and B12 are other vital B vitamins in your body.

Each one of these vitamins is responsible for different things in your body. For instance, vitamin A helps keep your bones and teeth healthy, while vitamin E helps your body make red blood cells.

What happens if you’re deficient?

If you’re lacking the necessary amount of a certain vitamin, it may lead to issues in different areas of your body. For instance, a deficiency in vitamin K may lead to bleeding easier than normal. 

A vitamin D deficiency may lead to soft bones or a condition known as ricketts. When you don’t have sufficient vitamin C, it causes an issue called scurvy. This leads to bleeding gums and tooth loss.

In most cases, you’re only slightly deficient on certain vitamins, causing only minor, but still problematic issues. Your sleep may be affected, along with your energy levels.

Dr. Patel offers IV vitamin infusion therapy to help you get necessary nutrients and vitamins directly into your bloodstream. This allows the vitamins to be used right away, without any of the potency getting lost in your GI system, which can happen with oral supplements.

Dr. Patel does a thorough assessment of your health and may draw lab work to determine your body’s level of certain nutrients. This allows her to form a personalized plan to get you the perfect vitamin infusion.

If you’re interested in getting IV vitamin infusions, don’t hesitate to call our office today at 302-355-0900 to schedule a consultation. You can also book an appointment with our team on the website.