Nutritional deficiencies can lead to lots of problems, including increasing your risk for serious diseases. At Spruce Health Group, our team uses state-of-the-art nutritional testing to identify deficiencies in our patients in Colorado. Here’s how our nutritional testing services can help you stay healthy.

Your body needs calories from food to stay healthy, ward off diseases, and function optimally. But not just any calories will do: You need the right nutrients. Unfortunately, research shows many Americans — about 10% — aren’t getting the nutrients they need to stay healthy and feel their best.

Nutrient deficiencies: More common than you think

Even though we may have been taught the importance of a balanced, healthy diet since childhood, most Americans continue to eat diets rich in unhealthy fats and sugars — so-called empty calories because they’re devoid of important nutrients. In fact, about a third of the calories Americans consume consist of nutrient-poor foods and alcohol.

In the United States, some of the most common nutritional deficiencies involve low levels of:

• Iron
• B vitamins
• Vitamin D
• Iodine
• Vitamin A
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Copper

These nutrients play essential roles in maintaining physical and emotional health, and they also support optimal organ and tissue function. Low levels mean our bodies are not getting the amount of nutrients they need to stay healthy.

Good health relies on proper nutrition, so it’s no surprise that poor nutrition can lead to a host of health problems, including:

• Sleep problems
• Weight gain and obesity
• Low energy levels and fatigue
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Chronic headaches
• Sleep problems
• Digestive disorders
• Arthritis
• Depression

Proper nutrition is one of the simplest and most important ways to maintain your health, laying the groundwork for optimal wellness at every age.

Poor diet is a primary cause of nutrient deficiencies. But there’s another problem: Nutritional needs can vary dramatically from one person to another, based on age, lifestyle, underlying health problems, and other factors. Plus, those needs can change as we get older. That means even if you think you’re eating a healthy diet, you can still be lacking in essential nutrients necessary for good health.

Nutritional testing for better health

Nutritional testing starts right in your own home, with a urine sample you take yourself and send off to a testing lab. The process is simple, private, and quick. The lab analyzes your urine sample and develops an in-depth nutritional profile, which it sends back to our doctors. Our team will interpret the results and discuss the findings with you.

Based on your results, we can help you make important, meaningful changes to your diet through a healthy eating plan, high-quality nutritional supplements, or both. Plus, we can develop a customized metabolic plan to optimize your health and help you avoid serious diseases and other medical problems.

Nutritional testing can benefit just about anyone at any age. It can offer special benefits for anyone experiencing a chronic medical problem, like asthma, allergies, or digestive problems, or from “common” complaints, like headaches, fatigue, or sleep problems.

Make your health a priority

The New Year is a great time for resolutions. That includes taking important steps to improve your health and wellness. Our nutritional testing services provide the groundwork for optimal health and function, so you enjoy better health now and for years to come. To learn more about personalized nutritional testing that can put you on the road to better health, call or schedule an appointment online today.