Therapeutic Nutrition
What is Therapeutic Nutrition?
Proper nutrition can help fight problems related to stress, aging, and illness or keep you in peak physical condition to play sports or just enjoy your life. Therapeutic nutrition is an approach to getting and staying healthy by adding specific nutrients to your diet in the right amounts. It’s an individualized therapy that depends on what your body specifically needs. The right nutritional support not only varies from individual to individual but will also change over time. What you need to maintain good health in your twenties may not be the same as what you need in your sixties.
Also, if your health changes in any way — you’re catching more colds than you used to, recovering from a serious infection, or dealing with a new medical condition — your nutritional needs may change too.
What Are the Benefits of Therapeutic Nutrition?
We all know healthy eating is essential to healthy living. However, therapeutic nutrition using amino acids and/or minerals compounded by Belmar can fill in dietary gaps to help make sure you get the nutrients you need to be in great health.
Amino Acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and proteins are the vital building blocks of life. Some amino acids are produced by the body; others must come from food or supplements. There are some amino acids that your body only needs in times of illness or stress.
The human body uses amino acids to make proteins to help you break down food, grow, heal and repair, maintain muscle tone, regulate moods, and maintain healthy skin, hair, nails, and other functions throughout the body. Amino acids can also be used as a source of energy by the body. Amino acid supplements support all of these functions.
Minerals
Your body needs many minerals to stay alive and function well, some only in minimal amounts. However, all are important since they perform critical functions, from helping cells grow to keep bones strong. If your diet is perfect, you might be getting all the minerals you need from your food. If not, the right mineral supplements could make a big difference in how you feel.
Who May Benefit From Therapeutic Nutrition?
Your doctor may recommend testing for nutritional deficiencies and starting nutrition therapy if you have:
With or without risk factors, pay attention to signs that your immune system may not be not at the top of its game. People with a weak immune system often get repeat infections:
- A chronic condition such as diabetes or heart disease
- Digestive problems
- Allergies
- Autoimmune issues
- Low energy
- Skin issues
- Weight problems
- Mood issues
- Loss of muscle mass or strength
- Potential bone density loss
- A less than perfect diet
Who Should Avoid Therapeutic Nutrition?
Therapeutic nutritional support is about supplementing any nutrients you need more of in your body. Taking over-the-counter supplements without knowing whether or not you need them can be wasteful or sometimes harmful.
Good nutrition is about balance. Each nutrient needs to be within a given range in your body — not too little or too much — to do its job and interact effectively with other nutrients.
Discuss your health and family history, plus any current symptoms with your doctor, who can design a therapeutic nutrition plan just for you.
Learn More About Therapeutic Nutrition
If you’re dealing with or concerned about one of the conditions listed above, visit our Conditions page to find resources and guides to help you discuss compounding solutions with your doctor.
If you’re a clinician who’s interested in prescribing compound medications for your patients, visit our Treatment Options page to find a formulary and learn more about the solutions Belmar offers.
