New Medical-grade Supplements at The Hayakawa Mental Clinic

When most people think of going to a  mental health clinic – specifically a psychiatrist – many believe treatment is all about medication. However, that is not precisely correct. At the Hayakawa Mental Health Clinic, we take a whole-body approach. Of course, we do evaluations to help diagnose your mental state, and most often, medications are involved in therapy. However, we look at your mind as just another part of your body. Part of this approach means testing to see if you have any underlying physical conditions that can compromise your mental well-being.

Many people don’t think about how important it is to check to see if they are low on minerals such as iron and zinc and a variety of vitamins which can play a role in your susceptibility to depression.

B-complex vitamins and Niacin are two examples of base materials needed to create brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) such as serotonin, neuro adrenaline, and dopamine. All of these neurotransmitters are important to your mental health. Collectively, neurotransmitters help your brain cells communicate – they relay chemical messages so that your brain can think, regulate your feelings and control biological processes, like your heart rate and digestion. 2

A lack of bioavailable materials to create these essential brain chemicals can adversely affect your mental and physical health. Additionally, gut microbes contribute to the biosynthesis and bioavailability of vitamins.

Not all supplements are the same.

When you are looking for a supplement, you want to take those with high bioavailability. Bioavailability simply means the degree or rate at which something is absorbed or becomes available at the site of physiological activity after it is taken.

Assisting micronutrient intake is critical in choosing supplements, as they need to reach the bloodstream and be absorbed by the body. Taking a highly bioavailable supplement increases the chances of your body absorbing necessary nutrients and improves overall health. 3

Supplements that are developed to create high bioavailability are generally more effective. Products with high bioavailability assist the body in absorbing more of the nutrient or supplements so that taking higher doses is not necessary. While many methods increase bioavailability, most are focused on increasing absorption rather than decreasing secretion. 4

The supplements we can prescribe at our clinic.

At our clinic, we can prescribe medical-grade supplements. These supplements are created using ingredients with high bioavailability to ensure they are adequately absorbed by the body and prevent any discomfort.

Inorganic minerals are often very high in over-the-counter supplements. High doses of such material allow your body to absorb an adequate amount of the targeted ingredient. However, a high amount of inorganic material increases the risk of side effects.

Conversely, organic mineral forms (which have high bioavailability) make inorganic ingredients unnecessary. Using organic ingredients optimizes the dose to achieve the desired effect. We can prescribe supplements that only use organic mineral salts or chelates here at our clinic.

Which supplements are right for you?

At The Hayakawa Mental Health Clinic, we treat the whole body, which means testing your blood to see if you have the correct levels of vitamins and minerals to support your treatment. We often prescribe Zinc, Iron, Niacin, Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin C, and a whole range of supplements targeted to improve your gut flora and improve overall health. Feel free to come by and check them out!

Citations:

1 Evidence-Based Research on the Role of Zinc and Magnesium Deficiencies in Depression

December 31, 2016

James M. Greenblatt, MD, Winnie To, BS, Jennifer Dimino, MS

Psychiatric Times, Vol 33 No 12, Volume 33, Issue 12

2.Gibson GE, Blass JP. Nutrition and Functional Neurochemistry. In: Siegel GJ, Agranoff BW, Albers RW, et al., editors. Basic Neurochemistry: Molecular, Cellular and Medical Aspects. 6th edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 1999. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK28242/

3.What Does Bioavailability Of A Vitamin Mean – TheFitnessManual. https://thefitnessmanual.com/vitamins/what-does-bioavailability-of-a-vitamin-mean/

4.What is Bioavailability & why is it important? | FutureYou. https://futureyouhealth.com/about-bioavailability

5.Pressman P, Clemens RA, Hayes AW. Bioavailability of micronutrients obtained from supplements and food: A survey and case study of the polyphenols. Toxicology Research and Application. January 2017. doi:10.1177/2397847317696366

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