Child, Adolescent & Adult Psychiatrist | Founder at ACES Psychiatry, Winter Garden, Florida
Answered 10 months ago
Based on the topics, I can provide my medical perspective on two of them: Do You Need a Vitamin D Supplement? 7 Potential Health Benefits of Creatine In my psychiatric practice, I emphasize a holistic approach, and the mind-body connection is a critical part of how I treat patients. Nutritional psychiatry is a fascinating and vital field. I frequently discuss Vitamin D with my patients, as deficiency is incredibly common and has well-established links to mood disorders, including depression and seasonal affective disorder. I can speak to the importance of checking levels and the significant impact supplementation can have on mental well-being. Regarding creatine, I can offer a perspective that goes beyond muscle building. There is compelling and growing research on creatine's role in brain health, including its benefits for cognitive function, mental energy, and its potential as an adjunctive treatment for depression. It's an exciting area where we're seeing more evidence of how supplements can support brain chemistry. The other two topics, while interesting, fall outside my direct specialization. I believe your readers would be better served by a cardiologist or nephrologist for the hypertension piece, and a dermatologist or registered dietitian for the collagen story. Please feel free to send the interview questions for the Vitamin D and creatine articles to me. I look forward to contributing.
I can speak to the vitamin D supplement story from my IV therapy practice here in Oklahoma. Through Hydrate You IV, I've administered thousands of vitamin D IM shots and consistently see patients who think they're getting enough D3 from oral supplements but still test deficient. The absorption difference is stark - oral vitamin D has to go through your digestive system where you lose significant potency, especially if you have gut issues. Our vitamin D shots bypass digestion entirely, delivering 100% bioavailability directly into muscle tissue. I've treated patients taking 5,000 IU daily pills for months with minimal blood level improvements. After switching to monthly vitamin D injections at $35 each, their 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels jump from deficient ranges (under 30 ng/mL) to optimal (50-80 ng/mL) within 8-12 weeks. What's interesting is how many of my clients don't realize their fatigue, muscle weakness, and frequent illness stem from vitamin D deficiency. Living in Oklahoma, we get decent sun exposure, but indoor lifestyles and sunscreen use still leave most people deficient year-round.
Liquid Collagen - Liquid collagen is simply hydrolyzed collagen peptides in a ready-to-drink format, often enhanced with vitamin C, biotin, or hyaluronic acid to support absorption and effectiveness. When I've recommended it, it's to help clients enjoy potential benefits like improved skin elasticity, hydration, and support for joints and bones, though most studies focus on oral collagen in general, not liquid specifically. Side effects are uncommon, but mild digestive discomfort or allergies, particularly from marine sources, can occur, so it's important to read labels and monitor your response. What concerns me most is the lack of FDA regulation around dosage, sourcing, and purity, which means I always recommend third-party tested brands to ensure safety. The research, especially on skin hydration and elasticity, looks promising, but studies are small, often industry funded, and short-term. So in my practice, I frame liquid collagen as a convenient supplemental option, not a miracle cure—it's best used alongside a balanced diet rich in protein, sun protection, and consistent self-care. Vitamin D supplement - Vitamin D supports bone, muscle, immune, and gut health, but most people get enough from sunlight and fortified foods. But around 25-35% of U.S. adults (especially older adults or those with darker skin) are deficient. I always check blood levels before recommending supplements. Deficiency is usually defined as <20 ng/mL, and I suggest 600-1,000 IU daily for those below that threshold, especially during winter or for at-risk groups. Large trials like VITAL and others have not shown broad benefits for heart disease, cancer, or fractures in healthy adults, so targeted use is more effective than universal supplementation. I always emphasize choosing high-quality D3 supplements with third-party testing and staying below the safe upper limit (4,000 IU/day). Vitamin D supplementation is valuable when blood-tested and individualized, but it's not a cure-all. Get sun safely, eat well, and supplement smartly if you really need it.
Hello! As an aesthetic nurse, I would love to contribute to the following stories: - Do You Need a Vitamin D Supplement? Everything to Know - What Is Liquid Collagen? Benefits, Side Effects, and More Please send questions to: catherine@primeplushardmoney.com
Though we generally think of liquid collagen as something that benefits the skin, it is actually very important in supporting muscle growth and repair. Most liquid collagen products are promoted by showcasing its benefits for skin health, and in getting rid of fine lines and wrinkles, and while it does offer those benefits, it also has other attributes. Collagen is partially made up of amino acids which not only support muscle growth, but can repair the damage that is the result of exercise. However, it is important to get a high quality product as cheaper versions can contain heavy metals that can be detrimental. So while liquid collagen can benefit your skin's appearance, it can also help you develop and maintain healthy muscle mass.
I'd be happy to contribute to all four topics. Through Pure IV Tennessee, I've administered thousands of IV treatments and see how these supplements work in real-world applications with our mobile therapy patients. For hypertension, magnesium is incredibly underrated - we include it in most of our IV formulations because many of our Nashville clients show immediate blood pressure improvements during treatment. I've seen patients with borderline high BP get 15-20 point drops just from our magnesium-rich hydration IVs. Garlic extract is another one I recommend to clients between treatments. On creatine, our athletic recovery IVs work great, but I tell clients that oral creatine monohydrate fills the gaps between sessions. Construction workers in our Memphis service area who take 5g daily report way less fatigue during their physically demanding jobs. The brain benefits are real too - I've had several clients combine our B12 IVs with daily creatine and see major improvements in mental clarity. For liquid collagen, I'm honest with clients that our vitamin C IVs probably do more for collagen production than most liquid supplements. But for convenience, I recommend Vital Proteins liquid collagen shots - they're portable and clients actually stick with them unlike powders that sit in their pantry.
I can speak to the vitamin D and liquid collagen topics based on what I've learned running RevIVe Mobile IV. Over 3,000 sessions have shown me which nutrients people actually absorb versus what they think they're getting from pills. For vitamin D specifically, we offer it as an intramuscular injection for $30 because oral supplements have terrible absorption rates—around 10-20% compared to nearly 100% via injection. I've seen clients in Pennsylvania struggle with deficiency despite taking high-dose oral supplements, especially during our long winters when sunlight exposure drops. With liquid collagen, the bioavailability question is huge. Most liquid collagen gets broken down in your digestive system before reaching your skin. That's why our beauty and anti-aging IV infusions work better—we bypass digestion entirely and deliver nutrients directly to your bloodstream where they can actually reach target tissues. Running mobile IV therapy has taught me that delivery method matters more than dosage for most supplements. Pills sitting in your medicine cabinet don't help if your body can't properly absorb them.