by Dr. Dana Stallings
I have never been a vitamin girl. I’ve been told to take vitamins many times over the years, but never listened. That’s because I went to the drug store, bought the cheapest option on the shelf (that mess is expensive!), and noted exactly zero change in my body except neon pee.
Turns out, when you take quality vitamins, you feel better! Plus, neon pee is okay. Read on…
Around 2017, I began having intense GI issues. I couldn’t eat a thing without bloat, diarrhea, and systemic effects including hives and itching. This was my introduction to Thorne. A dietitian recommended L-glutamine before meals, and – well, it worked. Coupled with recommended dietary changes, my symptoms greatly improved.
Fast forward to October 2022: I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. (Read more about my journey with Lyme Disease here.) My primary care nurse practitioner recommended a variety of supplements based on my lab results. And guess what company she recommended: Thorne! I had almost zero energy, and my B-12 and vitamin D levels were low on my lab work. So I started using B-Complex #12 and vitamin D3-10,000 units. I had new GI issues from a concurrent bartonella infection, so she recommended BioGest and FloraMend Prime Probiotic. And, well – it worked, again. My energy was higher and my GI issues were virtually gone.
The effects were so impressive that all the SSD team asked me to order the same supplements for them! (I will do a separate blog post with their honest opinions on the products they tried; coming soon.)
Then, I entered early perimenopause. (Learn more about that journey here.) As my hair was falling out and my stress and cortisol levels were off the chart, I added two more Thorne supplements to my repertoire: Biotin for hair and Rhodiola for stress. The perimenopause protocol also called for 3 more supplements I was still taking: B-Complex #12, vitamin D3-10,000 units, and FloraMend Prime Probiotic.
The Rhodiola was so effective in lowering my stress levels, that I was able to reduce my prescription anxiety medication. (Read more about Mental Health and my struggle with anxiety.)
Please note: supplements alone are not recommended for everyone, including people diagnosed with a psychiatric or mental health disorder. Talk to your healthcare provider about what medications and supplements are right for you.
I am exceedingly impressed with Thorne supplements. They believe in patient-centered wellness without junk ingredients. Yes, they’re more expensive than your standard drug store products. And having used both, I can verify they are worth every penny. Despite receiving a deeper discount as a Thorne partner, all of my supplements are still on my personal subscription. I may more my supplements, and I have zero issues with that!
Speaking of… if you subscribe to 2 products, you receive a 10% discount on your subsequent shipments (not the initial). More than 3 subscriptions, you get 20% off. (That’s where I am.) Plus, SSD offers 20% off the supplements we sell in-office, which are ever-evolving based on what our patients need and request. No, we won’t ship them to you at 20% off. You can come see our smiling faces!
Neon pee? Turns out it’s caused by excess riboflavin from B vitamins! Here is an explanation directly from Thorne:
“…we can tell you that this is completely normal and very common with highly absorbable nutrients – especially the water-soluble B vitamins. For any nutrient to be excreted in the urine, the nutrient must have been absorbed in the digestive tract, entered the bloodstream, and then been filtered by the kidneys. If the amount of a nutrient provided in a supplement was in excess of what is normally utilized by the body, then it would likewise be normal to be excreted through the urine. So, the good news is, if you’re seeing a color change in your urine, then the B vitamins in B-Complex #12 (there are nine of them) were definitely absorbed!”If you have any questions about Thorne products, give us a call or ask about them during your next office visit. I’ll drop some helpful links below to summarize everything you just read.