What is nutritional compounding?


Wednesday, 21 April 2021

At the Endeavour Wellness clinics, our nutrition and dietetic medicine students are fully trained to prescribe, prepare and deliver individualised nutrient compounds to our clients to support their health and wellbeing.

What are nutrient compounds?
These are blends of powdered nutrients in one compact tub, which provide a convenient and cost-effective way to deliver a therapeutic dose of each nutrient to support the health of our clients. Students in their final years studying a Bachelor of Health Science (Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine) can customise a blend to make it tasty enough to be happily consumed day in and day out whilst the nutrients get busy doing what they need to. It’s also much easier taking daily recommendations mixed into food or drink than trying to remember capsules! In one formula, we can combine amino acids, vitamins and minerals, prebiotics, and probiotics. Many commonly used nutrients can also be compounded into a transdermal cream, which is ideal for the very young and those who prefer plain foods.
Are these compounds suitable for everyone?
Where clinically indicated, compounds are effective solutions for clients of all ages. Children especially thrive using a compounded blend partly because they usually can’t or won’t swallow capsules and partly because they want simplicity.

The two case stories presented here are examples of clients who have been supported with prescribed nutrients in this formulation (Note: names have been changed to protect client identities).

Case study 1: Girl 9 years old, with ADHD, ASD and anxiety

‘Annie’ was restless and fidgety during the consult and left the room at least three times with mum needing to chase after her. She became irritable easily, resulting in plenty of yelling on her part at home and school. Sleep was a problem and mum thought it was due to Annie worrying about the next day at school. She was also prone to frequent colds.

Annie’s complex case is ideally suited to using compounds. Her blend contained:

In addition, a transdermal compounded cream was made containing magnesium and B6 to encourage better sleep quality and to regulate moods and energy to help reduce restlessness during the day.

After two weeks mum reported that Annie seemed less irritable and there was a significant drop in yelling episodes at home. Sleep was a little easier, but Annie still seemed to wake grumpy in the mornings.

After a further two weeks on the same formulas, but with a slight increase in the powder dosage, Annie was noticeably calmer at both school and home. The yelling was reduced further and only happened over what mum considered to be valid reasons as opposed to minor issues. Sleep had improved further with Annie falling asleep sooner but more importantly, there was little fuss over bedtime.

Case study 2: Female 75 years old with long-term depression and anxiety, plus an irritable bowel 

‘Gwen’ has experienced depression for decades. In more recent years, Gwen also started experiencing gurgling, bloating, and abdominal pain which has gradually worsened over time. She is on numerous medications, so the choice of nutrients had to be carefully considered. Compounded amino acids are ideal for her because it is possible to prepare a precise bespoke therapeutic blend that includes ingredients that will have the best results while leaving out those that are not necessary.

Gwen’s formula was kept simple, including:

In just two weeks, Gwen was surprised to find her moods were much more stable and she felt more positive about life. Her abdominal pain was still present, however, it had been reduced by about half. More encouragingly, her signs of gurgling and bloating were nearly gone!

These two cases sum up the therapeutic benefits that Endeavour Wellness Clinic clients are finding when they are prescribed nutrient compounds designed for them and their particular health picture.

Why not pop into the clinic for a nutritional assessment? Our students are supervised by professional practitioners with years of experience in clinical nutrition. Your full case history and health requirements will guide your practitioner in their treatment and management planning.

And if a compound is part of this plan, these convenient and cost-effective prescriptions can lead the way to a better and more healthier you!

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