When it comes to taking care of our health, it's easy to fall into an either-or mindset—natural versus clinical, ancient wisdom versus cutting-edge science. Some advocates of holistic wellness may be quick to dismiss conventional medicine as overly synthetic or impersonal, while staunch supporters of Western practices often question the validity of supplements or integrative therapies. But the truth is, it doesn’t have to be one or the other.
In fact, the most effective care often comes from embracing the strengths of both—drawing from time-tested natural remedies and modern medical advances to create a more complete, personalized approach to well-being.
While this of course varies case by case, Western medicine and age-old, tried-and-true ingredients found in supplements can work together to promote full-body health. In fact, one extensive study found that 43% of patients were taking at least one dietary supplement alongside prescription medications.1
In collaboration with triple-board certified OBGYN Dr. Roxanne Pero from O Positiv Health’s Medical Advisory Board, we got the rundown on how to combine both worlds and achieve your fullest health potential.
O Positiv Health: First things first—how do modern medicine and holistic supplements complement each other?
Dr. Pero: We’ve all been in a space where we’re having symptoms or a flare-up and we can’t get in to see our doctor for weeks or months. That’s what I love about the integrative space because with foods and supplementation, you have the ability to help your body and feel better while you're waiting on those interventions from modern medicine. So much research is showing that an integrative approach to something like endometriosis, surgery combined with nutrition and supplementation, reaps better outcomes than just surgery alone or just supplements and nutrition alone. It's a beautiful symphony that we're starting to see when we integrate these practices.
O Positiv Health: While there surely is research that supports this sentiment, many doctors negate the benefits of supplements. Is there any advice you would give to someone who has to navigate that conversation with their doctor?
Dr. Pero: I would say choose your battles. I used to be like, “You go and show him these articles.” But I think that many doctors are tired and overwhelmed. They know what they know and it's working for the majority of people. So they may not even be in a place where they're receptive to that personalized care. If you've done enough research and you feel that it's a safe option for you, try it out. I just think that it's an opportunity that would be missed for many patients because they would go to their regular doctor and be told, “I don't know anything about this,” or just a blanket statement that it's not safe, and it's just not that's not the case.
O Positiv Health: Absolutely. Can you explain the difference between treating symptoms versus supporting the body on a more long-term spectrum?
Dr. Pero: That's where conventional medicine butts heads with the integrated and holistic space. Nothing is going to be able to replace surgery. Nothing's gonna be able to replace prescription pharmaceutical-grade medications. When we take a look at the role of supplements, it's meant to support and bring the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that your body needs to have for that successful surgery or for that pharmaceutical drug to really work. Even on your own, just to provide what your body needs for metabolism, detoxification, pain control, inflammation reduction, and so on. A lot of the FLO products have B vitamins in them and chasteberry. Those are things that your body is going to use to help support your natural hormone production. They're not a band-aid. They're not doing anything like that. They're definitely there to support and augment what your body is trying to do.
O Positiv Health: So how would someone bring FLO products into their routine, especially if they are relying on other medications?
Dr. Pero: Let's take for instance the PMS Vitamin Capsules. We have very good hormonal suppression medications that can help to mitigate cramping altogether, which is beautiful because some people are ready to just not deal with heavy cramps in their lives at all. Other people want to do the most for their bodies. They don't necessarily wanna completely shut down their ovaries. For both of those types of patients, adding something like FLO products is beneficial because one, we know hormonal contraception depletes really crucial vitamins like our B vitamins. We need that. We don't want to trade one resolution of an issue for a new issue as a result of the side effects of that medication. And then, for someone who doesn't want to do hormonal suppression, it's really an amazing thing to have them use a product that supports their body and gives them what they need to do that PMS cramping relief on their own.
O Positiv Health: Should a patient bring this conversation up with their doctor? Because I know that sometimes certain supplements can interact in certain ways with certain medicines.
Dr. Pero: If you're on a prescription medication, you want to be able to keep your primary care doctor in the loop. There should be the ability of your doctor or practitioner to be able to check drug interactions with supplements. As well as understanding that you can't supplement yourself out of needing a surgery. You can't supplement yourself out of having a poor lifestyle. More is not often better when it comes to supplements. Choose wisely. Think about just adding one at a time, if you’re not under an integrative physician’s guidance.
O Positiv Health: I would love to hear your take on where it would be better to step away from Western medicine and find an integrative doctor, or do you think you can kind of take matters into your own hands when it comes to sort of meeting Western medicine and supplements?
Dr. Pero: It's hard. I think it's so individualized for each person because on the one hand, especially for young people, the financial access to an integrative provider is difficult. I acknowledge that. The way that I practice medicine, I really can't afford to take insurance. For many people, the only way they can see a medical provider is with insurance. I think having platforms like O Positiv where I am able to be on that advisory board and say, “You have an OBGYN functional integrated physician who is backing these products,” I think that makes patients feel really safe while continuing to see Western medicine doctors and doing their own thing with supplements.
O Positiv Health: With that, what are some supplements you would recommend across the board that you find yourself recommending a lot with patients?
Dr. Pero: Vitamins B6, B12. Those get so depleted in the environment that we live in. Just the toxins that we're exposed to, our stress level, the adrenals need a lot of B vitamins. Patients feel that right away when they start a B Complex. So yes, the B6 found in the FLO supplements is great. We need B6 to help regulate our hormones and get that trigger to produce progesterone. Vitamin D, too. I have yet to see someone who's not on Vitamin D supplementation have optimal levels of Vitamin D. We know Vitamin D is so good for heart health, brain health, breast health, reproductive health, fertility, and immune system health. That's a must for me. I think those are the top two. Omegas for me are major, but not for everybody.
O Positiv Health: For anyone who's just starting to blend the two approaches, what is some advice you could give them for the beginning of their journey?
Dr. Pero: In ideal situations, I think being aligned with a medical provider who has your same intentions and thought processes in mind is great. If they’re at least open to it, if you're bringing data and research, O Positiv products that are backed by board-certified OBGYN, that really helps. You want someone in your corner who's going to encourage you to do your part in taking care of your health. If you don’t have that, then starting low and going slow with adding in supplements is important. Not just like going to the store and pulling all the supplements down into your basket. It can feel overwhelming because it's a lot, but really do your research. What are you truly looking for as far as your health goals, and how can the least amount of supplements do that for you?
O Positiv Health: Do you recommend doing blood work before going into supplementation?
Dr. Pero: I don't think it's always necessary. Anecdotally, just in my practice, the majority of women that I check for B12, folate, Vitamin D, Omega levels, they're all low. They're safe enough supplements, especially with a trusted line, to see how you feel with starting them.
O Positiv Health: Are there any show-tell signs indicative of a vitamin deficiency? For instance, brittle nails, dull skin, or hair breakage?
Dr. Pero: Oh yeah. There's a bunch. When we were going through functional medicine, we had to memorize what symptoms were associated with what. Tongue changes, skin changes, hair changes, nail changes. Those all can be indicative of deficiencies. Sleep disturbances, numbness, tingling. It's really fascinating because that's what people used to do before they had the ability to check blood work. They correlated the symptoms with the vitamin deficiency. At some point, you become self-aware enough to sort of notice it within yourself as well.
O Positiv Health: Lastly, are there any common myths or misconceptions you hear about supplements that you want to debunk right now?
Dr. Pero: I think that myths include that they're not helpful, or that you can get the same nutrients and vitamins and minerals through nutrition. That might be the case for someone who's able to farm their own food and commit to three nutrient-dense meals a day and has the time to sit and actually chew their food and let it digest and let it absorb. But the fact is that that's not most of our lifestyles; our lives are crazy. Our soil is depleted. I think that supplementation is a must for the majority of us. Another myth is that most of it is a placebo effect. We have enough really good evidence-based studies to say that that's not the case.
