Persona, a Nestlé Health Science (NHS) company and leading personalized vitamin subscription program, took a unique look at today’s personalized nutrition movement in an event moderated by New York Times Bestselling nutrition author and Emmy Award-winning television host, Daphne Oz.
 
The event, which took place on Oct. 10 at Tavern on the Green in New York City featured a panel discussion with Persona’s medical advisory board, Michael Roizen, MD, Harry Oken, MD, and Brandi Cole, PharmD, along with entrepreneur, beauty and health expert, Hannah Bronfman. The event educated attendees about the rise of personalized nutrition, the importance of drug-nutrient interactions and how Persona is flipping the script on nutrition. 
 
“Persona is a company that provides the best in quality nutrition, education and most importantly—drug nutrient interactions. Our medical advisory board has analyzed more than 2,000 potential drug-nutrient interactions and we make sure that when customers take our questionnaire, they are receiving a unique supplement recommendation just for them,” said Jason Brown, CEO and founder of Persona Nutrition. “Our customers speak with in-house nutritionists, who can help them review what they’re already taking or why they’re considering taking a certain supplement to provide accurate recommendations to suit their lifestyle.”  
 
Chief Wellness Officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and New York Times’ Bestselling author, Michael Roizen, MD shared insight as to why Americans were lacking knowledge about drug nutrient interactions and that prescription medications for depression, statins, allergies or inflammation can pose drug-nutrient interactions, depending on which vitamins and supplements are taken at the same time.  
 
“When someone takes a prescription medication—whether it’s something they’re on indefinitely or something they’re taking short term—that prescription medication may have vitamins and minerals incorporated into them that can raise the overall level of micronutrients entering the body if the person is already taking a daily vitamin,” said Roizen. “On the flip side, the daily vitamin, herb or other nutrient may impact the effectiveness of the medication. The goals are to always know about possible interactions and to speak with your physician or a pharmacist to help navigate how you can take both—prescription medications and vitamins— in harmony.” 
 
Moderator, Daphne Oz, also focused on the importance of nutrients needed for different life stages including child-bearing and boomer years. Daphne expressed how vitamins and dietary supplements are very much a part of her daily nutrition program, and how refreshing it was for her to find a company like Persona that is marrying technology, nutrition research and high-quality vitamins to help support each person’s unique wellness journey. 
 
“As a breastfeeding mother, I’m extremely conscious of the vitamins and minerals I’m taking in. We all know that breast milk is the nutritional gold standard for babies, but what many women don’t realize is that we, as women, need to replenish our nutrient stores too,” said Daphne Oz. “For instance, I am taking calcium—based on my doctor’s recommendation—twice a day because the body’s calcium levels can drop while breastfeeding and we need to make sure we’re getting consistent levels throughout the day.” 
 
To view the entire panel discussion, click here.