New York City integrative medicine specialist Dr. Richard Firshein has been practicing precision-based medicine for decades, in which everything—from testing to long-term longevity plans—is customized. At his namesake practice on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the Firshein Center, Dr. Firshein offers a 360-degree approach to personalized health care by looking at a patient’s gut biome, DNA, nutritional vitamin levels, hormones, allergies and toxins they may have been exposed to.
An early pioneer in the field of integrative and functional medicine, Dr. Firshein has penned two books on the topic (Nutraceutical Revolution and The Vitamin Prescription (for Life)) and treated patients like U2’s Larry Mullen Jr. and Susan Rockefeller. “I was always a believer in natural approaches to health care,” says Dr. Firshein. “We simply prescribe too many medications and perhaps now too many supplements for our own good.” Since no two patients are the same, Dr. Firshein’s goal is to use his unique system of healing to prescribe the right cocktail of supplements to maximize each individual’s optimal health. To that end, Precise Elements by Dr. Firshein was born. “You are the only person that matters when it comes to your health,” he explains. “And, for me, this is the holy grail of supplementation: one pill that’s customized to your unique needs.” For those who don’t like swallowing pills, you can even get the formula in powder form instead.
Precise Elements by Dr. Firshein supplements for whatever ails you
Dr. Firshein cites many issues with the way we currently take supplements. “Let’s start with one-size-fits-all multivitamins,” he says. “They may be providing some benefit, but they often have so many ingredients that overlap that it’s both wasteful and potentially harmful—even creating adverse effects, including increased risks for cancer.” For example, a 35-year-old man with asthma needs a different supplement than a 70-year-old woman with diabetes. “That seems obvious, but no one has been able to address that yet,” he explains. “In many cases, I’m incorporating metabolic, nutritional and DNA testing into these formulations, creating the most precise nutritional supplement formulation possible with no filler.”
Dr. Firshein’s goal is to consolidate all of the supplements a patient might need into fewer than five pills daily that are tailored to your needs and packaged in a sustainable, refillable bottle. “A color-coding system on our bottles gives consumers a quick glimpse of what their supplements are being used for, too,” says Dr. Firshein. “So, for example, a bottle with a green stripe on the label will help consumers know that this is for supporting heart and lung health.” For now, this unique service is offered exclusively through consultation via an in-person or telemedicine appointment at the Firshein Center. “As you consider each person’s family history, genetic predispositions, allergies, deficiencies and medications, you start to get a much different picture in terms of need and ultimately the ability to create a specialized supplement regimen that’s right for them.”
