Getting enough of the right vitamins is critical for maintaining good health. Vitamins play many important roles in the body – they help turn food into energy, repair cellular damage, and bolster the immune system. However, figuring out your personal vitamin levels can be confusing. Read on for a quick guide on the best ways to check your vitamin levels.
Why Check Vitamin Levels?
There are several reasons you may want to check your vitamin levels:
- You eat a restricted diet and want to ensure you are getting adequate nutrition
- You have symptoms of a vitamin deficiency like fatigue or frequent illness
- You have a health condition that impacts vitamin absorption or increases nutrient needs
- You are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive – times when vitamin needs are increased
- You want to optimize wellness and make sure you are getting enough vitamins
Checking vitamin levels provides objective data about your nutritional status. This allows you to address any deficiencies and helps ensure you get the right amount of each key vitamin.
Methods of Checking Vitamin Levels
There are a few different ways to evaluate your vitamin levels:
Blood Tests
A blood test is the most accurate way to measure vitamin levels in the body. Blood samples are drawn by a phlebotomist and sent to a lab for analysis. The lab can determine the exact amount of each vitamin present in the bloodstream.
Blood tests are especially useful for assessing fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. These types of vitamins are stored in body tissues like fat and the liver. Blood tests can pick up on marginal deficiencies of these vitamins that urinalysis may miss.
Some key vitamins that blood tests measure include:
| Vitamin | Key Functions |
|---|---|
| Vitamin A | Immune function, vision, reproduction, growth |
| Vitamin B12 | Nerve function, red blood cell formation |
| Vitamin C | Collagen formation, immunity, antioxidant |
| Vitamin D | Bone health, calcium absorption, immunity |
| Vitamin K | Blood clotting, bone metabolism |
Blood tests can directly measure how much of each vitamin is circulating in your system. This provides an accurate assessment of vitamin status.
Urinalysis
Urinalysis involves collecting a urine sample and having it tested for the presence and levels of various vitamins. The urine is assessed for vitamin metabolites – compounds produced as vitamins are used and excreted from the body.
Urinalysis is often used to check water-soluble B-vitamin levels. Since these vitamins are not stored in large amounts, urinalysis provides a snapshot of recent dietary intake and vitamin usage. For instance, urinalysis measures metabolites of:
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Vitamin B6
- Biotin
- Pantothenic acid
Urinalysis is non-invasive and more affordable than bloodwork. However, it may miss marginal deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins that are stored in tissues.
At-Home Vitamin Test Kits
At-home test kits are now available to check certain vitamin levels from the comfort of your own home. These kits come with collection materials – like blotting paper for blood spot tests or containers to provide saliva or urine samples.
Samples are collected at home and then mailed to a lab for analysis. Results are provided directly to the customer online or via phone in a few days or weeks.
Types of vitamins at-home kits test for include:
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin B12
- Folate
- Ferritin (iron stores)
- Vitamin C
At-home kits are more affordable and convenient than testing through a doctor’s office. However, they have some limitations. Not all vitamins can be tested at home. And at-home collection techniques may be less reliable than clinical draws. Kits also require the customer to order and coordinate the testing themselves.
When to Test Vitamin Levels
Certain times warrant checking vitamin levels more than others. Key times to consider testing include:
Annual Physicals
Many doctors include vitamin level checks as part of annual preventative exams. This helps assess nutritional status when you are healthy. Catching marginal deficiencies early on helps prevent them progressing to problematic levels.
Life Stage Changes
Times of life change like infancy, pregnancy, and older age alter vitamin needs. Testing vitamin levels during these life stages helps ensure nutrient needs are met.
Major Changes in Diet or Health
Switching to a very restrictive diet like strict veganism, low-fat, or low-carb may impact vitamin intake. Chronic health conditions or surgery that affect digestion and absorption can also alter vitamin status. Testing levels after major dietary or health changes will spot if supplementation is needed.
Ongoing Deficiency Symptoms
Lingering deficiency symptoms like fatigue, frequent sickness, vision changes, or mouth sores warrant checking vitamin levels. Testing can identify any problem vitamins that require increased dietary intake or supplementation.
Interpreting Vitamin Test Results
Vitamin testing provides a set of numbers indicating your status for each vitamin. But what do those numbers mean? Here are some guidelines for interpreting test results:
Reference Ranges
Lab test results will list a normal reference range for each vitamin tested. Numbers within or close to this range are considered adequate. Levels significantly below the range often indicate a deficiency requiring supplementation.
Deficiency vs Toxicity
Very low levels below the normal range indicate a deficient status. Very high levels above the range may indicate toxicity, an excessively high amount that can cause adverse effects.
Marginal Status
Results that are near the cut-off for the bottom or top of the reference range signal a potential deficiency or excess level. Your doctor may recommend monitoring and dietary adjustments in these marginal cases.
Doctor Assessment
Have your healthcare provider carefully review your test results. They can explain what each vitamin level means for your health. Your doctor may recommend dietary changes, supplements, or repeat testing based on the results.
Improving Your Vitamin Levels
If vitamin testing uncovers any deficiencies, there are ways to bring your levels up into the healthy range:
Eat More Vitamin-Rich Foods
Target vitamin-packed foods in your diet like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, dairy, eggs, meat, and seafood. Aim for a well-rounded diet providing a variety of essential vitamins.
Take a Multivitamin
A daily multivitamin helps cover any nutritional gaps and provides a vitamin safety net. Look for a brand with 100% or more of the recommended daily intakes.
Add Individual Vitamin Supplements
If your levels are very deficient, you may need high-dose individual supplements to correct the shortfall. Your doctor can recommend specific vitamins and dosages based on your test results.
Get More Sun Exposure for Vitamin D
Spending 10-15 minutes a few times a week in midday sunlight can naturally boost vitamin D levels. Expose large areas of skin like arms and legs.
Key Takeaways
Checking your vitamin levels provides objective data about your nutritional status. Blood tests offer the most accurate assessment, while urinalysis and at-home kits provide more convenience and affordability. Test vitamin levels at annual exams, during major life stages, when you change your diet or health status, or if deficiency symptoms arise. Address any low levels by eating more vitamin-rich foods, taking supplements per your doctor’s advice, and increasing sun exposure if deficient in vitamin D.