Vitamins and supplements: what tests should be taken before taking them?

The correct approach to vitamins and supplements should always begin with a baseline analysis of your usual diet and lifestyle, rather than buying expensive bottles at the pharmacy. The simplest and most effective foundation is the famous healthy plate rule, which makes it easy to control the intake of essential macro and micronutrients every day.

Mentally divide your standard plate into three unequal parts to help you compose a balanced meal:

This approach guarantees the intake of most basic nutrients from food, reducing the need for chaotic intake of synthetic vitamins. However, if you feel constant fatigue, experience hair loss, or observe other deficiency symptoms, you should not prescribe supplements to yourself. Before starting any vitamin complexes, it is highly recommended to take basic blood laboratory tests to accurately determine the initial level of key indicators such as ferritin, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and a complete blood count.

After receiving the test results, a specialized expert will be able to assess the real picture of deficiencies and select an individual dosage of the necessary preparations. Self-treatment with vitamins may not only fail to bring the desired benefits but can also harm the body due to hypervitaminosis. Remember that any supplements are meant only to complement a varied and balanced diet, not to replace it.