Vitamin Full Screen

A comprehensive test for a wide range of vitamins, to help you know which vitamins you are getting, and which you need more of.

Overview

What do vitamins do?

Vitamins help you stay healthy. Most influence several areas of the body, from muscles to vision to the immune system. They are the nutrients your body absorbs from the food you eat, and a balanced diet should usually ensure you get all the vitamins you need in roughly the right amounts. But if you are allergic or intolerant to certain foods – or if you simply do not like certain food types – your body can become deficient in one or more vitamins.

Vitamin deficiencies can show their effects in many ways. Because many vitamin deficiencies have similar symptoms, it can be difficult to know precisely which affect you. Vitamin testing can help.

Vitamin types and symptoms of deficiency

This test checks levels of the following vitamins:

Vitamin A

• What it does: Boosts the immune system, keeps skin healthy, aids low-light vision.
• Where can I get it? Dairy (milk, eggs, yoghurt, cheese, low fat spreads), liver, pate. As your body can also convert beta carotene into vitamin A, you can also find it in the foods mentioned below.
• How do I know if I am deficient? Deterioration in vision, especially at night, is often the first noticeable symptom.

Beta Carotene

• What is it? A pigment the body converts into vitamin A.
• Where can I get it? Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables.
• How do I know if I am deficient? See vitamin A deficiency.

Vitamin B1 (also known as thiamin)

• What it does: Supports the nervous system. Helps your body break down food and release energy from it.
• Where can I get it? Wholegrain foods, eggs, fruit (fresh or dried), liver, peas, legumes (lentils, nuts, seeds etc).
• How do I know if I am deficient? Headaches, fatigue, muscle pain, nausea. Can lead to beriberi.

Vitamin B2 (also known as riboflavin)

• What it does: Helps the body release energy from food. Keeps eyes, skin and the nervous system in good health.
• Where can I get it? Rice, milk, eggs.
• How do I know if I am deficient? Swollen tongue and/or throat, sore throat, cracked skin, anaemia, dermatitis.

Vitamin B3 (also known as niacin)

• What it does: Essential for healthy skin, brain, blood cells and nervous system.
• Where can I get it? Fish, poultry, meat, whole grains, eggs, milk.
• How do I know if I am deficient? Swollen tongue and a burning sensation in the mouth. Severe deficiency can lead to pellagra, with symptoms including cracked skin, diarrhoea and dementia.

Vitamin B6 (also known as pyridoxine)

• What it does: Helps red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. Enables the body to store and use proteins and carbohydrates in food.
• Where can I get it? Fish, poultry, rice, eggs, bread, vegetables, potatoes.
• How do I know if I am deficient? Mood swings, anxiety, irritability, depression.

Vitamin B9 (also known as folic acid)

• What it does: An essential aid to new cell creation. Vital in early pregnancy as it helps prevent conditions such as spina bifida. May reduce the risk of some cancers.
• Where can I get it? Many green vegetables (asparagus, cabbage, spinach, broccoli), orange and tomato juice.
• How do I know if I am deficient? Causes folate deficiency anaemia (i.e. your body produces abnormally large red blood cells that cannot function properly) which may make you feel tired, with loss of energy and appetite. Effects may also include ulcers, memory loss, pins and needles.

Vitamin B12 (also known as cobalamin)

• What it does: Helps make red blood cells and DNA. Keeps the nervous system healthy. Breaks down some fatty acids.
• Where can I get it? Salmon, cod, meat, cheese, eggs.
• How do I know if I am deficient? Numbness in the limbs, memory loss, dementia.

Vitamin C

• What it does: Helps wounds to heal faster. Keeps blood vessels and bones healthy. Keeps cells and skin healthy. May boost the immune system.
• Where can I get it? Citrus fruits and fruit juices, tomatoes, sprouts, spinach, broccoli, strawberries.
• How do I know if I am deficient? Bleeding gums, split hair, rough, dry skin, prone to illness and infection. In severe cases, can lead to scurvy.

Vitamin D

• What it does: Supports healthy bones, teeth and muscles.
• Where can I get it? Oily fish, red meat, liver, egg yolks, sunlight.
• How do I know if I am deficient? Bone pain and muscle weakness are subtle signs. Severe deficiency causes rickets, and has been linked with some cancers, heart disease and asthma.

Vitamin E

• What it does: Boosts the immune system, helps maintain healthy eyes and skin.
• Where can I get it? Nuts, seeds and cereals; plant oils (e.g. olive or sunflower oil)
• How do I know if I am deficient? Muscle weakness, vision issues, prone to illness.

Treatment

If the test reveals a deficiency in one or more vitamins, changing your diet to include more of the foods listed above is the simplest way of addressing the imbalance. In addition to the above foods, many breakfast cereals are fortified with several vitamins. If amending your diet is not possible, vitamin supplements may help, but it is as important to avoid taking too many vitamins as too few. Before you begin a course of supplements, talk to your GP.

How do I get tested?

Better2Know’s essential vitamins testing can give you comprehensive clarity over your vitamin levels, with a simple blood test that will help you understand which vitamins to increase or decrease.

To get tested and find out what is causing your ill health, please contact Better2Know on the number above.