6 Reasons You Should Get A Micronutrient Test

Ever wonder if you’re getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals? The back of vitamin bottles details the daily doses your body needs, but how do we know where we’re lacking? And how do we know if we’ve overdone it? Getting a micronutrient test can answer necessary questions and possibly even give you a diagnosis of why you’ve felt a specific way.

The human body is an incredible miracle of nature but also touchy. Even the slightest change in some input could throw the system out of balance. Take too much zinc, and you feel nauseated. Lack too much vitamin D, and you could feel tired and more depressed. But that could also be due to something else entirely.

Keep reading to learn all you need to know about micronutrient testing and how it could benefit you.

Micronutrients?

Micronutrients are minerals and vitamins found in the body. These include vitamin C, vitamin A, magnesium, zinc, and potassium among others. They help it run and function to the best of its ability. They can also fight against diseases within the immune system and keep the mood up. They play a significant role in the bodies many processes. 

What is Micronutrient Testing?

Micronutrient testing is precisely what it sounds like. It is a test done to determine someone’s level of micronutrients. It is done through a blood draw and will give you a breakdown of the nutrients in your system. It can indicate certain deficiencies and if your body is struggling with absorption. 

Nutritional needs are very individual in most cases, so a micronutrient test can show how your body is working specifically. This test makes it easier to know the micronutrient levels and where you may need attention. 

Types of Tests

You will most likely encounter an intracellular test, which means scientists look at the actual content of the cells instead of the liquid around them. These tend to be more thorough and precise, and many act as functional tests as well. This means you will be able to learn how well your body is utilizing the vitamins and minerals found within your system. 

A micronutrient test could be done extracellularly, but in general, an intracellular test will better account for metabolism and absorption. Knowing if your body has the proper levels of minerals and vitamins is crucial, and will allow us to fine tune how you feel and function. 

6 Benefits of a Micronutrient Test

A micronutrient test is exceptionally comprehensive, and is surprisingly complex, both in the science behind it and in its interpretation. Once your blood is drawn, it will be sent to a lab to be analyzed. When we receive the results, a practitioner will review with you, one nutrient at a time. This gives us the information needed to craft a customized solution to your individual requirements for optimal health.

There are many things a micronutrient test can tell you and offer you in terms of health. Here are a few of the main benefits below.

1. Feel Better

A micronutrient test will tell you what you’re missing, and give the practitioners at CORR the vital information in order to advise you on how to be healthier. It can show where you may have certain deficiencies, which will help you get back on track to living a healthier life. The ways vitamins and minerals impact how we feel are innumerable. 

Vitamins and minerals help our bodies on a cellular level, and do crucial tasks like oxygen transport, boosting the immune system, wound healing, and helping with neural functions. And they also impact how we feel. Without a proper amount of vitamins and minerals, people can feel sluggish, and irritable, have trouble sleeping, and be depressed, among other things. 

Correcting a vitamin deficiency can boost your energy and mood, helping your body feel and work better. Not only are many people impacted by deficiencies, but many disorders can also be worsened due to nutrient deficiencies. These include mood disorders, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes, and more. 

2. Look Better

Our skin, nails, and hair are all impacted by our micronutrient levels. If your body cannot absorb vitamin B, for instance, or you aren’t getting enough of it, your skin could suffer. You could look older and have a compromised skin tone and texture due to a vitamin deficiency. Overall, having a good balance in your body will impact you on the outside.

The right amount of nutrients will help you maintain stronger teeth, fuller hair, and better nail health. Not all minerals and vitamins are connected to physical appearance, but many play more of a role than people realize. 

Many people take specific supplements to boost their hair and skin health. Look at the back of your skin cream bottle and notice how many vitamins and minerals are listed. A micronutrient test can help inform you about the vitamins you’re missing or not absorbing properly. You might take all the right supplements or use the right products, but your body struggles to absorb those nutrients. A micronutrient test can shed some light on how your body is handling what you’re offering it. 

3. A Diagnosis

One of the biggest benefits of a micronutrient test is that you could possibly diagnose a disorder or medical issue you’ve been dealing with. The solution to an ailment could be right under your nose at any pharmacy or supermarket. If you discover you have a deficiency, you can start taking supplements to counteract it and help your body get back to where it needs to be. 

A lot of symptoms of nutrient deficiencies look like other medical problems. You might have low energy and feel down more often than others. You could have a skin rash or thinner hair. Some of these things could suggest a deficiency in specific vitamins and minerals. While this won’t be the case for everyone, it’s hard to know without micronutrient testing. If this is the case for you, the solution is simple.

A micronutrient test could also indicate malabsorption. While an absorption issue is more challenging to diagnose, it could be shown in a micronutrient test. And discovering an absorption issue exists is the first step to solving it. 

It’s difficult to heal from an undiagnosed issue. While you can treat symptoms, knowing the root of the problem is the best option. A micronutrient test will help you learn where you might be falling short in your health regimen and which vitamins and minerals you need to feel better. 

4. Weight Help

Several essential vitamins and minerals help your body with nutrition and weight control.  Vitamin B, B12 specifically, helps your body turn food into fuel, so you have the energy to get up and go every day. Vitamin D has been connected to keeping body fat low, and a vitamin D deficiency could put you at risk for obesity. Magnesium contributes to muscles, energy, and flexibility. And it can help blood glucose levels, and blood pressure remains under control. Iron helps bring oxygen to places in the body, including muscles. This helps your body burn more and build more. 

If you are deficient in these vitamins and minerals, you may be working out with little to no reward. All of these deficiencies can be helped through a supplement and an adjusted diet. But if you’re already dieting, you may have unknowingly cut them out of your daily meals. 

You have a much better chance of controlling your weight and getting your body in better shape by keeping these vitamins and minerals in your body. A micronutrient test can tell you what you’re missing so you can act accordingly and get your body back in shape.

5. Prevention

Often a deficiency is just that, a deficiency. It typically isn’t life-threatening or incredibly dangerous, but it can impact your life and your day to day. If left unchecked, it could develop into more severe symptoms.  Micronutrient tests can offer vital information in effective, preventative care. Catching deficiency or absorption issues early will help you feel better faster. 

You can get a diagnosis for something previously unknown and treat symptoms immediately. Some deficiencies can leave you more susceptible to cardiac disease and cancers. Knowing what gaps you need to fill can boost your body’s defenses and give you a better chance of living a healthy life. 

6. Better to be Safe

It’s hard to know what nutrients your body is missing without a test. And many of the symptoms of nutrient deficiencies fall into multiple categories. You might have been misdiagnosed previously, or still be looking for the cause of certain symptoms. A micronutrient test can show how your body is doing with nutrients and ensure you are healthy. 

The risk is very minimal, as it is a simple blood draw. And yet there is so much to be gained in terms of knowledge about your body and where you may be missing nutrients. The human body couldn’t function without all the vitamins and minerals being checked for in a micronutrient test, as they can make a big difference in how you feel. 

If you suspect you have a deficiency, an absorption issue, or some other problem related to a nutrient deficiency, your best bet is to get a micronutrient test. With a simple blood draw, you can learn how your body is doing and what it might be missing. 

Consider When Testing

If you are planning to get a micronutrient test or feel it could benefit you, make sure you take into consideration its limitations. A micronutrient test can offer a good amount of information, but it isn’t the entire diagnosis. A doctor should look at your symptoms, the test results, and other physical factors to determine how you should best be treated.

The test is also only able to detect so much. Not all nutrients are as present in the blood, so there are certain nutrient values of interest that will not be tested for.  Therefore, if you have noticeable symptoms but normal micronutrient levels, consider speaking with your doctor and a nutritionist to see if they can be resolved by adjusting your diet. 

Micronutrients, Macro Effect

The microscopic nutrients in our body play a huge role in our health. If you suspect you might be lacking certain nutrients, you should consult a doctor and get a micronutrient test to see how your health can be improved. 
If you are missing essential nutrients, the best way to get them is by adjusting your diet. Speaking with a nutritionist is a great way to help your body get all the nutrients it needs through the most healthy and absorbable means. Supplements are a good backup, but eating healthy is the first step. If you’re interested in boosting your health and ensuring your body is performing at its peak, check out CORR and chat with some of our experts on how you can improve your health today.