When taking a vitamin or mineral supplement, it’s important to keep in mind that the “one size fits all” approach just doesn’t work. The main reason behind this is that we all have different bodies with different requirements—meaning we each respond to supplements differently. The dose of a supplement that would bring someone else to the optimal level may be insufficient or excessive and damaging for you. This is why understanding how you may respond to supplements and testing your nutrient levels can be especially helpful.
Factors that determine your response to supplemental nutrients
Baseline blood nutrient levels
Individuals with lower baseline blood nutrient levels (meaning those whose nutrient levels are low before starting supplementation) tend to respond more strongly to supplementation compared to those whose levels are closer to optimal.
A good example of this is vitamin D supplementation. Many studies have shown an inverse relationship between baseline plasma vitamin D concentrations and the increase in plasma levels with supplementation. Supplemental vitamin D3 is stored in body fat, and to become active it is converted to 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-(OH)D3) in the liver. This enzymatic reaction is a saturable process, meaning that when D3 levels are low (like in deficient individuals), the conversion to its active form is fast, but when D3 levels are higher, the conversion to 25-(OH)D3 will be slower.
You may be considered a “fast responder” if you’re deficient in essential nutrients at your first Nutrient Test. You’ll experience a larger increase in plasma levels after supplementation compared to someone who was already in the normal or optimal range.
Age and sex
Your age and sex can influence, not only your nutrient requirements but also the way you absorb and metabolize them. Aging is characterized by diminished organ system reserves and weakened homeostatic controls.
It’s not uncommon to observe micronutrient deficiencies in older adults. The culprits are often malabsorption, gastrointestinal surgery, infections of the GI tract, drug adverse effects or drug-nutrient interactions preventing essential vitamins and minerals from being absorbed. Hindered absorption can require higher doses of specific nutrients to reach optimal levels, making older people suboptimal (or “slow”) responders.
Menopause is another factor to consider when thinking about response to nutrients. Estrogen status can influence the metabolism of certain nutrients like choline, vitamin D, calcium, and copper. Knowing your age and/or your hormonal status is relevant for targeted supplementation and to bring you to optimal levels.
Genetics
Genetic components can play a vital role when it comes to our response to nutrients. We are all made up genetically different, and the most common types of genetic variation among people are single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs (pronounced “snips”). Each of the 4 to 5 million SNPs we have represents a difference in a single DNA building block. These variations can affect gene function and nutrient metabolism and in turn, directly influence nutrient levels.
For example, choline is an essential nutrient that can be obtained from the diet, and can also be created (in lower amounts) in the liver by the PEMT gene. A common genetic polymorphism (the SNP rm12325817) in the PEMT gene can increase the risk of complications from choline deficiency. This means that somebody carrying this SNP would need higher doses of choline to reach the same level of protection against deficiency compared to a non-carrier.
In a similar way, omega-3 status is dependent on the efficiency of the biosynthesis of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids from its precursor α-linolenic acid. Specific SNPs on the gene responsible for this metabolic step (the FADS gene) have therefore a large impact on omega-3 status and people carrying the SNP will require higher doses of EPA and DHA. In other words, they are “slow responders”.
Keep in mind that DNA alone only gives you a hint on your nutrient levels, but it does not reflect your current nutritional status.
Diet
This may be one of the more obvious factors. What you put into your body influences your response to supplementation in different ways.
- Fiber may bind certain nutrients and make them more difficult to absorb.
- Antinutritional factors, like phytates in the hulls of nuts, seeds, and grains, or oxalates in plants like rhubarb, tea, spinach, and parsley can slow down absorption. Phytates bind minerals like calcium, copper, iron, zinc, and magnesium, while oxalates bind calcium with strong affinity and prevent its absorption in the intestine.
- Meals high in fats can speed up the absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins E, D, and A.
- Following a diet low in animal products and consequently lower in specific nutrients, like B12 and omega-3, will lead to lower levels of those nutrients in the blood. This will cause you to have a faster response to supplementation initially.
Malabsorption induced by disease
Diseases like untreated celiac disease or cystic fibrosis can interfere with the absorption of certain nutrients. Patients with untreated celiac disease tend to have malabsorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, calcium, selenium, copper, and zinc. Patients with cystic fibrosis are susceptible to deficiencies in iron and vitamins D and K. Both instances are due to intestinal inflammation from chronic disease.
Physical activity
Different levels of physical activity can impact your response to supplementation. In a 2013 study published in the Journal of The American Heart Association, participants who were more physically active tended to experience greater increases in their omega-3 index at increasing doses of EPA+DHA supplements. The authors suggested that exercise may enhance the incorporation of EPA+DHA in red blood cell membranes in individuals taking fish oil supplements.
Having darker skin tones
Research has shown that vitamin D insufficiency is more prevalent in people with darker skin. This is due to the fact that pigmentation reduces sun-mediated vitamin D production in the skin. Having lower blood levels of this vitamin, people with darker skin tones tend to be faster responders to vitamin D supplementation compared to individuals with lighter skin.
Seasonality
Vitamin D levels are influenced by sun exposure, which can explain why a seasonal effect on vitamin D concentrations has been reported in several trials. During exposure to sunlight, 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin absorbs UVB radiation and is converted to previtamin D3, which in turn is converted into vitamin D3. For this reason, blood vitamin D levels vary seasonally with light exposure, being lower in the winter months, and higher in the summer months.
The bottom line
Your nutritional status and your response to supplementation are not static and will vary according to many different factors. To accurately assess your nutrient levels, blood testing is the go-to approach to find out what’s your status right here, right now. Baze makes this easy to do by giving you the ability to analyze your nutrient levels from the comfort of your home.
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