Supporting You from A to Zinc: Introducing Vitamin A to our Essential Nutrient Lineup

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Published by Alex Lewis, RD, LDN

Food and nutrition is incredibly personal—physically, but also mentally and emotionally—which is what propelled me into the world of fully personalized health and nutrition. My mom and aunts were always researching what diet plans to be on and it all seemed a bit crazy until I got to high school and realized there are people who have some of these answers: dietitians. That’s where my professional life originally launched: I got to work with and help people grow their confidence in themselves and their bodies. ------ What do you do at Baze? I’m the Content Marketing Manager, which means I handle all Baze content. I make sure we live out our values and vision in all content we create, from blogs to white papers and beyond! We have a powerful story to tell and I have the privilege of getting to tell it in many different ways. The future of health that I would like to see looks like: People being more engaged and empowered with their personal health. Rather than being a reactive observer, people should be able to be active participants in their health and the healthcare system. It’s about healthcare access and the fact that everyone has a right to their data and the right to be educated on what to do with that data. Everyone should be able to be equally involved in understanding themselves and having access to the care they need. If you could give Baze users one piece of advice, it would be: Just get started and make one small change. Getting into one solid health habit is incredibly motivating and confidence-boosting. It feels good to know you’re doing something good for your body and the chain reaction that can follow one change can lead to bigger changes. Who or what inspires you? Greta Thunberg. She’s a teen, who went on a climate strike from school, and has now gone on to change the face of the climate crisis. Her power and perseverance is incredible on its own but then her young age speaks volumes: anyone can take a stand for something they believe in, and anyone can make a difference. What are some of your favorite hobbies? I really got into hiking and nature when I lived in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, so exploring National Parks, driving on remote National Forest Roads, hiking, camping—and hitting the dog park with my chocolate lab, Chance!

Frequent feedback from Baze customers is about their desire and excitement for us to expand our Nutrient Test panel to include more than 10 essential nutrients. From the title, you can probably guess that we’re excited to now offer one of the most customer-requested nutrients: vitamin A.

For those who are keeping score, with Baze, you now have the ability to know your blood levels and get context on how the following 11 essential nutrients play out in your health: choline, chromium, copper, magnesium, omega-3, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin D, vitamin E, and zinc.

Benefits and deficiency risk

This fat-soluble vitamin supports eye, immune, bone, and skin health*. Check out Linus Pauling’s comprehensive breakdown of the many functions of vitamin A.

While overt deficiency is rare, our internal research has shown that from the hundreds of samples analyzed, more than 20% were off track in our initial tests, where blood levels were either deficient or in excess. Additionally, NHANES data reports that approximately 46% of Americans do not get enough vitamin A through diet alone.

Testing and supplementing

Baze measures your serum retinol levels (preformed vitamin A) to determine your status, where your optimal state lies, and the supplement, dose, and frequency you need to get there.

We use a combination of two different forms of vitamin A: retinyl palmitate and beta carotene. Both forms are equally successful in helping the body reach optimal blood levels.

What are your vitamin A levels?

Baze blood nutrient testing

If you are a current Baze customer, your next Nutrient Test will include vitamin A in the testing panel. Head over to the Plan section of your Baze app to schedule your restest.

If you’re not a Baze customer yet, now is the perfect time to jump on board. Click here to purchase your Baze Test Kit, which includes:

  • Blood collection and certified lab analysis for 11 essential nutrients, including vitamin A.
  • A comprehensive Nutrient Report detailing your blood levels, your nutrient status (optimal, deficient, suboptimal, or excess), and how your nutrient levels play into 11 core areas of your health.
  • A tailored supplement plan, providing you with the exact dose and frequency of supplements you need to improve your blood levels. Curated by our dietitians, you have the ability to opt into a monthly supplement subscription delivered to your door.
  • Our informational Food Guide, where you can map your deficiencies to targeted foods to help you improve your blood levels and feel your best.

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