How do I know which vitamins to take?
Written by Christina, Biologist with MSc in Nutrition
Walk into any pharmacy and you’ll find hundreds of vitamins, minerals and supplements claiming to support everything from energy and immunity to sleep and focus. The challenge is knowing which ones are actually relevant to you.
The truth is there isn’t a single vitamin plan that works for everyone. The nutrients you may benefit from depend on factors such as your diet, lifestyle, health goals, age and existing nutrient levels. That’s why what works for one person may be completely different for another.
Why vitamin needs differ from person to person
Your nutritional needs are influenced by a wide range of factors.
For example, someone following a vegan diet may need to pay closer attention to nutrients such as vitamin B12, while someone who spends little time outdoors may benefit from vitamin D supplementation. Athletes, busy professionals, parents, shift workers and older adults can all have different nutritional requirements.
This is why choosing vitamins based purely on trends or social media recommendations can often lead to unnecessary supplementation.
The key factors that affect which vitamins you need
Your diet
The foods you eat are the biggest influence on your nutrient intake. A varied diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and quality protein provides many essential nutrients, but some nutrients can still be difficult to obtain consistently.
Your lifestyle
Factors such as exercise, sleep, stress levels, alcohol intake and time spent outdoors can all affect your nutritional needs.
Your health goals
Whether you’re looking to support energy, immunity, sleep, fitness performance or overall wellbeing, your goals can influence which nutrients may be most relevant.
Your age and life stage
Nutritional needs change throughout life. For example, requirements during pregnancy, perimenopause and later life can differ significantly from those needed in their twenties.
Existing nutrient levels
In some cases, blood testing can help identify nutrient levels and provide additional insight into your health.
Should I take a multivitamin?
For many people, a quality multivitamin can be a convenient way to support overall nutrition.
However, a multivitamin provides the same blend of nutrients to everyone. It doesn’t take into account your diet, lifestyle, health goals or any potential nutrient gaps.
In addition, due to space limitations within tablets and capsules, some over the counter multivitamins contain only small amounts of certain nutrients. This may not be enough to address individual needs, so certain nutrients are best taken separately to achieve the optimal dose.
That’s where a more personalised approach may be helpful.
How can I find out what vitamins I need?
One of the easiest ways to understand your nutritional needs is to complete a comprehensive health assessment.
A good assessment should consider factors such as:
Diet and eating habits
Lifestyle and activity levels
Health goals
Sleep and stress
Existing supplements
Symptoms and wellbeing
By looking at the bigger picture, it’s possible to build a more personalised recommendation rather than relying on guesswork.
Quiz or blood test: which is right for me?
Both approaches can be useful, but they work best together.
Health quiz
A health quiz is a great starting point for most people. It can identify potential nutritional needs based on your diet, lifestyle and goals and provide tailored recommendations.
Blood test
Blood testing can offer a more detailed picture of your health by providing insight into specific health markers and nutrient levels that may not be apparent from diet and lifestyle information alone.
It can be particularly useful if you’re looking for a more detailed understanding of your health.
A personalised approach to nutrition
At Vitl, we start with an online health quiz that looks at your diet, lifestyle, health goals and wellbeing. Using this information, we create personalised vitamin recommendations designed around your individual needs.
For those looking for deeper insight, optional at home blood testing is also available to help provide a more complete picture.
Rather than guessing which vitamins to take, a personalised approach can help you make more informed decisions about your nutrition and wellbeing.
Find your personalised vitamin plan
Take Vitl’s online health quiz to discover personalised vitamin recommendations built around your diet, lifestyle and health goals.
Related reading: Are personalised vitamins worth it?