I started taking a multivitamin as insurance and then found out that two of the things I was actually short of were the two it barely contains.
What I am after is which deficiencies actually show up when intake drops this far, and which are worth testing rather than supplementing blind.
Not looking for reassurance. Looking for the part I have got wrong.
ZaraB_AL said:I started taking a multivitamin as insurance and then found out that two of the things I was actually short of were the two it barely contains.
Iron studies on micronutrients — important especially for women:
| Marker | Baseline | Month 6 | After Supplementation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferritin | 63 | 26 | 48 |
| Iron | 93 | 53 | 96 |
| TIBC | 328 | 398 | 348 |
| Transferrin Sat | 30% | 18% | 25% |
My ferritin cratered at month 6 from reduced dietary intake. Iron bisglycinate 36mg with vitamin C brought it back up. Don't wait for anemia symptoms — test proactively.
PharmD_Rodriguez said:Iron studies on micronutrients — important especially for women: Marker Baseline Month 6 After Supplementation Ferritin 63 26 48 Iron 93 53 96 TIBC…
Blood count monitoring for micronutrients: my doctor noticed my MCV (mean corpuscular volume) trending up at month 6: 88 → 96 fL. This flagged potential B12 or folate deficiency.
Sure enough, B12 had dropped from 620 to 340 pg/mL. Started B12 injections monthly and MCV normalized within 2 months. GLP-1 agonists can impair B12 absorption — this is a real clinical concern that deserves routine monitoring.
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Shop Reference StandardsZaraB_AL said:I started taking a multivitamin as insurance and then found out that two of the things I was actually short of were the two it barely contains.
This matches mine closely enough to be worth saying so out loud.
Adding the clinical framing, because it changes how the question reads.
Vitamin and mineral labs to check while on micronutrients — my doctor orders these quarterly:
- B12: Can drop due to reduced GI absorption. Mine went from 650 to 380 — now supplementing.
- Iron/Ferritin: Reduced food intake = reduced iron. Ferritin dropped from 73 to 30. Supplementing.
- Vitamin D: Was already low (24 ng/mL), now taking 5000 IU daily.
- Folate: Stable, no issues.
- Zinc: Slightly low, added a multivitamin with zinc.
Nutritional deficiencies are a real risk when you're eating significantly less. Don't skip your labs!