You're probably spending money on supplements you don't need.
Americans spend $50 billion a year on vitamins and supplements. Most have never tested whether they're deficient in anything. We run the labs, build a food-first plan with a registered dietitian, only recommend supplements for confirmed gaps with third-party quality verification, and retest to see whether your levels moved.
How this protocol works
This isn't just testing. It's a coached cycle designed to get you where you want to be.
What we measure
Vitamin D (25-OH)
The one almost everyone is low in
Affects immune function, bone density, and mood. Most adults in northern latitudes are below target. We target an optimal range, not the lab's default floor.
Omega-3 Index
Heart and brain protection you can measure
Tells us the percentage of omega-3 fats in your red blood cell membranes. Below 4% doubles cardiovascular risk compared to 8%+. Most Americans are between 3-5%. Diet changes or supplementation can move this in weeks.
RBC Magnesium
The mineral behind 300+ reactions
Standard serum magnesium misses deficiency until it's severe. RBC magnesium shows what's actually inside your cells. Low levels affect sleep, muscle recovery, blood sugar regulation, and blood pressure.
Homocysteine
A risk signal hiding in plain sight
Elevated homocysteine raises cardiovascular and neurological risk. It usually means you're low in B12, folate, or B6. Bringing it into a healthy range is usually a matter of fixing the underlying vitamin gap.
Ferritin
Why you're tired when everything looks fine
A ferritin sitting at the low end of 'normal' can leave you exhausted even when your doctor signs off on your iron. It's also an inflammation marker, so we interpret it alongside your full panel. Especially common in women and endurance athletes.
B12
The slow decline nobody notices
B12 deficiency creeps in gradually after 40, and faster on plant-based diets or acid-blocking medications. By the time symptoms show up (fatigue, brain fog, numbness), levels have been dropping for years.
Folate (RBC)
The active measure, not the serum shortcut
RBC folate reflects your body's actual folate stores over the past 3 months. Serum folate bounces around based on your last meal. Low folate drives homocysteine up and affects DNA repair.
Conditional panel
Tests added based on your specific risk
Zinc, copper, iodine, or vitamin A may be added depending on your diet, medications, or symptoms. We don't run everything on everyone. We run what your data suggests.
What’s different after this protocol
You know exactly which nutrients your body is low in and which ones it’s handling fine on its own.
If something was deficient, your dietitian built a plan to fix it. Food changes first. Supplements only when the gap is too large or the nutrient too hard to get from diet alone. Any supplement we recommend has been verified by an independent third party, because most of what’s on shelves has never been tested.
We retest at the end. Your levels either moved or they didn’t. If they moved, the plan is working and you have a maintenance strategy. If they didn’t, we dig into absorption, timing, or dosing and adjust.
Some members walk out of this protocol having dropped three supplements they didn’t need. That’s a win.
What this protocol delivers
- Lab results for 7+ nutrient biomarkers with targets that go beyond “normal range”
- A clear answer on whether your current supplement regimen is doing anything
- A dietary plan from your dietitian built around your specific gaps and the foods you actually eat
- Supplement recommendations only where food can’t close the gap, with verified brands and dosing
- A retest showing whether your levels improved
- A maintenance plan so you don’t slide back after the protocol ends
- Conditional testing results if your diet, medications, or symptoms flagged additional risks
The supplement industry has a testing problem
Here’s what usually happens. You read an article. You buy a bottle. You take it for a year. You never test whether you were actually low in the first place, whether the product contains what the label says, or whether your levels changed.
Multiply that by 5 or 6 bottles and you’re spending $100 a month on faith.
The harder version of this problem: some people who eat well and take nothing are quietly deficient in something that matters. Vitamin D is the obvious one. Magnesium is sneakier because the standard blood test misses it. B12 drops gradually after 40, and you won’t feel it until the deficit is significant.
Testing is the only way to know. Not symptom-matching. Not guessing based on your diet. A blood draw that shows actual levels.
We don’t hand you a report and wish you luck
A universal panel, a dietitian-built plan that starts with food, and a retest to confirm your levels actually moved. For members already taking supplements, we also review every bottle and flag the ones your labs don’t support.
See the full process
Intake and blood draw. The universal panel covers vitamin D, omega-3 index, RBC magnesium, homocysteine, ferritin, B12, and folate. If your dietary history, medications, or symptoms suggest additional risks, your team adds conditional tests: zinc, copper, iodine, or vitamin A. You keep taking whatever you’re currently taking. We need your real baseline.
Results and plan. Your dietitian reviews your results and walks you through what’s actually low, what’s fine, and what’s borderline. Then they build your plan. The first move is always food. Specific meals and portions designed to close the gaps your labs revealed. If a deficiency is too deep or the nutrient too hard to get from diet, they recommend a supplement that’s been verified by an independent third party. No house brands. No affiliate links. Just products that have actually been tested to contain what the label says.
For members already taking supplements, this session often includes a cleanup. Your dietitian reviews every bottle and tells you which ones are supported by your labs and which ones are costing you money for no measurable benefit.
Retest. Same blood draw, same markers. Your team compares before and after. If levels improved, you get a maintenance plan: which dietary changes to keep, which supplements to continue, and when to retest next. If a level didn’t move, your dietitian investigates. Absorption issues, medication interactions, timing, and form of supplement all affect whether nutrients make it into your cells. The plan gets adjusted and you keep going.
Common questions
Is this protocol right for me?
A few patterns fit. You take supplements but have never tested whether you need any of them. You eat a restricted diet (vegan, vegetarian, keto, or just picky) and suspect there are gaps but don't know which ones. Your energy has been off, your bloodwork comes back 'normal' every year, and nobody is running the tests that catch nutrient deficits early. A ferritin in the lower end of 'normal' can cause fatigue that your doctor never connects to the lab. You want to spend less on supplements, not more, and you'd rather have data than a generic list from the internet.
How does this work?
Your care team handles intake and blood draw, walks you through results and your dietary plan, then retests to confirm your levels moved.
Will I end up on a bunch of supplements?
Maybe not. 60-70% of the deficiencies we find can be fixed through targeted food changes alone. When supplements are needed, we only recommend third-party verified products. 'You don't need supplements' is a perfectly good outcome.
I already take supplements. Should I stop before testing?
Don't change anything before your first blood draw. We want to see your levels as they are right now, including whatever you're currently taking. That tells us whether your current regimen is actually working. Many people discover they're supplementing things they don't need while missing something they do.
I eat a restricted diet. Is this protocol useful for me?
Especially useful. Vegan, vegetarian, keto, and other restricted diets create predictable nutrient gaps. B12, omega-3, iron, and zinc are the usual suspects, but the specific pattern depends on your particular diet. We test rather than guess, and your dietitian builds the plan around what you actually eat.
What comes after this protocol?
Your data feeds into other protocols. Low vitamin D and magnesium affect sleep quality, which often connects to Sleep Health. Iron and B12 shape exercise capacity, which connects to Physical Capacity. Elevated homocysteine feeds directly into the conversation in Cardiovascular Risk. Your team recommends based on your actual results.
What does this cost?
Included in Protocol membership: $695/mo, or $7,500/yr prepaid (save $840). The Foundation Assessment is the on-ramp: $1,500 standalone, included with annual membership.
From the Protocol blog
Find out what you actually need. Stop guessing.
We test your nutrient levels, fix what's low through food first, and retest to see whether it worked. If supplements aren't necessary, we'll tell you that too.
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