Personalized Supplement Packages

How the evidence is labeled

We use plain labels: approved medicine, established, promising but limited, mixed, insufficient evidence, no good evidence of benefit, evidence of harm and marketing claim. A label applies to one specific use, not to a whole field.

What the packages claim, and what has been tested

Trials of personalized nutrition rarely isolate supplements

Most trials of personalized nutrition test food and lifestyle advice, not pills. In one 12-week trial of 400 Chinese adults with overweight, the personalized arm received advice built from body measures, blood, cheek-cell genetics and diet records. One of the recommendations was to take a multivitamin or mineral supplement, and it was named among the main contributors to the better results. [6] But the advice came as a package with weight-loss and fiber messages, so the supplement's own effect cannot be separated. The trial was funded by a company, which is disclosed in the paper. [6] Results also concerned weight and blood measures, not illness. For how to read such markers, see biomarkers versus clinical outcomes.

What is known about vitamin bundles in general

The Task Force found moderate certainty that harms of beta carotene supplements outweigh benefits for preventing heart disease or cancer, and no net benefit of vitamin E for those goals. [4] For multivitamins and other single or paired nutrients, it found the evidence insufficient to judge the balance of benefit and harm. [4] These conclusions are about prevention of two diseases in the general adult population. They do not speak to treatment of a diagnosed deficiency, which a clinician manages. See multivitamins for a fuller picture.

The testing side is uneven

A scoping review of direct-to-consumer nutrition gene tests found 104 companies offering 204 panels. Only 54 percent publicly disclosed which genes they used, and the market was described as unregulated with high variability. [7] An earlier review of 45 companies noted that dietary patterns are defined from a limited set of genetic markers and called for minimum quality standards. [8] The FDA says tests for general wellness or low-risk purposes are generally not reviewed before they are offered, and that such tests have varying levels of evidence behind their claims. [9] Companies may test different variants and give different results. [9]

Questions to ask about any package

• Which inputs were used (survey, DNA, blood, microbiome), and are the specific results shown to you?
• Is there a published trial of this exact package, or only of nutrients in general?
• What were people in that trial measured on: how they felt and lived, or a lab number?
• Who paid for the research, and did the authors work for the seller?
• Does the label list every ingredient and amount, and is it independently tested? See quality testing and certifications.

Related guides

Read personalized nutrient recommendations for the broader field, direct-to-consumer genetic tests for how DNA reports are built, and talking with a health professional for preparing a visit.