Baze expands biomarker panel to include vitamin A
The personalized nutrition start-up said this biomarker addition is a big step forward for the Baze platform, adding that expanding the nutrient panel has been a key product focus area for the Baze since the test kit launched in 2018.
Vitamin A is the 11th essential nutrient added to Baze Nutrient Test Kit along with choline, chromium, copper, magnesium, omega-3, selenium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, vitamin E, and zinc.
“We are constantly expanding the set of micronutrients which we are able to measure reliably in blood to focus more and more on the endpoints of nutritional health as for example bone health, immunity, and longevity, which is long-term scientific work, and which we never shy away from, but embrace for the sake of delivering on our promise of personalized nutrition,” explained Baze CTO and co-founder, Isam Haddad.
R&D
As one one of the most requested nutrients, Baze spent a number of months developing their methodology to accurately assess vitamin A levels, which is measured through serum retinol levels.
These serum retinol levels determine blood status, where someone’s optimal state lies, as well as supplement, dose, and frequency to achieve desired results.
“All of these markers undergo a rigorous validation process both in the lab as well as with our dosing algorithms and recommendation engine,” said Philipp Schulte, Baze CEO and co-founder.
While overt deficiency is rare in the US, targeting an optimal level of Vitamin A can have measurable health impacts. After analyzing hundreds of samples, Baze internal research found that over 20% of levels were either deficient or in excess of vitamin A. Noting the importance of testing before supplementing, the company said this finding is crucial since there are known risks associated with high blood levels of vitamin A.
If a customer is deficient, Baze recommends a combination of two different supplemental forms of vitamin A: retinyl palmitate and beta carotene.
Projects in the pipeline
Schulte said the work doesn’t stop at vitamin A: “In building a holistic foundation for evidence-based personalized supplements and food recommendations, vitamin A is an important step, and there is more to come.”
Baze plans to release further features and patent news on their recommendation engine, which Schulte said will reduce the number of pills required, costs involved, and dosing deviation for any given nutrient dose. “All of these are important steps to further build a platform for quality personalized supplementation that makes the benefits of micronutrient status optimization accessible to all of us in an easy and fun way."
