Vegetarian blood test: six values in one blood draw

A vegetarian or vegan diet provides many essential nutrients. Still, certain nutrients are found mainly in meat, fish, dairy and eggs. Vitamin B12 is the best-known example.

A deficiency usually builds up slowly and does not always show. Are you getting enough nutrients from your diet? A blood test shows it in numbers.

This test may suit people who:

• eat a vegetarian or vegan diet, or a mostly plant-based one
• have just switched and want to record a starting value
• take supplements and want to see where their values stand now
• often feel tired and want to know whether their diet plays a part

The panel measures six values in your blood:

• Vitamin B12: needed for your nerves and for making red blood cells. It is found almost only in animal products. Read more about vitamin B12.
• Vitamin D (25-OH): your skin makes most of it under sunlight. You get little of it from food. See vitamin D.
• Ferritin: shows how much iron you have in storage. Your body absorbs iron from plant foods less easily than iron from meat. See ferritin.
• Zinc: plays a role in your immune defence and in tissue repair. Phytate in whole grains and legumes can reduce its absorption. See zinc.
• Magnesium: involved in your muscles and nerves. It is found in nuts, vegetables and whole grain products, among others. See magnesium.
• Basic blood count: hemoglobin, leukocytes and platelets. Hemoglobin is the protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen. See basic blood count.

For each nutrient you see whether your value falls within the reference range. A low ferritin may point to shrinking iron stores. That can happen while your hemoglobin is still normal.

Ferritin and hemoglobin together therefore give a clearer view than either one alone. A low B12 often builds up slowly. Possible deficiencies may become visible before they cause symptoms.

Vitamin D tends to be lower for many people in winter, when there is less sunlight. Most of your magnesium sits in your cells and bones. A blood value therefore shows only part of your stores.

It works step by step. After you order, we arrange your referral through ZorgDomein. Allow one business day. If you order in the evening or at the weekend, it starts on the next business day.

The email from ZorgDomein contains a barcode. Without a BSN there is no barcode: you then print your referral form through the link in the email and bring it to the draw location. You show it at a draw site run by an independent laboratory. Bring a valid ID as well.

There are 650+ locations across the Netherlands, so there is usually one nearby. You do not prick yourself, as with a fingerprick kit at home. A staff member draws blood from a vein in your arm.

Vegetarians and vegans differ mainly in dairy and eggs. A vegetarian usually eats them, a vegan does not. Those foods supply vitamin B12, among other nutrients.

Do you eat no animal products at all? Then unfortified foods give you almost no B12. Many plant-based dairy alternatives and breakfast cereals are fortified with B12, though.

As a vegan blood test, this panel measures the same six values. For vegans, B12 is often an important reason to test. Iron and zinc also tend to get attention on a fully plant-based menu.

You see each value next to the laboratory's reference range. If a value falls outside it, you see that straight away. Reference values differ between laboratories, so compare a number with the range on your own result.

A BIG-registered doctor reviews your results. Discuss an abnormal value with your GP or a dietitian.

Coming fasted is recommended, but not required. If it suits you, eat nothing from 22:00 the evening before and drink only water.

Did you have a fever, an infection or a vaccination in the two weeks before? Then wait with the draw until you have recovered. Ferritin reacts to inflammation and would otherwise give a distorted picture.

Your result is complete once the slowest determination is ready. For this panel that is zinc, with an indication of 6 days. Turnaround differs between laboratories.

You see your values online, with the reference range and a short explanation per marker. Every blood test result includes a professional assessment from a BIG-registered doctor. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.