Nutrient health is how well your body maintains adequate levels of essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it needs to keep you running. Your body relies on nutrients to keep your bones strong, your nerves and muscles working properly, and your immune system resilient.
Good nutrient health is a foundation for nearly every system in your body. Vitamins and minerals regulate metabolism, protect cells from damage, and ensure healthy development and repair. Nutritional deficiencies can cause various health complications, including fatigue, weakened immunity, brittle bones, or even neurological issues, while excess intake of certain nutrients can also be harmful.
Tracking nutrient biomarkers helps identify imbalances early. For example, low vitamin D has been linked to bone loss and mood disorders, while iron deficiency may cause anemia. Routine monitoring is especially helpful if you have dietary restrictions, health conditions, or risk factors that affect how your body absorbs or uses nutrients. Test results should be interpreted by a clinician who can recommend diet, safe supplementation, or further evaluation.
Lab testing through Hers is built around key biomarkers that reflect how your body is performing across major health systems. Each test focuses on high-impact indicators chosen to give you the clearest picture of your well-being and where to take action next. Instead of testing everything, Hers zeroes in on the markers that matter most for guiding long-term health improvements.
Tests for nutrient health focus on essential vitamins, minerals, and related molecules. These markers show whether your body has enough stores to function optimally.
B12 Advanced plan
Vitamin B12 supports red blood cell production, nerve health, and energy. Normal levels mean your body has enough supply to regulate your energy needs.
Ferritin Advanced plan
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in the body, which is essential for oxygen transport. Normal levels mean your body has a healthy reserve to make red blood cells and transport oxygen, supporting energy and cognitive function.
Ferritin/CRP ratio Advanced plan
This ratio compares ferritin, your iron storage protein, with C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation. A normal ratio means there is a healthy balance between your iron stores and inflammation.
Folate, RBC Advanced plan
Folate, also known as vitamin B9, supports DNA production and red blood cell formation, and also helps break down homocysteine.
Homocysteine Advanced plan
Homocysteine is an amino acid linked with folate, B12, and B6 metabolism. Healthy levels suggest your body is processing these vitamins effectively.
Iron Advanced plan
Iron helps make hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood. Normal levels of iron support daily energy and focus.
Iron Binding Capacity Advanced plan
This marker measures how well proteins in your blood (like transferrin) can carry iron. Normal levels mean your body is transporting iron effectively.
Iron % Saturation Advanced plan
Iron saturation measures how much iron is bound to transport proteins. Normal levels mean your tissues are getting the oxygen they need.
Magnesium, RBC Advanced plan
Magnesium supports muscle relaxation, heart rhythm, energy production, and bone health. Normal levels suggest your body has what it needs to regulate the muscles and nerves effectively.
Vitamin D Advanced plan
Vitamin D helps absorb calcium, strengthen bones, regulate mood, and support immunity.
Zinc Advanced plan
Zinc supports immune defenses, wound healing, and sense of taste and smell. Healthy levels help to support your immune system.
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide helps your body maintain acid-base balance in the blood. Healthy levels protect energy and breathing.
Calcium
Calcium supports strong bones, teeth, and steady muscle contractions. Calcium also plays a key role in heart rhythm and nerve signaling.
Chloride
Chloride helps your body maintain fluid balance, stomach acid production, and the right acidity (pH) for enzyme function (chemical reactions in the body).
Potassium
Potassium helps regulate heart rhythm, nerve signals, and muscle contractions. Eating fruits, vegetables, and legumes supports healthy levels.
Sodium
Sodium helps your body balance hydration, blood pressure, and nerve signaling effectively.
With lab testing through Hers, you get clear results that span multiple areas of health — connecting the dots between your cardiovascular system, metabolism, hormones, liver, kidneys, nutrients, inflammation, immune function, blood health, stress, and even biological age. The results are explained clearly and simply, so you can easily understand what’s happening inside your body.
Beyond the numbers, Hers provides actionable insights into where you need to focus to improve your health. Each result comes with insights to help you make sense of your biomarkers and identify practical steps to support better outcomes.
If your results suggest areas for improvement, you’ll receive an action plan designed by experts that includes lifestyle guidance and, when deemed appropriate by a healthcare provider, prescription medication to help you reach your goals.
More than 2.4 million people trust Hims & Hers for accessible, science-backed care — from lab testing to ongoing health management.1
Who should get tested for nutrient health and when?
Testing may be helpful if you:
• Follow a restricted diet (e.g., vegan, vegetarian, low dairy, or gluten-free).
• Have symptoms like fatigue, brittle nails, bone pain, numbness, or frequent illness.
• Live with conditions that affect nutrient absorption (e.g., celiac disease, bariatric surgery, inflammatory bowel disease).
• Take medications known to affect nutrient levels (e.g., proton pump inhibitors, metformin, or diuretics).
Can I improve my nutrient biomarkers naturally?
Yes. The first step is a balanced diet with diverse whole foods. Sunlight supports vitamin D, while leafy greens, beans, and fortified grains supply folate. However, some deficiencies require supplementation.
What’s the difference between serum and RBC testing for nutrients?
Serum levels reflect what is circulating in the blood at that moment. RBC (red blood cell) tests, such as RBC magnesium or RBC folate, reflect longer-term stores because they measure what’s inside red blood cells over their ~120-day lifespan.
Should I take supplements without testing?
Not always. Taking supplements without knowing your levels may cause excess, which can be harmful (e.g., too much iron or vitamin D). Testing helps guide safe decisions.
Are nutrient deficiencies common in the U.S.?
Yes. Vitamin D deficiency affects over 40 percent of adults, and iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutrient deficiency worldwide.
Find your baseline with 120 biomarker tests, then plan for your health breakthrough.
Reviewed by Felix Gussone, MD
Published 11/13/2025
