Vitastiq vitamin tracker review & blood test comparison

You do good things for yourself, like eating healthy, exercising, and possibly taking vitamin supplements. But how do you know what you truly need, and if you’re getting enough? A new gadget aims to arm you with information when it comes to your health. Vitastiq is a small pen-like gadget that can detect vitamins in your body through the skin. The device uses something called electro-acupuncture methodology (EAV) which detects electrical resistance inside some of the body’s acupuncture points which can change if a vitamin imbalance is present.  

I received a Vitastiq device from the company to test and review over several weeks; read my primer on the device, (including how to set up and use it) before I started testing.

How do I use Vitastiq?

The Viqastiq pen is used by pressing the soft metallic tip against pressure points  on your hands, feet and elsewhere (depending on how detailed a measurement you want to do). Your readings are monitored with an app on your smartphone so you can compare and contrast them from day to day and week to week.

The overall intent is that you’ll use Vitastiq to measure trends over time. That means you need to use it a few times per week for several weeks in order to understand trends.

I spent about two months using the device, monitoring my vitamins initially every few days and then every week or so. My testing culminated in a blood test to compare what Vitastiq was showing me, compared to what my doctor was able to measure.

How does Vitastiq work?

What vitamins can Vitastiq detect and how accurate does the company claim it is? Click here to read more.

How does Vitastiq measure vitamin and mineral levels?

“Vitastiq is an electronic device based on electro-acupuncture methodology (EAV)”, according to the company. “Scientists noticed that the electrical resistance inside some of the body’s acupuncture points changes if an imbalance is present.

Vitastiq measures the electrical resistance of an acupuncture point in relation to the reference point (reference point is determined during calibration). Therefore, the device does not directly check the concentration of the particular vitamin or mineral. It informs the user about their present body condition and it tracks the general vitamin/mineral trend.

“Vitastiq shows qualitative information without defining quantitative values; we think it is good to track the general trend of the vitamin or mineral status and to act accordingly.”

Vitastiq displays your vitamin readings as Low, Mild, Good or High; no numerical value is given.

How did Vitastiq work for me?

After several weeks of taking readings with Vitastiq, I noticed I was consistently showing as low in Vitamin B12 and other B vitamins, as well as Zinc, so I moved on to phase two of my testing, purchasing drug store supplements—a B Multivitamin, and Zinc tablets—to see if these levels would make a measurable difference in my radings.

So what happened?

After consistently getting reports I was “low” in Zinc, after taking the supplement for about 2 weeks, I measured again, and found that Vitastiq detected a higher level of Zinc, with my readings now showing, “mild” or “good”.

With the B Vitamins, because there’s so many (B12, B6, B1, B2 etc.) is was much harder to tell is the supplement had made a measurable difference. My B1 levels were all over the place, from High to Good to Low. My B2 and B6 levels stayed the same at Mild, oddly dropping to Low after two weeks on the supplement.

My B12 levels were consistent at “Good” through the duration of the test period.

How does Vitastiq compare with blood test results from the doctor?

I decided to see my doctor for a blood test to accurately measure some of the vitamins and minerals in my body (and took a Vitastiq reading a couple hours later), but here’s the thing: it’s very hard to compare doctor’s blood tests to your readings on Vitastiq for a couple of reasons:

Comparing Vitastiq to a blood test is like comparing apples & oranges

1. Vitastiq is only meant to give you a basic reading, showing levels as Mild, High, Good and Low. There’s no numerical value attached, as I noted earlier. (Vitastiq spells out that it is not a medical device, and can’t prevent, treat or cure any medical problems nor can it diagnose medical conditions. Instead it’s supposed to be considered a “fitness gadget” that will track your “fitness and lifestyle activities.”)

2. It’s hard to get blood tests for all the vitamins and minerals Vitastiq will detect, says my doctor. I showed her the list of what Vitastiq would measure, and we checked off the tests that were readily available. For others, that required a visit to a specialist, according to my doctor.

3. Doctor’s blood tests will give you a numerical value in mmol/L (micrograms/L)  or pmol/L (picomoles/L). That’s basically measuring atoms in your blood stream. Doctor’s values are displayed in a range of normal. These are my results:

How accuate is Vitastiq?

Blood test results – Comparing Doctor’s to Vitastiq

Vitamin B12: Normal range 155-700 pmol/L
Blood test result was 352.
Vitastiq Result: Good

Magnesium: Normal Range: 0.65-1.05 mmol/L
Blood test Result:0.84
Vitastiq Result: Low

Calcium: Normal Range: 2.10-2.55  mmol/L
Blood test Result: 2.36
Vitastiq Result: Mild

Potassium: Normal Range: 3.3-5.1 mmol/L
Blood test Result:3.8
Vitastiq Result: Good

Sodium: Normal Range: 133-135 mmol/L
Blood test Result: 139
Vitastiq Result: Good

Iron/Ferratin: Normal Range:  13-375 ug/L
Blood test result: 60
Vitaqtiq Result: Low

This raises a question: is the Vitastiq detecting readings within the normal ranges? Or on a wider spectrum? Does that Low reading mean I’m on the low end of normal, or Lower than normal? Should I have done the Vitastiq reading at the moment of my blood test for more accuracy?

I’m no scientist, I’m a writer, so obviously these tests are not scientific, nor are they meant to present any kind of definitive assessment of how well Vitastiq measures against a doctor’s blood test.

My “not a scientist” review of Vitastiq

I did notice that some of my vitamin readings increased after taking supplements. My readings were also different at different days and times, which jives with the fact that eating certain foods can change your vitamin concentrations.

On the whole, my vitamin readings didn’t differ greatly from the blood tests; where we start to split hairs is in the specifics, and since Vitastiq doesn’t make any claims about it being a medical device or scientific measuring tool, it’s hard to say it’s inaccurate.

I found the device helpful because it gave me a good picture of my overall health.

How much does Vitastiq cost?

Vitastiq sells for about $150USD.

If you’re looking to get some better information about your health, I think Vitastiq can be a good tool to help you inform yourself and get a snapshot of your health and fitness. If you’re looking for specific medical info and accurate measurements, no brainer: go see your doctor.

You can get Vitastiq from the company’s website.