Taking a blood test before going on a supplement routine is becoming the new normal for a rapidly growing, health-conscious population. But how can you trust that the results are an accurate representation of what your body needs? Based on anonymous analysis by an independent expert contract lab, Zinzino’s scientific blood spot tests offer detailed readings of your body’s current status and personalized recommendations on how to move forward, improve your well-being and create lasting health.
We are living in the era of personalization where tailor-made products and individual health plans have become standard. Today, knowledge is not only power, it’s peace of mind. Your body speaks volumes, but it can be hard to decipher what it’s telling you. This is why the portfolio of scientific health tests is an integrated part of Zinzino’s range of personalized supplements and a natural starting point for customers looking to increase their chances of ensuring sustainable health. The health tests are performed at home where the first one is set to reveal your body’s current needs while the following ones disclose how it responds to the supplements.
Usually, nutrition plans are created based on your diet and are put into place to help you switch to healthier alternatives and a more sustainable lifestyle. A good start is to choose food that restores the balance of essential fatty acids in your blood. Keeping a balanced ratio between Omega-6s and Omega-3s is vital to maintaining normal physical and mental functions related to the heart, brain, and eyes, and it is most easily achieved by eating wild-caught, fatty fish such as sardines, anchovies, mackerel, salmon, as well as flax seeds or walnuts. However, to reap the health benefits, adults need to consume about 2 grams of the Omega-3s found in these food sources, daily. This is a tall order for most of us, which is why more and more people now turn to Omega-3 supplements like Zinzino’s BalanceOil+. This is a unique synergistic Norwegian formula based on pure, high-grade fish oil and premium extra virgin olive oil rich in powerful antioxidants that enable optimal Omega-3 absorption. To date, no other food supplement company has yet to offer the same kind of solid proof that their supplement is genuinely making a difference in the body. Zinzino’s hard evidence is made possible thanks to the extensive lab reports from their scientific, fatty acid blood spot test; the BalanceTest.
– Using blood tests as a nutritional tool to provide information that mirrors the body’s response to dietary changes, offers a relevant and measurable effect, says Ola Eide, founder of BioActive Foods AS and creator of Zinzino’s Balance concept featuring the BalanceOil+ range and the BalanceTest.
The Key to Your Body
The Zinzino BalanceTest is a scientific and confidential dried blood spot (DBS) test that offers unique insights about the current state of the body. To establish your fatty acid profile and track your response to the supplement, a few drops of blood are collected from your fingertip and saved on a technical paper. By analyzing 11 fatty acids, which constitute approximately 98 percent of all fatty acids in the blood, the first test will serve as a baseline to reveal any deficiencies. The following tests monitor how your body responds to the Omega supplement and allow you to adjust your intake if need be.
Ola Eide explains that the key factor in assessing the effectiveness of food supplements is ensuring that the active nutritional components are efficiently absorbed by the cells in the body and that the blood concentrations are optimal. To measure the effect and produce a solid report, each individual dried blood spot sample is sent for analysis for a range of biomarkers, including your levels of essential Omega-3s and Omega-6s and the balance between them, the dietary fat quality in your body, your brain’s overall health, the level of inflammation in your body and whether its trillions of cells are fluid enough to absorb the nutrients.
– By correlating these biomarkers with your individual health status, you are given a unique fatty acid profile from which Zinzino will base their personalized nutritional recommendations to ensure that the advice is tailored to your specific needs, explains Ola Eide.
Advocating for a Responsible Industry
The analysis of these blood spot samples is normally performed in-house at both suppliers and manufacturers, which requires rigorous and regular controls to ensure the credibility and quality of the lab test results. To ensure objective analysis, correct handling, unbiased results, and a clear plan for determining and monitoring nutritional recommendations, Zinzino made a conscious decision from the beginning to let its blood spot samples be handled exclusively by independent expert laboratories. The company has collaborated with Vitas since 2012, an independent, GMP-certified chemical analysis contract lab based in Oslo Science Park, Norway, that is currently the world leader in dried blood spot testing. The long-standing joint work has resulted in a database of independently managed, scientifically analyzed dried blood spot samples that during 2023 passed the one million mark and is now the world’s largest of its kind.
Thomas Gundersen, CEO at Vitas, explains that the company has close to 30 years of experience in providing high-quality, analytical services with cutting-edge technology to international research facilities, major hospitals, renowned universities, and global, bio-tech companies like Zinzino. Their aim has always been to ensure correct handling, total credibility, and quality, by providing accurate and actionable results that are fit for purpose.
– We believe the industry must adhere to the highest ethical and quality standards, says Thomas Gundersen. This includes transparent practices, continuous research and development, and a commitment to data privacy and accuracy. As a global leader in the DBS field, we prioritize these values, understanding our responsibility to our clients and the broader community in promoting safe and effective health solutions, says Thomas Gundersen.
Science-based Insights for a Healthier Global Population
Vitas’ collaboration with Zinzino centers on delivering reliable, meaningful data that their customers can use to make informed decisions on how to improve their health. According to Thomas Gundersen, Zinzino is the only known supplement company using blood spot testing to validate their product by a third party.
– Nobody else puts the information in our blood spot samples into practice quite the way Zinzino does. They have cracked the code on how to make public use of the insights available in a single drop of blood. It’s not enough for us scientists to know the truth, we must apply the important knowledge and findings behind our research where it matters, out in the real world. It’s a unique, magic combination, being a global company with the leverage to apply cutting-edge science and communicate the findings to help a global population towards lasting health, Thomas Gundersen concludes.