Vitl Review: Are Personalized Vitamins Worth It?

Overview

1. Products: Personalized vitamins, blood and DNA tests.
2. Cost: Vitamins cost from $10 to $35. The blood test costs $67 (quarterly subscription), while the DNA test is priced from $65 to $142.
3. Reports: Vitamins and Nutrition reports.
4. Raw data access: Vitl gives users access to their raw DNA data if they request it via email.
5. Privacy: Vitl states they do not sell or share personal information with third parties.
6. Alternatives: SelfDecode offers personalized health recommendations based on your DNA.

Pros

• Supplements based on lifestyle and blood tests.
• Customers report that their mobile app is user-friendly.

Cons

• No option for users to upload their preexisting raw genetic files.
• The blood test is only available in the UK, and customers can’t upload past blood test results to get recommendations.
• Only ships their DNA test to a few selected countries.
• Only analyzes a handful of genetic markers in each report.

About Vitl

Vitl is a personalized vitamin, DNA, and blood testing company founded in 2015 by current CEO Jonathan Relph. They have partnered with experienced doctors, biomedical scientists, and expert nutritionists to provide customers a simple and convenient way to understand and improve their health.

With headquarters in the United Kingdom, their vitamin packs are delivered to most countries in Europe, Australia, and the US. The DNA test is available in the UK, the US, and selected countries in mainland Europe, while the blood test is restricted to the UK.

Review of Vitl Products & Features

Vitl offers both at-home DNA and blood tests, which can be used to help develop supplement formulas based on the user’s individual results. The company offers two DNA tests: Vitamins DNA Test and DNA Nutrition Test.

The Vitamin DNA Test delivers information about nutrient absorption and explains which nutrients users are most likely to need to supplement based on their genetics. However, this test only analyzes a few genes and genetic variants per report, possibly leaving out many that can influence your health.

For a more comprehensive testing option, Vitl offers the DNA Nutrition Test, which includes over 40 reports in the following categories:

• Diet: 16 reports that inform on caffeine sensitivity, gluten intolerance, and more.
• Beauty: 8 reports about acne tendency, eczema, and other skin traits.
• Fitness: 3 reports that analyze fat vs muscle composition and other fitness-related aspects.
• Pregnancy: 10 reports that include an analysis of weight fluctuation during pregnancy, how pregnancy affects vitamin levels, and more.
• Sleep: 6 reports about caffeine metabolism and various sleep behaviors.
• Health: 17 reports informing on vitamin and mineral absorption.

The Vitamin & Cholesterol Blood Test is a finger-prick blood test for a number of nutrient levels, such as vitamin D and iron levels, and cholesterol levels. This test is offered as a quarterly subscription service.

Vitl’s vitamins are delivered as a 28 or 30-day supply. They have four broader categories of vitamins: Personalized, Health Goals, Women’s Health, and Pocket Packs. The Personalized Plus consists of a 28-day supply of 4 supplements per day (seen below), while the Personalized Essential One is a 30-day supply of one multivitamin pill per day.

Vitl requires users to answer a series of health and lifestyle questions to provide a personalized vitamin formula, but the company claims they can also use DNA and blood test results to personalize their supplements. Keep in mind that they only analyze a few genetic and lab variants in each of their reports, which means you might not receive a complete picture of your health.

In addition to the personalized vitamins, the company offers two other standard supplements, Health Goals and Women’s Health.

Review of Vitl Reports

Vitl states it can take up to 2 weeks for the DNA sample to arrive at their laboratory, and another 2 weeks to process it. The company notifies the user by email when their results are ready for viewing in the Vitl account.

As can be seen from the sample report below, the company offers a brief summary of the trait analyzed and presents the option for users to expand on their results.

The report includes a few general tips about maintaining healthy vitamin levels and which factors can influence absorption by the body, as shown below. These recommendaitions are general and not personalized to each genetic profile.

Vitl also explains what each trait means and includes a section describing how it can influence overall wellness. In the example below, the company explains how vitamin B12 can affect energy levels.

Finally, the report explains how genetics play a role in each trait. In the sample report below, Vitl displays which genes and SNPs were analyzed for each trait and how they can influence vitamin absorption.

Unfortunately, Vitl only analyzes a limited number of genetic variants to make their recommendations. For example, the B12 report presented above only looks at 3 genetic variants to generate the reports. It’s also worth noting that the company does not provide scientific references within the report.

The blood results follow a similar format to the DNA test results.

Cost of Vitl

Vitl offers both subscription-based and standalone vitamins. Prices vary depending on the option selected, as listed below:

• Essential One – $23, charged every 30 days.
• Personalized Plus – $35, charged every 28 days.
• Health Goals – $15 for a one-off purchase or $14 for a monthly subscription.
• Women’s Health – $30.
• Pocket Packs – Prices range from $10 to $14.

The Vitamin & Cholesterol Blood Test is priced at $67. The Vitamin and Nutrition DNA Tests cost $65 and $142, respectively.

Health Recommendations from Vitl

Vitl delivers a report to customers based on their blood and DNA test results, and the self-reported information from the health and lifestyle questionnaire. The company’s main products are supplements, which they claim can be personalized based on users’ test results and questionnaire answers.

Unfortunately, the health recommendations provided by the reports are not personalized to the user, and Vitl only looks at a few genetic variants to calculate genetic risk scores. Customers also complain that they received no guidance on what to do with the information provided.

The company discloses that their DNA tests do not cover disease risk, and state that they only test genetic traits directly related to daily well-being.

Review of Vitl Privacy & Data Security

Vitl claims not sell or share customers’ data with any third party unless necessary to complete the order delivery process or if required by law. The company is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and is HIPAA compliant.

User data is stored on secure servers. Customers can request their data to be updated or deleted permanently, and they can ask for a copy of their information, as stated in the 2018 General Data Protection Regulation.

Vilt retains personal information for as long as necessary for users to use the services provided and as required to comply with applicable laws. Any excess DNA from the sample submitted to the company is destroyed by the laboratory.

SelfDecode vs Vitl

1. SelfDecode delivers natural supplements, diet, and lifestyle suggestions based on your genes that you can implement right away. Vitl gives supplement recommendations based on blood test results.
2. SelfDecode tells you why they make each recommendation so that you can understand the science behind the suggestion. Vitl explains which genetic variants are associated with each trait analyzed.
3. SelfDecode prioritizes recommendations based on their analysis of all the relevant genes instead of one gene at a time (through reports). Vitl does not prioritize their recommendations.
4. SelfDecode takes a holistic approach to give recommendations that are best for your genes AND the health topic. Vitl offers nutrition-focused blood and DNA tests and personalized supplements.
5. SelfDecode has a team of over 60 highly skilled scientists, MDs, PhDs, NDs, and software engineers to make sure they deliver the most accurate and science-based health information. Vitl claims to partner with doctors, geneticists, biomedical scientists, and nutritionists.
6. SelfDecode is the most comprehensive and looks at more genes & gene variants (up to 83 million) to deliver the best analysis of genetic risks. Vitl only analyzes a limited number of SNPs for each report.
7. SelfDecode supports everything with peer-reviewed scientific studies in their research and checks for contradicting information. Vitl claims to base their reports on peer-reviewed studies, but these are not included in the reports.
8. SelfDecode never sells your data or gives it away. Vitl makes the same claim and state they do not share personal information with third parties.

Comparisons

Vitl Reviews

Trustpilot – 595 Customer Average Rating of 4.6 of 5 stars

Customers express some complaints about the vitamin service. These include bad smells, wrong vitamins being delivered, and missing information on the label. One customer says the vitamins are not unpleasent, but they “couldn’t see the value”.

Amazon – 23 Customer Average Rating of 4.3 of 5 stars

Customers stated that Vitl’s DNA test arrived quickly and was straightforward to complete. One reviewer says the results are vague and provides no guidance on what to do with the information given.

Apple App Store – 1.1k Customer Average Rating of 4.7 of 5 stars

Users say the app is a good place to access the DNA and blood test results, and they like the ability to review their orders. One customer complained that they were only able to access the app two days after they subscribed, and another also commented that the Omega 3 tablet had a strange smell.

Alternatives to Vitl

SelfDecode: The best health-focused DNA analysis that offers detailed health recommendations through personalized wellness reports. Additionally, getting access to SelfDecode Labs can offer insights based on over 500 lab markers.

Vitl Review Summary

Vitl’s vitamin packs are a great option for those on the go. However, the blood test offered by the company is limited in the number of blood markers analyzed. Currently, they only look into selected vitamin and cholesterol markers to make their recommendations. The DNA tests are also confined to an analysis of traits related to nutrition, and they only look at a limited number of genes associated with this topic.

If you’re interested in optimizing your overall health, however, you’ll need to look at more than just what’s offered by Vitl. An alternative such as SelfDecode analyzes up to 83 million genetic variants to deliver personalized diet, lifestyle, and supplement recommendations for less than $100 annually. What’s more, get access to SelfDecode Labs and upload your labs to get insights on over 500 lab markers and how to optimize them.

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