To diagnose a potential deficiency of essential biofactors such as vitamins, minerals and trace elements, a combination of the following approaches is recommended:
• patient history (anamnesis)
• assessment of clinical symptoms
• targeted laboratory diagnostics to confirm the suspected clinical diagnosis
Nonspecific symptoms such as sleep disturbances, fatigue, concentration and performance deficits, mood swings, or a weakened immune system can be caused by a deficiency of various vitamins or minerals. Additionally, in certain diseases – such as diabetes mellitus and its complications affecting the cardiovascular and nervous systems, osteoporosis, or chronic recurrent infections – a deficiency of a single biofactor is rather uncommon.
For example, diabetics may simultaneously suffer from a deficiency of magnesium, zinc, chromium, vitamin B1, and vitamin B12. In osteoporosis, calcium intake alone is not sufficient – an optimal status of vitamin D3 and magnesium is also crucial. In chronic infections, a potential deficiency of vitamin C, zinc, and vitamin D3 should be considered.
Since many symptoms and diseases can be linked to deficiencies in essential biofactors, assessing biofactor status is an indispensable part of daily medical practice. Identifying and treating conditions caused by biofactor deficiencies requires a complex diagnostic approach based on three key pillars: anamnesis, deficiency symptoms and laboratory diagnostics.