Combatting Vitamin Fatigue with a Personalized Approach

It is probably the leading reason as to why most vitamin routines will fail an individual – they give up.  Vitamin fatigue is a real thing.  Why do so many people stop taking their vitamins?  It turns out there are several reason or vitamin fatigue.  One reason is that some people experience side effects.  For example, many multivitamins contain iron, which can cause different gastrointestinal side effects, typically an upset stomach, constipation, or nausea.  Another reason is pill fatigue.  It is not easy to swallow a horse-pill shaped multivitamin or swallow a handful of supplements in various shapes and sizes.  There is more evidence of overprescribing and excess consumption of vitamins, and it should be no surprise that polypharmacy issues (taking many pills) contribute to people giving up on their vitamin routine.  The appearance of personalized pill packs tends to make this issue worse because these companies will prescribe handfuls of pills to get to a personalized routine.  It is also a deterrent to stick with your routine when you have to tear open a plastic baggie each day, sometimes twice a day, to get your pills.  A personalized pill pack is actually a catalyst for pill fatigue, but as we will explore in subsequent paragraphs, there are other personalized approaches that avoid this downside.  Furthermore, there are people that give up on their vitamins because they are not sure that they are working.  There are some conditions that can never be felt or seen that are impacted by vitamins, and other conditions that take months to start to see results.  The slow buildup to results is a key reason that people fatigue of their vitamin.  Lastly, there are simply consumers that give up on their routine because they run out of vitamins.  It is not easy to remember to add vitamins to your grocery list every month or when you near the bottom of your last bottle.

Design Solutions for Vitamin Fatigue in Personalized Vitamins

There are several ways that a personalized vitamin can implement design solutions that make it easier to stay adherent.  First, these companies can control the composition of the formula, and ensure that there are not ingredients that would cause side effects.  Personalized vitamin companies typically screen for things like iron-sensitivity or medication interactions.  The manufacturer may choose to use ingredients like iron sourced from carbonyl that is easier on digestion.  The companies also collect feedback about your vitamin experience and can get immediate input as to whether you are able to tolerate your formula.  Moreover, there are a subset of personalized vitamin companies that have effectively tackled the challenge of pill fatigue.  As mentioned earlier, personalized pill packs are an even greater contributor to pill fatigue, but other personalized solutions ameliorate this concern.  There are personalized all-in-one multivitamins that can consolidate and streamline the number of daily pills and powders.  These targeted solutions combine vitamins at dosing levels that alleviate the need for “add-on” pills, like an extra Vitamin D or Calcium pill on top of your daily multivitamin.  Some of these products are deigned in a way that makes swallowing easier like the use of smaller tablets and specialized pill coatings.

Communication Strategies that Reduce Vitamin Fatigue

Personalized vitamin companies also employ communication strategies that reduce vitamin fatigue.  When a person purchases a vitamin in a retail store or online marketplace, it is a transactional interaction.  You buy that bottle, and the company does not know who you are, and will never communicate with you again.  You may not even understand half the ingredients on the back label.  However, a personalized vitamin company can engage you in ongoing conversation over a longitudinal period of time.  These companies can solicit feedback on a periodic basis, and adjust your formula, as needed.  The personalized vitamin company can also push targeted education about your vitamin, so you can learn about the effects, both those that are apparent and those that are never seen or felt.  You start to build up confidence in your vitamin routine when you understand the impact that it can have over time.  These companies will also understand your preferences around shipping, and can set you up with an ongoing subscription to make it easier to stick with your routine.  It can be helpful to have your monthly vitamins delivered directly to your door without needing to worry about replenishment.  A high performing personalized vitamin company will ensure that formulas evolve with your changes in health and lifestyle.  These companies will solicit you for regular updates on your personal health and lifestyle so they can constantly keep your nutrition aligned with your profile.  The ongoing communication loop creates a virtuous cycle for adherence: the more you are listened to and heard form, the more you feel part of the overall solution.  A highly engaged consumer can stick with a targeted vitamin over longer periods of time compared to an unengaged consumer that buys a generic solution through retail.  As the movement toward personalization gains momentum, there will be a greater number of consumers that experience the full potential of daily vitamins to benefit their health.