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Plant-based diets have many health benefits when well planned.

Those who eat a predominantly plant-based diet often do something good for their bodies. Nevertheless, this form of nutrition should be well planned to avoid deficiencies and imbalances. With a blood analysis you can check whether your body is optimally supplied with all important nutrients.

Vegan food
Vitamin B12

On which blood values should you keep an eye with a vegan diet?

You should keep an eye on the following blood values when eating a plant-based diet, as deficiencies are more likely to develop without the intake of animal products. Regular blood analyses are central to this.

 

Vitamin B12 active


Vitamin B12 is found exclusively in foods of animal origin. With a vegan diet, it is therefore important to ensure that no deficiency occurs. It is therefore worthwhile to check this value regularly. Here, the value of active B12 is particularly crucial. This is the part of the vitamin that is actually available to the body.

Ferritin

The ferritin value shows how well our iron stores are filled. Iron is found in both animal and plant foods. However, our body can absorb iron from animal sources more easily. For example, meat. Plant sources of iron often contain other substances that prevent iron absorption. Particularly slim people with menstrual periods are often affected by iron deficiency – and not only with a predominantly plant-based diet.

Vitamin D3

Our body produces vitamin D3 mainly by itself with the help of sunlight. However, part of our needs can also be met through nutrition. Animal foods such as eggs, meat or fish are particularly suitable for this purpose. These sources of income are eliminated with plant-based diets, so it is worth checking this value as well.

In our latitudes, however, most people are deficient in vitamin D3 – regardless of their diet.

Why is it worth measuring other values?

Individually measured blood values can sometimes be deceptive. It is therefore worthwhile to do a comprehensive blood analysis from time to time. This allows us to put individual values in context and make more informed statements about your health.

Do you need supplements?

A blood analysis will also tell you whether you need dietary supplements and which ones are useful for you. It is worthwhile to check this in advance. So you can optimally supply your body and do not have to buy unnecessary preparations.

Understanding health and maintaining it in the long term

Find out with a blood analysis at Rikai how your body remains healthy and efficient in the long term. Get meaningful and understandable results directly to your smartphone. Recognize negative tendencies early on and seek advice from our experts to adjust habits where necessary.

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Add-ons for plant-based nutrition

In addition to our standard package, we recommend the add-ons below for plant-based diets. You can select this directly when booking.

Vitamin D3

The “sun vitamin” supports calcium metabolism and strengthens bones.

  • Vitamin D3 works against fatigue & pain.
  • Prolonged deficiency is considered a risk for increased bone fragility.

+CHF 69

Vitamin B12 aktiv & Folsäure

Vitamin B12 and folic acid (vitamin B9), for example, are involved in the formation of DNA and are critical for our nervous system. Since they are involved in different places, it makes sense to determine both values.

  • Deficiency of vitamin B12 often occurs with a vegan diet or excessive alcohol consumption.
  • An undersupply of the two vitamins can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in the long term.

+CHF 79

Four steps to blood analysis

Book appointment

Book an appointment for blood collection near you

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Blood sampling by a specialist in our partner pharmacy and medical practices

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Interpretation and recommendations from our medical experts

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Results conveniently delivered to your smartphone within 3 days

What awaits you at Rikai

Personalized health tips

You’ll get personalized suggestions based on your blood values on how to improve your health – even if everything is currently in the green zone.

Explanation of each blood value

We want you to understand your health. That’s why we explain each blood value to you as precisely as possible.

Observe development

Regular blood analyses show how the values are developing.

If you have negative tendencies, you can act before unpleasant symptoms such as chronic fatigue or even illness develop.

Follow up from home

One of your blood values was outside the reference range? Check it again from the comfort of your home with our homesampling kits.

  • Recommendations

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Frequently asked questions

Which blood values are measured?

For whom is a blood analysis suitable?

Our blood analysis is intended for health prevention and is therefore mainly aimed at healthy people. If you have any complaints, you should always contact the doctor you trust. If you’re interested in gaining insight into your health, our blood analysis is just for you. If all values are in the green range, you know that you are doing something right. And if values are outside the reference range, you can act before complaints occur.

By the way, we measure the most important values in vegan nutrition with our vitamin B12 add-on. Especially if you have just changed your diet, it makes sense to check your blood values.

How often is a blood analysis useful?

We recommend that a comprehensive blood analysis like ours be done about once a year, provided all values are good. If some of your values are not optimal, we will tell you in our recommendations if and when you should have them checked again.

Are food intolerances also tested?

No. We measure blood values that are related to various metabolic functions of your body, your performance and your organs:

  • Iron, fat and sugar metabolism
  • Performance (cardiovascular system and immune system)
  • Organ values (liver and kidneys)

No conclusions about food intolerances can be drawn from these values. You can find the exact values we measure here: To the blood values

Are the costs for a blood analysis covered by the health insurance?

Depending on how you are insured. There are supplementary insurances that cover part of the costs. We therefore strongly recommend that you submit the invoice and would be pleased if you let us know your insurance company’s decision.

We are also working directly to be recognized by health insurance companies. However, this is not a particularly fast process, as you can certainly imagine.

Here you will find a pre-written text that you can submit to your health insurance together with the invoice.

As of today, there is a health insurance company that covers 90% of our blood analysis and up to CHF 200. This is Atupri with its supplementary insurance Basic. In addition, the supplementary insurance Intense covers 75% of the costs up to CHF 500 per year.

When can I order a follow-up test kit for home?

You can only buy a follow-up test if you have already done a comprehensive blood analysis at Rikai and we have recommended that you check certain blood values again in a few months. In this case, you have the option of ordering the Homesampling Test Kit directly in your profile.

Directly and without our recommendation it is not possible to order a homesampling test kit.

Please note that we have only been offering the follow-up test since February 2023. If you have previously had a blood test with us, the possibility will not appear in your profile.

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