(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

It may have been a five-minute routine, but it was exhausting; the roll-roll-roll of the bottle cap, the gentle pour of the pills, the count to ensure it was the right dosage. The roll-roll-roll to close the bottle cap, only to begin again with the next capsule container.“My pill stack kept growing, and I knew I was doing too much. I was taking way too many pills and constantly felt anxious from all the conflicting supplement advice online,” says a 36-year-old Irish expat in the UAE, who requested her name not be used for privacy.

Which is when she found a company in the UAE that personalises supplements.“With Bioniq, I did a blood test to see exactly what my body needed and now everything is delivered in just four scoops a day,” she explains, adding that she soon saw a real shift in energy levels and mental health.“I'm happier, more present and no longer feel mentally drained. Before this, I would get frustrated easily because my body wasn't recovering properly and I felt constantly fatigued. Now, I feel balanced, positive and genuinely more engaged in life.”

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The premise behind personalised supplements is simple: You are a unique mix of blood and bone, and of vitamins and minerals, so the materials that would work best for your body must come in a signature cocktail as well. “The traditional one-size-fits-all approach assumes everyone's needs are the same, but your body doesn't work off general averages. What benefits one person might be ineffective or even harmful for another. With personalisation, every recommendation is rooted in your own data, making it not just more effective, but essential for achieving real, lasting wellness,” adds Vadim Fedotov, CEO and founder of Bioniq, a company that was born in the UK in 2019 and now operates across more than 70 countries, including the UAE.

Backed by football stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Diogo Dalot, the company has one of the most genetically diverse biochemical databases in the world, with data from over 100,000 members. It offers AI-driven personalised supplements based on blood test data.

As for how it works, the firm's algorithm takes into account everything from blood biomarkers to lifestyle patterns - including diet, activity, sleep, stress patterns - to allow identification of exact nutrient deficiencies and those already in balance.“Each formula has a clear purpose, delivers measurable results, and contributes toward health goals,” says Fedotov. And because these are variables that change over time, periodic blood testing ensures you only get what you need when you need it.

“For most individuals, having these tests done once or twice a year is adequate to monitor general health. On the other hand, those who are following personalised supplement plans or have specific health concerns may find it beneficial to undergo blood testing more frequently, typically every three to six months, to closely track their progress and make necessary adjustments,” says Rahaf Al Towairqi, clinical dietician of Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital Al Qusais.

The key here is vigilance. After all, there is such a thing as 'too much' when it comes to vitamin levels, warn experts.“Unnecessary or excessive supplementation can carry risks; especially with fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), which accumulate in the body and may cause toxicity. In some cases, high doses of supplements may also interfere with medications. For example, Vitamin K can reduce the effectiveness of blood thinners and Calcium may interfere with thyroid medication. And some vitamins such as Vitamin E in excess are not recommended for people with bleeding disorders such as haemophilia.

“Water-soluble vitamins are generally excreted in urine and pose less risk, very high doses can still be harmful. For instance, Vitamin C in excess may increase the risk of kidney stones. Excess mineral consumption is also not recommended. Magnesium in excess can lead to diarrhoea and high calcium intake can cause kidney stones,” explains Fedotov.

It all begins with diet, says Al Towairqi.“A good diet should always be prioritised alongside any supplementation,” she says.

But while this is one of the cornerstones of a healthier life, Fedotov says on-the-field observations have shown him how rare it is for people to have optimal levels of vitamins and minerals.“Many people come in confident that their 'healthy diet' covers everything they need, only to be surprised by blood test results showing deficiencies – or in some cases, even over supplementation. Assumptions about diet and health rarely reflect biological reality, and personalised approaches based on real biomarkers are far more reliable.”

The focus on personalisation has certainly helped 27-year-old Emirati, Mohammed (name changed for privacy), who says:“I always strive to be at the pinnacle of the human experience, in every realm of endeavour. The biggest changes I've noticed since I've started using Bioniq is my body's ability to recover and my brain's ability to keep me sharp. I feel like I'm back in my early 20s”.

Plus, there aren't as many bottles to unscrew and capsules to compute.

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