Have a specialized diet? Me too! I’ve been vegan for two years and was vegetarian before that. I’m pretty vigilant about what’s in my food and what vitamins and minerals I need to supplement my diet. Some big ones:

• Vitamin B12 - largely found in animal products, and about 45% of vegans are deficient. Older adults are also at risk of deficiency, as the ability to absorb B12 decreases with age.
• Zinc - commonly found in animal-based foods, so without supplementation, vegans and vegetarians can become deficient.
• Veggie Omega - Omega-3 plays a key role in heart health, and seafood is a major source. Veggie Omega supplements can help vegans and vegetarians get this key nutrient.

Researching supplements (hello WebMD), figuring out where they’re sourced, and buying them is time-consuming—and don’t even get me started on the cost! Enter Care/of, a company that promised to do all that work for me with a customized routine.

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About Care/of

Care/of is a healthcare technology company that analyzes your health needs and goals and sends customized vitamin and supplement packs to your home. They only source ingredients that have been thoroughly evaluated by their in-house naturopathic doctors, formulation experts, and nutritionists.

That sounds great—but I was skeptical, as anyone buying vitamins and supplements should be. So I dove deep into the company’s approach to research and quality. Their products are non-GMO, Certified C.L.E.A.N., and tested 3 times: 1. when receiving ingredients 2. again during manufacturing and 3. by a third party (USA-based) on finished products.

Care/of's data shows that 98% of their customers say Care/of vitamins and supplements work, and 95% of customers take Care/of vitamins more consistently than other brands. Care/of also offers a 30-day money back, no questions asked guarantee on your first order. 

After this research, I felt my purchase was effectively de-risked, and said bring it on. Read on for my review of the Care/of buying process, experience, and results.

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Honest Guidance and Personalized Plans

Care/of uses an in-depth quiz to learn about your diet, exercise habits, lifestyle, and more. Their algorithm matches those needs to an extensive catalog of vitamins and supplements to recommend the specific products and dosages for you.

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Getting My Recommendations

When I started the Care/of quiz, I was told the whole process would take under five minutes. Would that be enough time to figure out what I needed?

To start, it asked about my habits: how much I know about vitamins, how many I currently take, if I use supplemental powders, and more. The quiz then asked about my goals for a vitamin routine. I was surprised—I usually only think of vitamins as a way to meet my basic nutritional needs. I gave it some thought, then chose fitness, exercise, and skin.

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We then dove into those goals—how often I exercise, what type of exercise I typically do, how my skin feels, and more. The last section was diet, which asked in-depth questions about my vegetable consumption, how often I eat fermented foods, and my fiber intake. This is where I let the quiz know that I was vegan—it also asked if I was on a celiac or paleo diet, or if I had allergies to dairy, ragweed, or several other potential allergens.

By the end, the quiz left no stone unturned on questions about diet, fitness, and lifestyle. Maybe this company actually could make my life easier (and more fulfilling). And they weren’t lying—it actually only took five minutes.

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My Vitamin Routine

Once I finished the quiz, Care/of recommended a few supplements I was already taking, with several additions:

• Vitamin B12
• Veggie Omega
• Zinc
• Rhodiola
• Astaxanthin
• Maca Powder

The monthly price came to $72, with free shipping. When I did the math, I was actually surprised that Care/of is a fair bit cheaper than what I’d pay for high quality supplements individually.

Care/of lists the ingredients, suggested use, and benefits for each supplement and vitamin. As I looked through my recommendations, I felt comfortable knowing that the benefits were backed by research.

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After I got my recommendations, Care/of let me personalize my plan to my preferences, adding or removing any supplements. I ordered their recommended plan—after all, it was well researched and tailored to me.

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I was quite impressed when I received my first box. The packaging was personalized with my name, and the easy to open one-a-day packs were super convenient. The monthly supply came in a dispenser that I left on my bathroom counter, and served as a daily evening reminder to take my Care/of.

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The main reason I went vegan was for the environment, so I was nervous about using daily disposable vitamin packets. But Care/of’s boxes are recyclable, and the packets are compostable! Due to the limited use of plastic, Care/of is actually more sustainable than buying multiple plastic vitamin bottles each month.

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The Results

Let’s get to the most important part: did Care/of actually help me meet my goals? Did I feel (and look) better? Of course, 30 days isn’t long enough to get the full results, but here are the benefits I experienced in this short time.

For starters, I experienced more consistent energy. I’m prone to afternoon slumps, and have an afternoon cup of coffee 3-4x a week. I noticed that I haven’t needed this pick-me-up once in the last two weeks—the rhodiola supplement in my packets supports energy and stamina. More consistent energy and focus has helped me work out more frequently—according to my step counter, my daily distance has increased from an average of 4.5 miles/day to 6.8 over the past month. Care/of + my smartwatch: an underrated duo!

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I had also identified skin health as a goal of my vitamin routine. I run frequently, which means a lot of time spent in the sun. I want to keep my skin hydrated and healthy. I didn’t expect to notice any results since I’m focused on long-term health, but my wife actually told me my skin looks brighter and clearer.

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Verdict: I’m Switching to Care/of

I have a specialized diet. As a result, I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about the vitamins and supplements I need. I didn’t expect Care/of to provide me much additional value—but I was happy to be proven wrong.

Care/of’s quiz dove deep into my lifestyle and goals, and dialed in recommendations that I could trust: I knew exactly what I was taking and why, and their research lined up with my own. The daily packets and convenient dispenser helped me stay consistent, something I had previously struggled with (portioning out vitamins and supplements every day is an easy process to skip or forget!). Cost might have been the most surprising part: Care/of ended up being cheaper than buying similar quality vitamins and supplements a la carte.

I’m satisfied with my Care/of experience, and will continue to subscribe each month. If my needs or schedule ever change I can skip or edit my plan, and take the quiz again with my updated goals. I’d highly recommend taking the quiz to get the recommendations for what supplements fit your lifestyle, and then try the customized packs. As mentioned, Care/of offers a 30 day no questions asked guarantee, so I think it’s a no-brainer. 

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