Product of the Week: InsideTracker Plans Review 2023
InsideTracker is a comprehensive service that uses blood analysis to deliver detailed insights into each person’s physiological data
Comprehensive blood tests are rising in popularity. For too long, nutrition has been a black box, with the latest diets and trends taking the world by storm but failing to demonstrate their direct impact on health. What if your approach to nutrition could be as easy as taking a blood test?
Enter InsideTracker, the company with a mission to use extreme personalization to make the world a healthier place. Founded in 2009 by experts in aging, genetics, and biometric data, InsideTracker helps consumers make better nutrition, supplements, and lifestyle choices. InsideTracker uses blood analysis to deliver comprehensive insights into each person’s physiological data.
I decided to try two of InsideTracker’s most popular offerings: the Ultimate plan, which analyzes 44 biomarkers, including glucose, cholesterol, cortisol, and hemoglobin; and the InnerAge 2.0 plan, which analyzes up to 17 biomarkers to calculate one’s “biological age.”
InsideTracker Review: The Pros
InsideTracker’s process was remarkably streamlined. The company depends on external blood drawing services, from either a lab or a mobile facility. I was able to schedule mine in a matter of minutes. The licensed mobile phlebotomist arrived at my New York City apartment on schedule. It took around fifteen minutes to do the blood draw in the comfort of my own home.
In less than a week, I got my results back. Before InsideTracker, I had done annual blood tests at my doctor’s office for as long as I could remember. What struck me most was the level of detail in my InsideTracker report. For each of my 44 biomarkers, I saw not only my own levels, but also where I stood compared to the optimal levels of someone my age and gender with similar exercise patterns. For each of my biomarkers, InsideTracker provided detailed suggestions on new foods I could incorporate into my diet, new exercises I should try, and other potential lifestyle changes. In particular, InsideTracker provided me a “personal food list” based on each of my biomarkers to help me implement dietary changes.
InsideTracker’s tests start at $189 for Essentials, which focuses on the 12 key biomarkers linked to overall wellness, metabolism, sleep, and energy. The company also offers the option to upload a recent blood test from a doctor, employer, or insurance company and receive insights on up to 43 biomarkers for only $119. InsideTracker’s Ultimate plan is $659 per test, and InnerAge 2.0 is $249. The company’s services are also HSA/FSA eligible and HIPAA compliant.
InsideTracker Review: The Cons
While InsideTracker’s level of detail is what makes the product so impactful, the amount of content on the website can also be a bit overwhelming. Sorting through all the information on one’s own is definitely possible, but finding a nutritionist or doctor to provide even more customized suggestions might prove more useful to some. To interpret my results, I met with Michelle Darian, a registered dietician who works at InsideTracker, who helped me understand how best to interpret my results. While InsideTracker offers dietary and lifestyle suggestions, it would likely take longer to figure out the most impactful solutions on one’s own. I also found it useful to discuss with Darian which indicators demonstrated short-term fluctuations compared to longer-term trends. Again, all the information was available through the service, but would likely have taken me a lot longer to distill. In general, interpreting the results with a dietician or a doctor is best (and recommended by InsideTracker) if any biomarkers are particularly high or low compared to recommended levels. Lastly, the more comprehensive tests are more expensive than some other alternatives, but the level of detail the they provide could prove invaluable for making lifestyle changes.
InsideTracker Overall Review
Overall, InsideTracker was one of the most enlightening health tools that I have ever used. Nutrition has long felt like a mysterious system characterized by marketing and the latest fads. It’s so difficult to assess what one’s body actually needs, and whether or not one’s diet is effective. Seeing my data painted a picture of my health that I had never before seen, and clearly indicated where my nutrition was going right, and where it was going wrong. Although the amount of information on InsideTracker’s website was overwhelming, with a little patience or help from a nutritionist or doctor, users can unlock new information about how to improve their health through a personalized plan and feel in control of their journey toward improved health.