Like you, when I was tracking nutrients, I did not come close on some of the RDA’s, while I went way over others…
I just decided to keep eating a wide variety of unprocessed ( for the most part ) low carb foods and let the chips fall where they may. I take a multivitamin for good measure, and don’t worry about it. if I develop a symptom of some deficiency, i will take a closer look.
There is also some hypothesising that the body has different needs on a ketogenic diet, so that out-of-range values for some nutrients may not be unhealthy. How true this is is impossible to judge, until someone can afford to re-do all the RDA studies on a population of exclusively ketogenic subjects.
That said, however, we do know that the body’s need for Vitamin C is much less on keto, and especially on carnivore; and there are plenty of case studies to suggest that lower thyroid numbers may not be an issue if the patient is eating a ketogenic diet. What other vitamins, minerals, and hormones this might be true for is truly an open question.
I personally rarely take vitamin c, and often don’t eat food considered to be high in it, either.
And would it give you results that are remotely useful?
For instance, while blood markers of minerals are useful in the sense that they can tell you something is wrong, something could be wrong while having normal values. Heck, I got normal values in blood for all my minerals, and had cramps the very same day.
So, I stumbled upon this post from a few years back and couldn’t help but share my experience. Three years ago, I was in the same boat as you, diving into the world of keto with gusto.
After a bit of research and some trial and error, I realized my diet lacked diversity. Sure, I was hitting my macros, but I was missing out on essential nutrients found in a wider range of fruits and veggies.
As for vitamins, I eventually caved and started taking a multivitamin. And you know what? It made a noticeable difference, not just in my nails but in my overall well-being. So, my advice? Don’t sweat the small stuff, but don’t ignore it either. Embrace those nail ideas and use them as a reminder to nourish your body inside and out.