Yes. Nutritional symptomatology is a very reliable way to measure one's nutritional health. In fact, symptomatology testing, such as this, often reveals deficiencies that other methods may miss.

For instance, food intake questionnaires ignore the fact that the nutrient content of a particular food (a potato, for example) varies widely depending on the soil it was grown in, the food's maturity at harvesting, the agricultural chemicals used, how the food was cooked, etc. Neither do food intake quizzes take into consideration the varying degrees to which each unique individual's digestive system is able to assimilate the nutrients in the food eaten. That is, what we eat sometimes has little to do with what actually reaches our tissues as nutrients. As well, we are not all the same in nutrient requirements -- some of us need many times the quantity of a particular nutrient that may suffice very well for someone else.

Also, although blood tests are very useful in many ways, they sometimes do not give an accurate analysis of your "real" nutritional health. This is because your blood constantly strives to compensate for tissue deficiencies -- it is called "homeostasis". Blood health is one of your body's highest priorities and sometimes your body will rob "less important" organs, tissues, etc. in order to maintain healthy blood. For example, a blood test may reveal normal levels of vitamins or hormones (like thyroid hormones) even while your organs, glands, bones and/or tissues are starving for those same nutrients.

And similarly for hair analysis and urine tests -- they have serious shortcomings when used to analyze overall health. But like blood tests, hair and urine analyses may be appropriate as a follow-up to specific conditions indicated by the nutritional symptomatology test. If so, your recommendations would suggest (in part) that you consult with your doctor and/or find a reliable lab to conduct the necessary test. It is important to note that your recommendations are always intended to complement (and not to override) any medical tests and/or treatment administered by your doctor.

Nutritional symptomatology testing, such as this, while not as precise as blood, urine or hair analyses is considered by many to be more relevant in determining overall nutritional health. Of course, not all of the symptoms you might document in this questionnaire will be the result of nutritional deficiencies -- some could result from prescription drug side effects, etc. However, overall patterns revealed by the symptomatology questions are very significant. That is, while a deficiency may not be indicated if you have only two or three symptoms of a possible 23, having 11 or more of those symptoms constructs a message from your body that it almost certainly requires more of that particular nutrient.