Why typing labels gets old fast
Most people take more than one supplement, and each label lists several ingredients, serving sizes and forms. Entering all of that by hand is slow and easy to get wrong. So many routines end up half-recorded, or not recorded at all.
What a scan should give you
A good supplement scan saves you the typing and leaves you with a clean entry:
- The right product, matched from the barcode, not a guess from the name.
- The label details, such as ingredients and serving size, stored with it.
- A choice when it's unclear. If a few products look alike, you pick the right one.
- A fallback. If a product isn't found, you can add it yourself from a couple of photos.
Keep the routine, not just the product
Scanning is only the start. The real value is having each product sit in a routine you actually follow:
- the times you take it;
- the days it's due;
- a quick tick when it's done, with the time.
After a few weeks that becomes a clear record of what you've been taking and since when. That's useful to bring to your GP or pharmacist when you review your routine.
Tips for a tidy list
- Scan everything once, including the ones you only take some days.
- Remove what you've stopped so your list stays current.
- Note when you start something new. It's the date you'll want later when you look back at blood tests or sleep.
Where the app comes in
In Biohack Tracker you tap +, choose Supplement and scan the barcode with your phone camera. The product and its label details are added to your routine, ready for reminders. Behind the scan is a catalogue of hundreds of thousands of products from public label databases. Each day you tick items off as you take them, and your history builds itself.
Barcode scanning works in the iPhone and Android apps.
