One of the biggest statements I hear from prospective new clients is "my labs look fantastic, but I feel like trash."  What ends up happening is that person's symptoms get chalked up to being "that's just life, you're a busy mom," or "it must be on your head, here's an antidepressant."  Normal blood work doesn't mean normal health. 

Your traditional labs are a rule-out disease test, not a rule-in health test.  They are good for spotting immediate needs and danger, but it has been falsely assumed that if a person is "normal", then there is nothing wrong with that person.  It comes down to treating the labs, not the person.

For example:

"Doctors should be telling their patients, 'I'm going to normalize your TSH, but you're going to be at a higher risk of gaining weight, experiencing depression and fatigue. It is also more likely that your cholesterol will go up.' That's what we should be telling patients, based on our study."

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2016

As a result, your functional provider will use testing that is based more on what is deficient and toxic to the body.  The only reason illness occurs is due to deficiency and toxicity.  Illness does not occur because you lack the right amount of Lipitor, Tylenol, or Metformin.

With that said, here are 3 tests to consider when getting to the root of your issues, especially when all other lab work has shown to be inconclusive. 

Organic acids is a nutritional test profile that provides vital patient information from a single urine specimen. This organic acids nutritional test is valuable for determining:

• Functional vitamin and mineral status
• Amino acid insufficiencies like carnitine and NAC
• Oxidative damage and antioxidant need
• Phase I & Phase II detoxification capacity
• Functional B-complex vitamins needed
• Neurotransmitter metabolites
• Mitochondrial energy production
• Methylation sufficiency
• Lipoic acid and CoQ10 status
• Markers for bacterial and yeast overgrowth

Some conditions that warrant testing are:

• Fatigue
• Digestive complaints, diarrhea or constipation
• Brain fog
• Mood disorders, depression, and anxiety
• Diabetes and weight-loss issues
• Sleep issues
• Sports performance optimization

A Micronutrient test provides the most comprehensive nutritional analysis available by measuring functional deficiencies at the cellular level. It is an assessment of how well the body utilizes 31 vitamins, minerals, amino/fatty acids, antioxidants, and metabolites, while conveying the body’s need for these micronutrients that enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones, and other substances essential for proper growth, development, and good health. 

Unlike static serum measurements, which only assess the concentration of nutrients present outside of the cell (extracellular) and only provide a glimpse of your health, SpectraCell’s Micronutrient test is a long-term assessment (4-6 months) that addresses the functional impact (performance) of micronutrients—what really matters. 

Some conditions that warrant testing are:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes
• Neurological disorders/Alzheimer’s
• Autism and other spectrum disorders
• Mood disorders
• Fatigue
• Osteoporosis
• Fertility issues
• Weight issues
• Sports performance optimization

Overwhelmingly, research indicates that gut health impacts overall health. The gut microbiome, in particular, plays a critical role in mediating the effects of diet and other factors on health, including digestive, immune, metabolic and neuroendocrine functions. Assessing GI health with the proper tools can help practitioners get to the root cause of chronic illness.

Some conditions that warrant testing are:

• Autoimmune diseases
• IBS/IBD
• Digestive complaints, diarrhea or constipation
• Brain fog
• Skin problems, like acne and psoriasis
• Mood disorders, depression, and anxiety
• Diabetes and weight loss issues

As much as testing is the key to a targeted solution, implementation is the magic that makes the health transformations.  Functional medicine may not be for you.  Here are 5 reasons NOT to work with a functional medicine provider.