Vitamins & Nutrients
Vitamins, trace minerals, omega-3s and other nutrients measured in blood.
25 tests explained
Most common tests
- Folate (Vitamin B9), SerumMeasures folate (vitamin B9) in your blood. It mostly reflects what you ate recently, and it helps explain anemia and low folate intake.
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)Measures the vitamin B12 in your blood. Your nerves and red blood cells need B12, so this is the usual first check of your B12 status.
- Vitamin D (25-Hydroxy)The main form of vitamin D circulating in your blood, and the standard way to check your vitamin D status.
Common follow-up tests
- AA:EPA RatioA ratio of arachidonic acid (an omega-6 fat) to EPA (an omega-3 fat) in your blood. A lower ratio means relatively more EPA.
- Active Vitamin B12 (Holotranscobalamin)The part of your vitamin B12 that is attached to its carrier protein and ready for your cells to use. It's often called 'active B12'.
- Arachidonic Acid (AA)Measures arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fat in your blood that your body uses to make signaling molecules involved in inflammation and healing.
- Arachidonic Acid (AA), RBCHow much arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fat, makes up the membranes of your red blood cells, shown as a percent of all the fatty acids there.
- CopperThe total amount of copper in your blood, most of it carried by a liver protein called ceruloplasmin. It helps show whether you have too little or too much copper.
- DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)The amount of DHA, an omega-3 fat found in fish and algae, in your blood. It mostly reflects what you ate or took recently.
- DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid), RBCThe share of your red blood cell membranes made of DHA, an omega-3 fat. It reflects your omega-3 intake over about the past four months.
- EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid)The amount of EPA, an omega-3 fat found in fish and algae, in your blood. It mostly reflects what you ate or took recently.
- EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid), RBCThe share of your red blood cell membranes made of EPA, an omega-3 fat. It reflects your omega-3 intake over about the past four months.
- Folate, Red Blood CellMeasures the folate stored inside your red blood cells. It reflects your folate status over roughly the past three to four months.
- Methylmalonic Acid (MMA), SerumMeasures methylmalonic acid, a substance that builds up in your blood when your cells do not get enough usable vitamin B12.
- Omega-3 Index (EPA+DHA)Shows how much of the fat in your red blood cells is the marine omega-3s EPA and DHA, a long-term picture of your fish and omega-3 intake.
- Omega-6:Omega-3 RatioCompares the omega-6 fats in your blood with the omega-3 fats, but labs calculate it differently, so numbers from different labs cannot be compared.
- PhenylalanineMeasures phenylalanine, an amino acid from protein foods, and is mostly used to follow phenylketonuria (PKU), which is usually found at birth.
- SeleniumMeasures the trace mineral selenium in your blood, which mostly reflects how much you have recently taken in from food and supplements.
- Vitamin A (Retinol)Measures retinol, the main blood form of vitamin A, which supports vision, immune defenses and skin and is mostly stored in the liver.
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)Measures the active form of vitamin B1 (thiamine) in whole blood, to see whether your body has enough of this B vitamin.
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxal 5-Phosphate)Measures pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), the active form of vitamin B6, to see how much B6 your body has available.
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)Measures vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in plasma, mostly to check whether you are low on this vitamin.
- Vitamin D (1,25-Dihydroxy)Measures calcitriol, the active hormone form of vitamin D, to look into calcium, kidney and bone questions rather than to check vitamin D status.
- Vitamin E (Alpha-Tocopherol)Measures alpha-tocopherol, the main form of vitamin E in blood, to check whether you have enough of this fat-soluble vitamin.
- ZincMeasures zinc in your blood, a mineral that supports your immune system, wound healing, and sense of taste and smell.