Sometimes Standard Testing Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
Standard laboratory testing is an important part of healthcare. But when symptoms persist or the pieces don’t seem to fit together, additional information may help us look more deeply.
At Naturopathic Health Center, we use advanced laboratory testing when it can help answer a specific question, identify patterns, or provide information that may guide an individualized treatment plan.
More testing isn’t necessarily better testing.
The right test is the one that helps us better understand you.
Request an AppointmentTesting With a Purpose
Your history and symptoms guide the investigation.
Depending upon your individual needs, advanced testing may allow us to look more closely at:
Digestive Health & the Microbiome
Digestive symptoms can sometimes provide important clues about overall health.
Specialized stool testing can evaluate areas such as the gastrointestinal microbiome, digestive function, inflammation, intestinal immune function, and the presence of certain organisms.
Testing may be considered for concerns such as bloating, reflux, constipation, diarrhea, food reactions, abdominal discomfort, or other persistent digestive symptoms.
Testing available through:
- GI-MAP
- Genova GI Effects
The health of your gastrointestinal system can influence far more than digestion.
Nutritional & Cellular Health
Even a good diet does not always tell us whether nutrients are being adequately absorbed, utilized, or metabolized.
Advanced nutritional testing can provide information about vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, oxidative stress, and other markers related to cellular and metabolic function.
Testing available through:
- Genova NutriEval
- SpectraCell
- Doctor’s Data
Hormonal & Adrenal Health
Hormones influence far more than reproductive health. They can affect energy, sleep, mood, metabolism, weight, cognition, bone health, and overall well-being.
Depending upon the individual, testing may evaluate sex hormones, hormone metabolites, cortisol patterns, and other aspects of hormonal function.
Testing available through:
- DUTCH
- DiagnosTechs
Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health
A standard cholesterol panel provides useful information, but sometimes a more detailed assessment is appropriate.
Advanced cardiovascular and metabolic testing can provide additional information about lipoproteins, inflammation, blood sugar regulation, insulin resistance, and other factors associated with cardiovascular and metabolic health.
Testing available through:
- Boston Heart Diagnostics
Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease
Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections can be complex, particularly when symptoms have been present for a long time or previous testing has not provided clear answers.
When the history suggests that tick-borne illness should be investigated, specialized testing may help evaluate Lyme disease and relevant co-infections.
Testing available through:
- IGeneX
- Galaxy Diagnostics
Mold, Mycotoxins & Environmental Exposures
Our environment can sometimes play an important role in health.
When a patient’s history suggests possible exposure to a water-damaged building or other environmental concerns, specialized testing may be considered as part of a broader evaluation.
Testing may include assessment of mycotoxins, heavy metals, or other environmental exposures when clinically appropriate.
Testing available through:
- RealTime Laboratories
- Mosaic Diagnostics
- Vibrant Wellness
- Doctor’s Data
Food & Immune Reactivity
In selected cases, testing may provide additional information about immune responses to foods or other factors that could be contributing to symptoms.
These results are interpreted in the context of the patient’s history rather than being used as a stand-alone diagnosis.
Testing available through:
- KBMO Diagnostics
- ImmunoSciences
Cortisol & Stress Physiology
The body’s stress-response system can influence energy, sleep, blood sugar regulation, mood, and resilience.
When appropriate, testing can evaluate cortisol patterns throughout the day and provide additional information about stress physiology.
Testing available through:
- DiagnosTechs
Your Test Results Are Only Part of the Picture
A laboratory report should never be interpreted in isolation.
We consider your test results alongside your:
- Health history
- Symptoms
- Medications and supplements
- Nutrition
- Lifestyle
- Environment
- Previous testing
- Individual goals
The purpose of advanced testing is not simply to find an abnormal number.
It is to help us ask better questions, make better-informed decisions, and develop a plan that makes sense for you.
Multi-Cancer Early Detection
For appropriate patients interested in proactive health screening, we also offer access to the Galleri® multi-cancer early detection blood test.
Galleri is designed to look for a signal associated with multiple types of cancer and is intended to complement—not replace—recommended cancer screening.
Do You Need Advanced Testing?
Not everyone does.
Your doctor will discuss whether additional testing is appropriate based upon your history, symptoms, previous laboratory work, and health goals.
Whenever possible, we want testing to answer a meaningful question:
What will we learn from this test—and could the answer change what we do?
Ready to Look Deeper?
If you have persistent symptoms, unexplained health concerns, or want a more comprehensive evaluation of your health, the first step is a conversation.
Finding the Cause. Restoring Health. Empowering You for Life.
What Does the Research Show?
Research on intravenous nutrient therapy varies considerably depending upon which nutrient is being given, the dose, the individual’s nutritional and medical status, and the reason it is being administered.
There is no single body of research that applies to all IV nutrient therapy.
Request an AppointmentWhy Does the IV Route Matter?
When a nutrient is taken orally, it must pass through the gastrointestinal tract and be absorbed before entering the bloodstream.
Intravenous administration bypasses this process and delivers the administered dose directly into the circulation.
This can be particularly useful when gastrointestinal absorption is impaired, when more rapid nutrient replacement is needed, or when the intravenous route can achieve concentrations that cannot readily be reached through oral supplementation.
However, IV administration does not automatically make a nutrient better or more appropriate for every person.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the most extensively studied nutrients administered intravenously.
Intravenous administration can produce blood concentrations substantially higher than those achievable through oral supplementation.
Researchers have investigated IV vitamin C in a variety of areas, including oxidative stress, critical illness, oncology supportive care, and symptom management.
Results vary considerably according to the dose, population, and clinical circumstances being studied. Research involving high-dose IV vitamin C should therefore not be interpreted to mean that routine vitamin C infusions provide the same benefit for everyone.
Magnesium
Magnesium is involved in hundreds of biochemical reactions and contributes to normal muscle and nerve function, cardiovascular function, energy metabolism, and electrolyte balance.
Intravenous magnesium has established applications within conventional medicine and has been extensively studied.
Research also illustrates an important principle of nutrient therapy: benefit depends upon the individual, the clinical circumstances, and the reason the nutrient is being given.
B Vitamins & Vitamin B12
B vitamins participate in many metabolic pathways involved in cellular energy production, neurological function, red blood cell formation, and normal cellular metabolism.
Vitamin B12 is commonly administered by injection when deficiency or problems with gastrointestinal absorption make this route appropriate.
Research supports correcting deficiencies, but additional amounts of a nutrient do not necessarily provide additional benefit when nutritional status is already adequate.
Glutathione
Glutathione is one of the body’s major naturally occurring antioxidants.
It plays an important role in cellular protection, oxidative balance, and the body’s normal processing and elimination of certain compounds.
Glutathione has attracted considerable research interest because of its relationship to oxidative stress and cellular defense. Research involving intravenous glutathione is still developing, however, and the strength of evidence varies depending upon the condition being studied.
For this reason, we describe glutathione primarily in terms of antioxidant and cellular support rather than making claims that it treats a particular disease.
Hydration & Electrolytes
Fluid and electrolyte replacement is one of the most established uses of intravenous therapy.
Water and electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium are essential for normal cellular, muscle, nerve, and cardiovascular function.
When additional hydration or electrolyte replacement is appropriate, intravenous administration provides a direct and controlled method of delivering fluids and selected electrolytes.
Putting the Research in Perspective
There are well-established medical reasons for administering certain nutrients and fluids intravenously. There are also areas of IV nutrient therapy where research is encouraging but incomplete.
We believe it is important to recognize both.
At Naturopathic Health Center LLC, we don’t assume that an IV is beneficial simply because nutrients are being delivered intravenously.
Instead, we ask:
What does this individual need?
Why are we considering IV therapy?
Which nutrients are appropriate?
Does IV administration offer an advantage in this situation?
How does it fit into the person’s broader health plan?
Our IV Vitamin & Electrolyte Therapy is offered in collaboration with Chin Cheng Tai (Cliff), APRN, with appropriate medical screening and oversight.
Our goal is to use IV therapy thoughtfully—as another level of nutritional and supportive care when it makes sense for the individual.