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Low prices since 2005
Labs within 2 miles
Private, accurate & secure
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Match the test to the nutrient you're asking about

Each of these answers a different nutrition question — one nutrient or a wide panel.

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Vitamin and nutrition testing measures blood levels of nutrients such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate, vitamins A, C, and E, plus selected minerals in certain panels. Shoppers often compare a single measurement when they have one nutrient question with a multi-nutrient panel when they want to review several nutrients together. Vitamin D measures 25-OH D2, D3, and total vitamin D, while Vitamin B12 and Folates reports both B12 and serum folate. Start by deciding whether one named nutrient or a defined group of vitamins and minerals best fits the question you want to discuss with a healthcare professional.

What vitamin and nutrient blood tests measure

A vitamin deficiency test is not one universal test; the measurement depends on the nutrient in question. Vitamin D reports 25-OH D2, 25-OH D3, and total 25-OH vitamin D. Vitamin B12 and Folates pairs vitamin B12 with serum folate, two nutrients often considered together when reviewing nutritional status. Vitamin A measures retinol, Vitamin C measures vitamin C, and Vitamin E measures alpha and beta-gamma tocopherol. The Vital Vitamins Panel combines B vitamins, vitamins A, C, D, E, and K. Results describe blood measurements, not a diagnosis, and symptoms or unexpected values warrant professional review.

When a vitamins-only panel is not enough

The Total Vitamins + Minerals Panel measures vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K along with magnesium, zinc, iron, iron binding capacity, percent saturation, phosphate, calcium, and standard blood chemistry measurements. Iron, iron binding capacity, and percent saturation help describe how iron is circulating and bound; they are not interchangeable with vitamin results. Calcium and phosphate are useful companions to a nutrition review because both are measured minerals. Creatinine and eGFR describe kidney-related blood chemistry, while ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, albumin, and total protein add information about blood chemistry and protein status. A clinician can relate these results to diet, symptoms, supplements, and medical history.

Vitamins & Nutrition FAQ

A vitamin deficiency test measures one or more nutrient concentrations in blood, rather than establishing the cause of a symptom. Available options measure nutrients including 25-OH vitamin D, vitamin B12, serum folate, retinol, vitamin C, tocopherols, and vitamin K. The best fit depends on whether you are evaluating one named nutrient or several vitamins and minerals together.

Vitamin D measures 25-OH vitamin D2, 25-OH vitamin D3, and total 25-OH vitamin D only. The Vital Vitamins Panel includes those vitamin D measurements plus vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, B12, C, K, A, and E. The focused option suits a vitamin D question, while the panel is designed for a defined multi-vitamin review.

Vitamin B12 and Folates reports vitamin B12 and serum folate from the same order. Both are B vitamins, but they are separate measurements and one result does not substitute for the other. Reviewing them together gives a clinician more information when considering nutritional intake, absorption questions, symptoms, and the rest of a person's health history.

Methylmalonic acid is a separate measurement that is often considered alongside vitamin B12 when a professional is assessing a B12-related question. It does not measure vitamin B12 itself. Methylmalonic acid can be influenced by factors beyond B12 status, including kidney function, so interpreting it with vitamin B12 and relevant clinical information is important.

The Total Vitamins + Minerals Panel adds magnesium, zinc, iron, iron binding capacity, percent saturation, phosphate, calcium, and blood chemistry measurements to a long vitamin list. Iron binding capacity and percent saturation help place iron results in relation to its binding and transport. Albumin and total protein provide additional protein-related measurements that can be useful during a nutrition-focused review.

Vitamin B12 measures vitamin B12 alone, while Vitamin B12 and Folates measures both vitamin B12 and serum folate. The single test is appropriate when the question is limited to B12. The paired test provides a folate result at the same time, which is useful when a healthcare professional wants to consider both nutrient measurements together.

Retinol is the blood measurement reported by the Vitamin A (Retinol) test. Tocopherols are the vitamin E measurements reported as alpha tocopherol and beta-gamma tocopherol by Vitamin E (Tocopherol). These are distinct fat-soluble vitamins, so a result for one does not describe the level of the other. The Vital Vitamins Panel includes both vitamin A and vitamin E measurements.

A nutrition panel can identify measured nutrient and related blood chemistry values that a healthcare professional may consider when evaluating symptoms, but it cannot diagnose the reason for fatigue or another symptom by itself. The Nutrition Balance Scan includes vitamins A, B12, C, D, and K, plus ferritin, serum folate, iron, blood counts, and metabolic chemistry. Many non-nutritional factors can affect how symptoms are evaluated.

Vitamin and mineral results should be interpreted with the specific measurement and related findings in mind. For example, iron is more informative alongside iron binding capacity and percent saturation than as an isolated number, and vitamin B12 may be considered with methylmalonic acid in some clinical situations. Albumin, total protein, creatinine, and eGFR can also add relevant medical context to a broader nutrition review.

Ordering & Results FAQ

You'll receive it via email within 60 seconds of your order unless it requires additional processing (only very complex orders do).

Many general wellness test results are typically available online within 2-3 business days. However, some tests will require additional processing time. You will immediately receive an email & SMS notification when your results are available.

We do not share your results with your physician, insurance company, or any other third party.

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