Vitamin And Nutrition Testing

Vitamin and Nutrition Blood Tests

Over the past few decades, a lot of information has emerged showing that good nutrition is essential to good health, along with plenty of evidence linking poor nutrition to greater risk of a long list of diseases and health conditions. For these reasons, many health-conscious people have been making a greater effort to ensure that they are eating healthy, well-balanced diets. If you are one of them, you may be wondering whether or not those efforts are paying off. Are you getting the right balance of nutrients to promote optimal health? These questions are quite common, and a vitamin test can help you answer them.

How do you test for vitamin deficiency?

A vitamin blood test measures the amount of a specific vitamin in your blood. Your personal level of that vitamin is then compared to a reference range that defines healthy levels of that nutrient. If your levels fall below that healthy range, vitamin deficiency is indicated.

A GUIDE: Vitamin Deficiencies And Nutrition Levels From Blood Testing

Vitamin and nutrition blood tests can provide you with detailed information on your nutritional status, letting you know where you stand in terms of levels of vital nutrients in your system. Those details may be collected via testing with vitamin test panels, which evaluate amounts of a number of vitamins in the body, or with tests designed to evaluate levels of individual nutrients. Here are some examples of commonly requested vitamin and nutrition blood tests:

• Electrolyte Panel – Electrolytes are nutrients that conduct the electrical impulses that help muscles and nerves work. They also help maintain healthy fluid balance in the body, as well as balanced pH levels in the blood. This test measures levels of four electrolytes; carbon dioxide, chloride, potassium, and sodium to assess electrolyte balance.
• Vitamin D, 25 Hydroxy – This test evaluates levels of vitamin D in the body, a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for maintaining bone health and linked to many other aspects of health, including heart and immune system health. Testing is typically done to screen for vitamin D deficiency.
• Calcium – Calcium is an electrolyte and an important factor in bone strength. This test measures levels of this mineral in the blood.
• Magnesium – Magnesium is an electrolyte, as well as a mineral that plays a role in more than 300 essential chemical reactions within the body. This makes it important to many aspects of health, including the nervous system, heart, brain and metabolic health. Two types of magnesium tests are commonly done; a simple blood test that measures magnesium levels in the blood, and the magnesium RBC test, which measures the amount of magnesium in the red blood cells.
• Vitamin A, E, Beta Carotene – These nutrients are antioxidants, which help prevent oxidative damage in the body. Vitamin A is also important for eye health. Beta carotene helps maintain healthy vitamin A levels. Vitamin E is important for overall health and has been linked to cardiovascular health. This test evaluates levels of all three nutrients in the blood.
• Vitamin B12 – This vitamin is essential to the production of red blood cells and to the manufacture of DNA. It also supports healthy metabolism, nervous system function and energy levels. This test screens for B12 deficiency. Since B-12 deficiency can lead to pernicious anemia, this test is also commonly used as part of diagnostics procedures for this blood disorder.
• Vitamin Package – A panel of blood tests, the vitamin package assesses levels of vitamins A, C, E, D, B1, B6, B12, folate and beta carotene in the body.
• Vitamin K1 – This blood test evaluates levels of vitamin K in the blood. This nutrient helps maintain bone health, vascular health and immune system health.

Other tests that may be done as part of a nutritional workup include Anemia Package tests, which evaluate blood cell number and health, iron levels and iron binding capacity, and tests designed to detect problems like lactose intolerance, celiac disease, or sensitivities to wheat and other grains.

How a blood test is done?

Having a blood test done begins with having a blood sample drawn. The sample is generally taken from a vein in your arm. Your sample will then be processed and analyzed by lab technicians. Once analysis is complete, a lab report will be drafted that contains detailed test results. If your tests were ordered by your healthcare provider, results will be sent to his or her office. If you order your own blood tests, the report will be delivered directly to you.

How do you analyze blood?

That depends to some degree upon the specific blood test that is done. That said, blood is usually processed in a centrifuge to separate its various components. Then, lab technicians use various techniques to identify and measure the particular factors each test calls for. For nutritional profiles, those factors would be specific vitamins, minerals, fats, or amino acids. What do they look for in a fasting blood test?

Fasting blood tests are tests that require you to eat no solid food for at least eight hours before your blood is drawn. Examples include lipid panels, which measure levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, blood glucose tests, which measure sugar levels in the blood, and many vitamin and nutrition blood test types that measure levels of specific nutrients in the blood. The reason for fasting is to ensure an accurate result, since eating before these tests can temporarily alter those levels.

Where can I get vitamin and nutrition testing near me?

Here are the states you can order blood tests for vitamin levels and nutrition tests. You can also search for convenient locations near you using our Lab Locator.