Tired all the time, foggy, bloated or flat, and every blood test comes back normal? It is not ‘all in your head’. Organic acids testing is one way our practitioners look a little deeper. From a single urine sample, it gives us a window into how your body is turning food into energy, and where your nutritional needs may not be met.
Organic acids are by-products your cells make as they go about everyday chemistry: producing energy, using B-group vitamins, breaking down neurotransmitters and dealing with what the bacteria and yeasts in your gut produce. They leave the body in urine, and their levels can show us when a pathway may be running short of what it needs.
The panel we use most often is a broad one. Its markers fall into five groups:
No single marker tells the story. The value is in the pattern, read alongside your history and symptoms.
An organic acids test is a functional, nutritional assessment. It is not a diagnostic test for any disease, and it does not replace the pathology your GP orders. A result is a snapshot, shaped by what you ate the day before, your fluid intake, supplements and medicines.
Some symptoms need a doctor first, before any functional testing. Please see your GP promptly if you have unexplained weight loss, blood in your stool or urine, persistent vomiting, severe or worsening pain, new numbness, weakness or confusion, or fatigue with breathlessness or chest pain. Rare inherited metabolic conditions are diagnosed through hospital metabolic services, not through this test.
We never ask anyone to stop or change a prescribed medicine to prepare for a test. Tell us everything you take and we will check what matters.
We don’t use organic acids testing for everyone. A thorough consultation comes first, and often your history and routine bloods are enough to start. We tend to consider it when:
The laboratory sets and bills its own fee for the test. We will tell you the current amount before you decide.
We are open 6 days per week, by appointment only. Book an appointment online via our online booking link.
Your results shape a plan built for you, food first, with the reasoning explained. There is no standard protocol attached to any marker. We work through the drivers we can influence, check progress along the way and, where it is useful, retest to see what has changed.
With your permission we are happy to share results with your GP, so everyone looking after you is working from the same picture.
No. A GP urine test usually checks for infection, blood, protein or glucose. An organic acids test measures dozens of metabolic by-products to assess how energy and nutrient pathways are working. It complements medical testing rather than replacing it.
Some supplements can affect particular markers. We will let you know if anything should be paused, and the pathology company will advise on collection. Never stop a prescribed medicine to prepare for the test without talking to your doctor.
No. We do not sell tests on their own. A test only helps when it answers a clear question, so we use it as part of your care, and only when your history suggests it will be useful.
Testing arranged through Living Holistic Health is not Medicare rebated. The laboratory sets and bills its own fee, and we will tell you the current amount before you decide. Some tests ordered by your GP may be processed through Medicare, but that is a decision for your GP.
Usually a few weeks. The laboratory runs these tests in batches, and we book your follow-up appointment once the results are back.
We don’t diagnose or treat medical conditions; that stays with your doctor. Our part is the nutritional, herbal and lifestyle work that sits alongside their care.
General information only, not individual medical advice. Always discuss supplements and herbal medicines with your treating practitioner.
We are open 6 days per week, by appointment only. Book an appointment online via our online booking link.
