Advanced Laboratory Spotlight: NutrEval® Comprehensive Nutritional Testing
In my functional and integrative medical practice, nutrition and supplementation are never approached with guesswork. Patients arrive with highly variable dietary patterns - vegan, paleo, keto, Mediterranean, intermittent fasting - and many are already taking multiple nutraceuticals. Rather than assuming these strategies are adequate, I ask a more fundamental question:
Is your current dietary and supplement approach meeting your biochemical needs?
The NutrEval® Comprehensive Nutritional Test (Genova Diagnostics) is my most frequently utilized specialty lab for answering that question. It serves as both a baseline diagnostic tool and a follow-up assessment for patients implementing treatment protocols, dietary shifts, or targeted supplementation.
Test Overview: What to Expect
The NutrEval® is completed using a home urine collection + in-office blood draw. Kits are shipped directly to the patient with detailed instructions; samples are processed through your local laboratory and shipped to Genova. Results typically return within 3–4 weeks.
In most cases, I pair this test with conventional laboratories - CBC, metabolic panel, iron studies, inflammatory markers, hormones, micronutrients, and infectious screening - allowing for a more comprehensive clinical picture.
What the Report Reveals
The report is data-dense. Years of interpretation experience allow me to translate findings into practical interventions across diet, lifestyle, and precision supplementation. Key domains include:
Mineral Status
Direct measurements of essential minerals, highlighting both deficiency and excess. For example, selenium toxicity - a cause of hair loss - is frequently missed without specialized testing.
Minerals assessed include:
• Copper
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Potassium
• Selenium
• Zinc
Heavy Metal Burden
Identification of toxic metals relevant to neurological, immune, and metabolic health. Elevated mercury is common in heavy fish consumers and those with older dental amalgams.
Metals assessed include:
• Lead
• Mercury
• Arsenic
• Cadmium
Fatty Acid Profile
Comprehensive analysis of omega-3, omega-6, omega-9, saturated fats, and trans-fats, allowing precise insight into dietary fat quality and supplementation status. Fatty acids are measured in red blood cells which represents a 3-4 month window.
Clinical applications include:
• Inflammation & immune modulation
• Cardiovascular risk stratification
• Mood and cognitive health
• Metabolic function
Protein & Amino Acid Balance
Amino acids are foundational to muscle, bone, neurotransmitters, hormones, detoxification, and immune health. The panel quantifies intake, digestion, absorption, and functional utilization of amino acids in plasma - representing a 21-day window.
Common uses:
• Evaluating protein adequacy in restrictive or low-calorie diets
• Amino acid patterns relevant to anxiety, depression, and stress physiology
Oxidative Stress & Antioxidant Capacity
Oxidative stress reflects the balance between free radicals and antioxidant defense - essentially the rate of cellular “rusting” (think of this as accelerated aging).
The panel includes direct measurement of Glutathione and CoQ10, as well as markers signaling excessive oxidative stress in the body. Low glutathione is particularly actionable, given its roles in detoxification, longevity, and mitochondrial function.
Urine Organic Acids
A cornerstone of functional medicine diagnostics, providing metabolic signatures that conventional labs miss.
Insights gained include:
• Gut microbiome dynamics (bacterial/fungal overgrowth, dysbiosis, malabsorption
• Mitochondrial efficiency and ATP production
• Functional B-vitamin need (based on utilization, not serum levels)
• Neurotransmitter precursors relevant to dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin
• Detoxification pathway demand and nutrient cofactor requirements
Bottom Line
You can’t optimize health by guessing. NutrEval® provides biochemical clarity - identifying nutritional gaps, detoxification demands, and metabolic inefficiencies - so diet and supplement strategies are guided by data, not assumptions.
Cost of Test
Insurance coverage for NutrEval® testing varies by plan. The test is often covered in full by Medicare. Those with commercial insurance typically pay $200-465. Cash price is $439. The test is not covered by Medicaid.
Note: I do not profit from ordering laboratory testing; patient co-pays are paid directly to Genova Diagnostics.
Are you ready to take the next step? I can help! As a board-certified Integrative & Functional Medicine physician and Certified Menopause Specialist, I can help you “think outside of the box and dig deeper with a variety of laboratory testing to help uncover the root causes of your symptoms, and create a plan personalized for you that goes beyond the prescription pad to incorporate diet/lifestyle change, nutritional supplements, holistic therapies, health coaching and more! Contact us to get started!