Diagnostic laboratories (hospital and GP laboratories) use tests to detect disease. We largely use the same tests. However, we look at your health in a more subtle way and therefore sometimes use completely different tests to measure, for example, oxidative stress (selenium, zinc, copper and copper/zinc ratio) energy management at tissue level (reverse T3), protein metabolism (prealbumin), chronic acidification (titratable acid and ammunonium in urine and net acid excretion), salt intake (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium in urine), iodine supply, etc.

Other reference values (and cut-off limits) apply for the detection of disease compared to the detection of subtle deficits that do not (yet) include disease. For example, the classical reference values for active vitamin B12 (holoTC) are usually 20 nmol/l. Individuals with B12 values below this limit usually have serious complaints and there is a reasonable chance of pernicious anaemia. Our optimal value has been set at 60 nmol/l based on extensive study of the recent scientific literature. Between 20 and 60 nmol/l (suboptimal) there is a chance of (mild) neurological and/or psychiatric complaints, such as loss of concentration, forgetfulness, brainfog, regular falls, etc. These optimal limit values are still the subject of much discussion and no consensus, but that is no reason not to use them. 

In our reports, in addition to the optimal values in colour bars, the diagnostic reference values (the 95% interval or klinsiche cut-off value) also take age and gender into account.