Functional Testing
Supporting health with Functional Testing
Gain clarity and take control of your health with personalised insights from functional testing—supporting your body with real data, not guesswork.
What can testing tell you?
For men and women seeking to enhance their health and overall well-being, functional testing is a powerful tool. How your health is expressed is closely linked with your biochemistry and genetic predispositions and traits. Testing offers a comprehensive approach to investigate your health more fully. Rather than relying solely on signs and symptoms, testing provides concrete data that allow precise, tailored health plans and solutions.
What is Functional Testing
Personalised Support Rooted in Real Insights
Understanding your health starts with the right information. Functional testing goes beyond standard NHS panels to reveal what’s actually happening in your body, from nutrient levels and hormone balance to gut health and your genetic blueprint.
All testing I offer is ordered, interpreted, and integrated into your programme by me. It is always tailored to your symptoms, health history, and goals. Nothing is ordered speculatively, and nothing is left unexplained
Important - please read
Functional testing is used to inform Nutrition Therapy interventions and provide appropriate diet and lifestyle advice within Lucy Clarke Nutrition & Acupuncture. All test results, interpretation, and advice are for the sole purpose of Nutrition Therapy. This is not a medical diagnosis and is not to be understood as medical advice. Please always seek medical advice from your GP or a qualified medical practitioner regarding any conditions you are concerned about.
Why Functional Testing?
Most standard NHS tests are designed to detect disease — not to identify the subtler imbalances that can leave you feeling unwell even when results come back ‘normal’. Functional testing uses narrower, optimal reference ranges and more targeted biomarkers to assess how your body is actually performing, not just whether something has gone clinically wrong.
The question shifts from ‘Am I sick?’ to ‘How can I feel better?’
You might benefit from testing if you experience:
- Ongoing fatigue, low energy, or brain fog
- Digestive symptoms — bloating, IBS, or irregular bowel habits
- Hormonal concerns — PMS, perimenopause, menopause, or fertility challenges
- Poor sleep, chronic stress, or mood imbalances
- ‘Normal’ NHS results but still no answers
- A desire to be proactive about your long-term health
I suffered from extreme bloating, this has reduced significantly, and my digestion and bowel movements have improved. At the start of my appointments, I could not exercise due to extreme fatigue but now I am managing to exercise consistently. My eyebrows and hair have started growing back again.
Lucy provided me with in depth knowledge and advice about nutrition and encouraged me to take control of my health and learn as much as possible and put it into good practise. In addition, I found genetic testing and private blood testing very beneficial to help me put together a better picture of my overall health. It was a fantastic experience and hugely beneficial.
Functional Testing Packages
Ready to take control of your health?
Tests Ordered as Standard with the 1:1 NT Programme
The 1:1 Nutrition Programme includes two core functional tests — a comprehensive blood panel and a foundational nutrigenomics (DNA) report. Both are selected by me based on your individual needs and ordered at the start of your programme.
from £225
Comprehensive Blood Analysis
A thorough functional blood panel ordered through a specialist UK lab. Testing is carried out via venous blood draw and goes significantly further than a standard GP panel — covering a broad range of markers to build a detailed picture of what is happening in your body right now.
Blood testing tells us what is happening — identifying levels, imbalances, and how your body is currently functioning. Results are interpreted using optimal reference ranges, not just the broad clinical thresholds used in conventional medicine, so suboptimal trends are caught early.
What’s covered:
- Full Blood Count — immune function, red blood cell health, and overall blood picture
- Liver Function — detoxification capacity, metabolic stress, and inflammation markers
- Kidney Function — filtration efficiency, hydration status, and electrolyte balance
- Full Thyroid Panel — TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, and thyroid autoimmune antibodies — a far more complete picture than a standard NHS thyroid test
- Hormone Panel — oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, FSH, LH, SHBG, DHEA-s, prolactin, and cortisol
- Nutrient Status — vitamin D, B12 (cobalamin), folate (B9), zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, ferritin, iron, and transferrin saturation
- Cardiovascular & Metabolic Markers — full lipid panel, fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin, hs-CRP, and specialist cardiovascular markers including ApoA1, ApoB, and Lp(a)
from £225
Essential Nutrigenomics
A foundational DNA report analysing key genetic variants (SNPs) that influence how your body absorbs, metabolises, and uses nutrients. Selected to suit your individual health goals and priorities, this report is interpreted alongside your blood results to build a joined-up picture of your health.
Nutrigenomics tells us why things may be happening — uncovering whether a genetic predisposition is contributing to the patterns seen in your blood. Together, the two tests reveal both the current state of your health and the underlying traits that may be shaping it, both of which can be supported through diet, lifestyle, and targeted nutrition.
Key nutrients and pathways covered:
- Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) — genetic variants affecting absorption, transport, and conversion; may help explain why levels are low even with adequate intake
- Folate (B9) — variants in the folate cycle, including MTHFR, which influence how effectively your body converts folate into its active form
- Vitamin D — SNPs affecting synthesis, binding, and metabolism; relevant even when blood levels appear sufficient
- Vitamin A — variants in conversion from dietary beta-carotene; impacts skin, immunity, and eye health
- Vitamin C — genetic differences in transport and utilisation; influences antioxidant status and collagen production
- Vitamin K — variants affecting activation and metabolism; relevant to bone health and cardiovascular function
- Zinc — SNPs influencing absorption and retention; impacts immunity, hormones, and skin
- Detoxification & Inflammation Pathways — genetic traits that may affect how your body processes toxins and regulates inflammatory response
- Hormonal & Metabolic Predispositions — variants influencing oestrogen metabolism, blood pressure regulation, and energy metabolism
Better together: why ordering both is worth it
Blood testing shows what is currently happening in your body. Nutrigenomics shows why it may be happening — and whether a genetic predisposition is contributing to the pattern.
For example: a B12 result that sits low-normal becomes much more meaningful when we know you carry a variant that affects how efficiently your body absorbs or converts it. A zinc level that looks adequate may still be functionally limited if your genetics affect how well your cells retain it.
Understanding both gives us the clearest possible picture — and the most precise starting point for supporting your health through food, lifestyle, and targeted nutrition.
Advanced Testing Within Precision Nutrition
Precision Nutrition is my most in-depth programme, designed for complex or long-standing health concerns, multiple interacting symptoms, or clients who want the most comprehensive and personalised approach available.
Testing is central to how this programme works. In addition to the core blood and nutrigenomics tests, I design a bespoke testing plan around your specific case — drawing on specialist and advanced functional tests to investigate complex conditions more deeply.
For Precision Nutrition clients, blood panels are drawn in clinic using bespoke panels I have developed and set up directly with specialist labs — going further than the standard panels available through conventional testing routes.
Specialist and advanced tests used to inform complex conditions can include:
- Bespoke Blood Panels — drawn in clinic using panels developed specifically for Precision Nutrition clients, with direct specialist lab access
- Advanced Nutrigenomics — multiple DNA reports across methylation, detoxification, hormones, metabolism, nervous system, and more
- DUTCH Hormone Testing — detailed analysis of hormone metabolites via dried urine, giving a fuller picture of hormone activity than blood testing alone
- Gut Microbiome Testing — stool analysis to assess digestive function, microbial balance, gut inflammation, and digestive efficiency
- Organic Acids Testing (OAT) — urine-based assessment of energy production, neurotransmitter activity, detoxification, and nutrient cofactor status
- Microbiome Mapping — analysis of vaginal, uterine, urinary, or seminal microbiomes, particularly for those with fertility concerns or recurrent symptoms
- Specialist Testing — including food reaction testing, mould and environmental toxin screening, and reproductive immunology where indicated
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Lab fees are always in addition to your programme fee.
What’s included in your programme is my time — to select the most appropriate tests for your health, guide you through ordering and paying for them, review and analyse your results, and integrate the findings into your nutrition plan.
The blood panel is approximately £225 and the nutrigenomics report approximately £225. You may choose to order one rather than both. All costs are confirmed with you before anything is ordered.
Lucy broke through the medical jargon and explained everything to me in a way that was easy for me to understand. Any information and communication relating to my care / journey is held within a patient portal which is extremely useful.
The functional testing, and Nutrigenomics has been invaluable. The tests provided me with a road map to what my body needs as an individual, rather than taking anything and everything that I thought was needed. This in not only serviced me for fertility purposes, I now know how best to support my body and it’s functions for life.
Want to explore Functional Testing?
You’ve Joined a Programme — Here’s How Testing Works
Once you’re enrolled in either the 1:1 NT or Precision Nutrition programme, testing follows a clear, well-supported process. Some specialist tests take up to six weeks to return results, so the testing timeline is built into your programme from the start — giving enough time for results to come back, be fully interpreted, and integrated meaningfully into your plan.
Complete your health questionnaire
Before our first consultation, you’ll complete a detailed online health questionnaire covering your symptoms, diet, lifestyle, health history, and goals. This is the foundation of everything — the more thoroughly you complete it, the more targeted and personalised your programme and testing will be.
We talk
In your initial consultation, we go through your questionnaire together and I get to know your health picture in depth. This conversation shapes everything that follows — including which tests are most relevant for you, and why.
We decide which tests to order
Based on your questionnaire and our conversation, I’ll recommend the most appropriate tests for your situation. I’ll explain what each test looks for, what it will cost, and what to expect. Nothing is ordered until you’re clear and happy to proceed. I’ll then guide you through how to order and pay for your tests directly with the lab, and give you all the preparation instructions you need — fasting requirements, cycle timing, supplements to pause, and anything else relevant to your specific tests.
Results come back to me directly
Results are sent from the lab directly to me. I’ll analyse them in the context of your full health picture — your symptoms, history, questionnaire responses, and genetic data where relevant. You’ll receive a clear written summary explaining what your results mean for you personally, ahead of our results consultation.
Results are integrated into your programme
We’ll go through your results together in a dedicated consultation, with time for questions. Your findings are then woven directly into your nutrition and lifestyle plan — so the testing genuinely drives your treatment rather than sitting as a standalone report. For tests with longer turnaround times, this is factored into your programme timeline from the outset.
“A test without a plan is just paper. With the right support, it becomes a roadmap for your health.”
Want to Know More Before You Book?
Download my free guide to functional testing, covering the key test types, what they reveal, and how to know if testing is right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Functional nutrition uses optimal reference ranges rather than the broad clinical ranges used in conventional medicine. Clinical ranges are based on population averages — so you can sit within the ‘normal’ band and still have markers that aren’t optimal for how you feel. Functional testing also includes a wider range of biomarkers that standard NHS panels often don’t cover, which means underlying imbalances can go undetected for a long time.
Yes — and often it’s not that the test was wrong, but that the right markers weren’t tested at all. Standard thyroid testing, for example, typically only includes TSH — which gives a very limited picture of thyroid function. A full thyroid panel also needs Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies to tell the whole story.
No — lab fees are always separate and in addition to your programme fee. What your programme includes is my time: selecting the most appropriate tests for your health, guiding you through how to order and pay for them, reviewing and analysing your results, and integrating the findings into your nutrition plan. All lab costs are confirmed with you before anything is ordered.
Preparation varies depending on the test, and I’ll always give you clear, specific instructions. As a general guide:
- Blood tests — some require fasting (typically 8–12 hours) or must be done at a specific time of day or phase of your menstrual cycle
- Microbiome tests — antibiotics can affect results; a gap of at least 4–6 weeks after finishing a course is usually needed
- Supplements — some may need to be paused before certain tests to improve accuracy
- Menstrual cycle timing — some tests are affected by where you are in your cycle; I’ll advise on this where relevant
- If you’re unwell — let me know, as illness can temporarily alter results
I will never ask you to stop prescribed medications. This is outside my scope of practice and is not required for functional testing.
Clinical reference ranges are set to detect disease — which means results need to be quite far outside ‘normal’ before they raise concern. Optimal ranges are narrower and based on what research suggests is ideal for health and function. This allows us to identify suboptimal trends earlier and address them through nutrition and lifestyle before they develop into clinical problems.
It depends on the test. Standard blood panels typically return within 7–10 days. Some specialist tests — such as gut microbiome analysis or DUTCH hormone testing — can take up to four to six weeks. This is why testing is planned carefully at the start of your programme, so turnaround times fit within your overall treatment timeline.
No. Functional testing is used to inform Nutrition Therapy — to identify imbalances, guide personalised recommendations, and support your health through diet, lifestyle, and supplementation. It is not a medical diagnosis and does not replace medical care. I always encourage clients to keep their GP informed and to seek medical advice for any conditions they are concerned about.
Useful Information
Further Reading
Ready to Get Started?
Book a free 15-minute mini consultation to talk through your symptoms, find out which programme is right for you, and understand how testing fits into your journey. No pressure, just a clear, honest conversation about your health.
