NutrEval Plasma (Comprehensive Nutritional Evaluation)
NutrEval Plasma is a comprehensive functional nutritional evaluation combining urine organic acids, plasma amino acids, fatty acids, oxidative-stress markers, and red-cell nutrient elements, with derived recommendations for nutrient support. It is used in functional and integrative practice to guide individualised nutrition.
6
Biomarkers
Blood (plasma)
Sample
15–21 business days
Turnaround
Typically fasting for the blood components; first-morning urine with preparatory dietary restrictions # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm exact fasting and preparatory-diet requirements with Genova.
Fasting
What is the NutrEval Plasma test?
NutrEval Plasma is a comprehensive functional nutritional evaluation that combines urine organic acids, plasma amino acids, plasma or red-cell fatty acids, oxidative-stress markers, and red-cell or whole-blood nutrient elements into a single profile, with derived recommendations for vitamin, mineral, amino-acid, essential fatty-acid, and antioxidant support. It is used to build a wide-ranging picture of an individual's functional nutritional status from a combined blood and urine collection. In the diagnostic landscape, NutrEval sits within functional and integrative nutritional medicine and is used to guide individualised nutrient and lifestyle interventions rather than to make formal disease diagnoses. It combines components with reasonable validity — direct nutrient element levels, the omega-3 index, and urinary methylmalonate for B12 — with many organic-acid, oxidative-stress, and broad functional interpretations whose clinical validity is not established in mainstream practice. Practitioners order it for a thorough nutritional evaluation in patients with non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, or for personalised nutritional optimisation, interpreting the validated and exploratory components with appropriately different weight. The breadth and multi-specimen design make collection more involved than a single blood draw.
What does the NutrEval Plasma test measure?
Urinary organic acids reflect intermediates of energy metabolism, microbial activity, neurotransmitter turnover, and vitamin-dependent enzymatic steps. Specific compounds accumulate when cofactor-dependent pathways are under-supported or when microbial metabolism is altered.
Interpreted in functional practice to infer mitochondrial/energy function, dysbiosis, neurotransmitter turnover, and functional B-vitamin adequacy. Methylmalonate (B12) has recognised validity; most other organic-acid interpretations are functional-medicine-oriented and not established in mainstream medicine. # REVIEWER FLAG: Distinguish validated (MMA) from exploratory markers.
Plasma amino acids reflect dietary protein intake, digestion and absorption, and intermediary metabolism. The profile spans essential and non-essential amino acids and derived metabolites relevant to protein adequacy and specific metabolic pathways.
Used to assess dietary protein adequacy, amino-acid imbalances, and, in defined contexts, inborn errors of metabolism. While plasma amino-acid measurement is an established technique, the broad functional-nutrition interpretation within NutrEval is more exploratory than the targeted use in metabolic disease. # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm positioning.
The fatty-acid profile measures omega-3, omega-6, omega-9, saturated, and trans fatty acids, reflecting dietary fat intake and metabolism. Ratios such as the omega-6 to omega-3 balance and the omega-3 index are derived to summarise status.
Used to assess essential fatty-acid status and the omega balance relevant to inflammatory and cardiovascular considerations. The omega-3 index has a reasonable evidence base; broader functional interpretation of the wider fatty-acid panel is more exploratory. # REVIEWER FLAG: Distinguish omega-3 index from exploratory interpretations.
Markers such as glutathione, lipid peroxides, 8-OHdG, and CoQ10 reflect the balance between oxidative damage and antioxidant defence across blood and urine specimens.
Interpreted in functional practice as indicators of oxidative burden and antioxidant reserve, informing nutrient and lifestyle strategies. Clinical validity of individual oxidative-stress markers for routine decision-making is limited. # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm positioning.
Red-cell or whole-blood elemental analysis measures nutrient minerals such as magnesium, zinc, copper, and selenium, reflecting intracellular or whole-blood status, which can differ from serum levels.
Direct measurement of nutrient minerals is clinically meaningful for elements such as zinc, copper, magnesium, and selenium, though the choice of specimen (RBC vs serum) affects interpretation. This is among the more validated components of the panel. # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm specimen and reference basis per element.
Functional vitamin markers — including methylmalonate (B12), FIGLU (folate), xanthurenate (B6), and others — accumulate when the corresponding vitamin-dependent enzymatic step is under-supported, indicating functional insufficiency.
These functional markers complement direct vitamin measurement. Methylmalonate for B12 has recognised validity; other functional vitamin markers are more exploratory. # REVIEWER FLAG: Distinguish validated from exploratory markers.
Why is the NutrEval Plasma test ordered?
- Comprehensive functional nutritional assessment in patients with non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, low energy, or mood concerns
- Evaluation of nutrient mineral status (zinc, copper, magnesium, selenium) via red-cell or whole-blood elemental analysis
- Assessment of essential fatty-acid status and omega balance, including the omega-3 index
- Evaluation of dietary protein adequacy and amino-acid status via the plasma amino-acid profile
- Functional assessment of B-vitamin and cofactor status complementing direct micronutrient testing
- Patients pursuing personalised nutritional optimisation under an integrative or functional medicine practitioner
- Monitoring of response to targeted nutritional intervention over time within a functional-medicine programme
- Assessment of oxidative stress and antioxidant status as part of a broader functional workup
Sample collection and turnaround
Sample type
Blood (plasma), Blood (serum), Urine (random), Blood (whole blood)
Fasting required
Typically fasting for the blood components; first-morning urine with preparatory dietary restrictions # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm exact fasting and preparatory-diet requirements with Genova.
Collection method
Venipuncture at patient service centre
Turnaround
15–21 business days
Collection notes
Requires multiple specimen types — plasma, serum, whole blood, and first-morning urine — each with specific handling. A preparatory period typically restricts certain foods and may pause specified supplements, and parts of the blood panel usually require fasting. Document supplements, antimicrobials, probiotics, and medications. Follow freezing and shipping instructions precisely, as amino acids, fatty acids, and organic acids are handling-sensitive. # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm full multi-specimen collection protocol, fasting, preparatory diet, supplement washout, and shipping with Genova before publication.
Specimen requirements
Plasma, serum, whole blood, and first-morning urine per Genova collection kit. # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm volumes, tube types, preservatives, storage, and shipping conditions with Genova.
What can affect NutrEval Plasma results?
Recent diet and supplements substantially affect amino acids, fatty acids, organic acids, and some element and vitamin markers, so preparatory dietary and supplement instructions are required. # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm Genova preparatory-diet and supplement-washout instructions.
Plasma amino acids and some metabolic markers are affected by recent food, so a fasting specimen is typically required for parts of the panel. # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm fasting requirement with Genova.
Antimicrobials and probiotics alter gut microbial metabolism, changing dysbiosis-related organic-acid markers independent of baseline status.
The panel requires plasma, serum, urine, and whole blood, each with specific handling; organic acids, amino acids, and fatty acids are sensitive to storage and shipping, and mishandling degrades markers. # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm Genova multi-specimen collection and shipping protocol.
Creatinine-corrected urinary markers are affected by renal function and hydration extremes, altering interpretation.
Various medications and high-dose individual nutrients can directly affect specific organic-acid, oxidative-stress, or element markers. Medication and supplement use must be documented.
What do NutrEval Plasma results mean?
Elevated
Elevations are interpreted within each functional category — for example raised functional B-vitamin markers (methylmalonate for B12) suggesting cellular insufficiency, altered organic acids suggesting dysbiosis or cofactor need, or low nutrient elements indicating deficiency. Validated components (element levels, omega-3 index, MMA) carry more weight than exploratory functional interpretations.
Normal
Results within reference across the components indicate no flagged functional imbalance by the criteria applied. A normal profile supports adequate status in the domains assessed but does not exclude conditions outside the scope of nutritional testing.
Reduced
Low nutrient elements, low essential fatty acids, or low amino acids may indicate genuine insufficiency or inadequate intake, while reduced values in exploratory functional markers are interpreted within the functional framework rather than as defined deficiency states.
Note: NutrEval mixes components with reasonable validity (direct nutrient elements, omega-3 index, urinary methylmalonate) with many organic-acid, oxidative-stress, and broad functional interpretations that are not established in mainstream medicine; these must be weighted very differently. Results are strongly influenced by recent diet, supplements, fasting status, and specimen handling, and urinary neurotransmitter metabolites do not reflect central nervous system status. The profile guides individualised intervention rather than diagnosing disease, and exploratory markers should not be over-interpreted. # REVIEWER FLAG: Reviewer to confirm the platform's positioning on validated vs exploratory components and overall framing.
Frequently asked questions
It is a comprehensive functional nutritional evaluation combining urine organic acids, plasma amino acids, fatty acids, oxidative-stress markers, and red-cell nutrient elements, with derived recommendations for vitamin, mineral, amino-acid, fatty-acid, and antioxidant support.
How to access the NutrEval Plasma test
The NutrEval Plasma reference page is free and open to all practitioners. Create a free practitioner account to see pricing, save tests to your list, and generate requisition forms. Verification takes 1–2 business days.
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Published: June 3, 2026
Last reviewed: June 3, 2026
- Kumps A, Duez P, Mardens Y. Metabolic, nutritional, iatrogenic, and artifactual sources of urinary organic acids. Clin Chem. (2002)
- Harris WS, et al. The Omega-3 Index and cardiovascular risk. (representative reference) (2004)
- Carmel R. Biomarkers of cobalamin (vitamin B-12) status in the epidemiologic setting. Am J Clin Nutr. (2011)
- Lord RS, Bralley JA. Clinical applications of urinary organic acids. Altern Med Rev. (2008)
This content is for licensed healthcare practitioners only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical decisions should be based on the full clinical picture and not on any single test result.