Advanced functional medicine testing · Jesmond, Newcastle
Testing that looks beyond your 'normal' results.
Many patients come to us after being told their blood tests are normal, yet they still do not feel well. Functional medicine testing helps us look more closely, at hormones, gut health, metabolism, genetics and more, and interpret what those results actually mean for you.
Clinically tailored
Testing is only recommended when it is relevant to your symptoms and goals.
Doctor-led
Results are interpreted by Dr Neet alongside your full clinical picture.
Whole-person view
Hormones, gut health, metabolism, genetics and more, looked at together.
A result is not a plan
Understanding what your results mean, and what to do next, is what matters.
Functional testing at The Bespoke Clinic
When standard results do not explain how you feel.
Standard laboratory reference ranges are designed to identify significant disease, but they do not always reflect what is optimal for that individual person. A result can fall within the ‘normal’ range yet still be associated with symptoms or physiological imbalance when interpreted alongside the wider clinical picture.
Patients often tell us that they feel dismissed, frustrated or confused when they continue to experience symptoms despite being told that everything is fine. Functional medicine testing aims to look at the wider picture and identify patterns that may help explain why someone is not feeling at their best.
At The Bespoke Clinic, we use testing thoughtfully. We do not believe that every patient needs extensive investigations, and more testing is not always better. Sometimes a detailed consultation, review of your medical history and carefully selected blood tests are enough to guide the next steps.
However, in some cases, advanced functional medicine testing can provide a deeper understanding of what may be contributing to your symptoms. These tests can help us look at patterns across hormones, gut health, nutrient status, detoxification, inflammation, genetics, metabolism and environmental exposures.
The most important part is not simply ordering a test, it is interpreting the results in context. Your symptoms, medical history, lifestyle, medication, nutrition, stress, sleep, family history and previous investigations all matter. Testing is used as one part of a wider clinical picture, not as a diagnosis in isolation.
What types of testing do we offer?
The tests we recommend vary from person to person.
Below are the main categories of testing we may consider, depending on your symptoms, goals and previous investigations.
Blood testing
Advanced blood testing
Blood testing is often the starting point. It allows us to assess key markers of health and identify areas that may need further support or medical review. Depending on your presentation, blood testing may include markers for:
- Thyroid function (including free T4 and T3) and thyroid antibodies
- Iron, ferritin, B12, folate and vitamin D, amongst other vitamin or nutrient markers
- Blood sugar regulation, including fasting insulin, insulin resistance and HbA1c
- Cardiovascular and metabolic risk markers such as homocysteine, ApoB and lipoprotein(a) where clinically relevant
- Liver and kidney function
- Inflammation markers
- Hormones, including oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA-S where appropriate
- Autoimmune screening where indicated
Hormone & adrenal testing
Hormone and adrenal testing
Hormones can influence mood, energy, sleep, skin, weight, libido, menstrual cycles and how resilient we feel under stress. In some cases, standard blood testing gives us useful information, but it may not show the full pattern of how hormones are being produced, metabolised and cleared.
We commonly use DUTCH testing when a more detailed hormone picture is helpful. This can give insight into sex hormones, hormone metabolites and cortisol patterns across the day.
Hormone testing may be considered for symptoms such as:
- PMS or suspected PMDD
- Perimenopause or menopause symptoms
- Irregular or heavy periods
- Low mood, anxiety or irritability linked to the cycle
- Hormonal acne
- Fatigue or feeling “wired but tired”
- Poor sleep or waking in the night
- Low libido
- Suspected low progesterone, oestrogen imbalance or androgen excess
- Stress-related symptoms
Some patients may already be on HRT but still feel that something is not quite right, while others may have struggled for years with symptoms such as severe PMS, heavy periods, hormonal migraines, acne or sensitivity to hormonal contraception. In some cases, more detailed hormone testing can help us better understand these patterns and guide a more personalised approach.
For women with regular cycles, timing matters. Hormone testing is usually most useful when collected at the right point in the cycle. For those with irregular cycles, perimenopause or no periods, the approach is adapted accordingly.
Gut & microbiome testing
Gut and microbiome testing
Gut health can influence far more than digestion. The gut microbiome, digestion, immune activity and gut barrier function may all play a role in symptoms such as bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, reflux, food reactions, skin flares, fatigue and inflammatory symptoms.
We may consider stool or microbiome testing where there are persistent digestive symptoms, skin concerns, immune symptoms or suspected gut-related drivers. Depending on the test used, gut testing may assess areas such as:
- Microbiome diversity
- Beneficial and less beneficial bacteria
- Yeast or fungal patterns
- Digestive function, including pancreatic elastase
- Inflammation markers such as calprotectin
- Gut immune markers such as secretory IgA
- Intestinal permeability markers where available
- Short-chain fatty acid production and microbial balance
- Potential pathogens or overgrowth patterns
Different gut tests provide different types of information. We will recommend the most appropriate option based on your symptoms and what we are trying to understand.
Nutritional & metabolic testing
Nutritional, metabolic and mitochondrial testing
Some patients have symptoms that suggest problems with energy production, nutrient utilisation, oxidative stress or detoxification capacity. This can be relevant in fatigue, poor recovery, brain fog, chronic stress, inflammatory symptoms, fertility preparation and health optimisation.
Testing such as Metabolomix, OMX or organic acids testing (OAT) may help us assess patterns related to:
- B vitamin need
- Magnesium and mineral demand
- Antioxidant status
- Glutathione demand
- Mitochondrial energy production
- Oxidative stress
- Fatty acid balance
- Detoxification pathways
- Digestive and microbial metabolites
This type of testing can be particularly helpful when symptoms are complex, long-standing or not fully explained by standard blood tests, especially where there may also be concerns around oxidative stress, detoxification pathways, toxin exposure or heavy metal burden.
Genetic testing
Nutrigenomics and genetic testing
Genetic testing can provide insight into how your body may be predisposed to function in certain areas, such as inflammation, methylation, hormone metabolism, detoxification, nutrient requirements, cardiovascular risk, histamine handling and oxidative stress.
We use nutrigenomic testing carefully. Your genes are not your destiny, and these results do not diagnose disease. Instead, they help us understand tendencies and repeated patterns, especially when interpreted alongside your symptoms, blood tests and clinical history.
Nutrigenomic testing may be useful for patients who want a more personalised approach to:
- Hormone metabolism
- Fertility preparation
- Inflammation
- Histamine intolerance
- Detoxification support
- Methylation and B vitamin pathways
- Cardiovascular prevention
- Nutrient needs
- Long-term health optimisation
The aim is not to react to every individual gene result, but to identify meaningful patterns that can guide nutrition, lifestyle and supplement choices.
Food & immune reactivity
Food and immune reactivity testing
Food reactions can be complex. Some reactions are immediate and allergy-related, while others may be delayed, gut-mediated or linked to immune activation, histamine, gut barrier function or microbiome changes.
In selected patients, testing such as KBMO FIT 176 may help identify food-related immune patterns that could be contributing to symptoms. This type of testing looks at reactions across a broad panel of commonly consumed foods and may help us identify patterns that could be aggravating symptoms in some individuals.
This may be considered where symptoms include:
- Bloating or digestive discomfort
- Headaches or migraines
- Skin flares
- Fatigue
- Joint aches
- Brain fog
- Suspected food-triggered symptoms
Food testing is never used in isolation. We interpret results carefully and avoid unnecessary long-term restriction. The goal is usually to identify patterns, reduce symptom burden, support gut healing and then broaden the diet again where possible.
Environmental & toxin testing
Environmental, toxin and mycotoxin testing
In a smaller number of more complex cases, environmental exposures may be relevant. This can include heavy metals, chemical exposures, mould-related toxins or other toxic burden markers.
We do not recommend this type of testing routinely for everyone. It may be considered when there is a clear clinical reason, such as a relevant exposure history, persistent unexplained symptoms, immune dysfunction, inflammatory patterns or poor response to other interventions.
Where appropriate, testing may help us consider:
- Heavy metal exposure
- Mycotoxins
- Environmental toxins
- Detoxification demand
- Oxidative stress burden
- Nutrient support required for safe clearance pathways
This area needs careful interpretation. A positive result does not always mean it is the main cause of symptoms, and detoxification support should be personalised and introduced safely.
Skin & body analysis
Skin and body analysis
Some of our testing and assessment also supports our skin, aesthetics and metabolic health services.
Skin analysis may be useful for patients looking at acne, pigmentation, redness, ageing, sun damage, texture, sensitivity or treatment planning. It can help us monitor the skin objectively and choose the most appropriate combination of skincare, in-clinic treatments and, where relevant, internal health support.
Body composition analysis may also be used in weight management, metabolic health and health optimisation. This can provide more useful information than weight alone, including muscle mass, body fat percentage and changes over time.
For some patients, skin and body analysis sits alongside functional medicine testing, particularly where skin symptoms may be influenced by hormones, gut health, inflammation, nutrition or stress.
Dr Neet Dang · Medical Director
A test result is only as useful as how it is interpreted.
The most important part of any investigation is not the number, it is understanding what that number means in the context of your symptoms, history, lifestyle, medication and goals.
Context is everything
Your results are never reviewed in isolation. Symptoms, medical history, lifestyle, sleep, stress, nutrition and previous investigations all inform how we read them.
More testing is not always better
We will only recommend a test when it is likely to change or add value to your care plan. Sometimes a detailed consultation and targeted blood tests are all that is needed.
A written plan, not just a printout
After results are reviewed, you receive a written summary and personalised plan covering nutrition, lifestyle, supplements, medication where appropriate and clear next steps.
Our approach
Do all patients need advanced testing?
No. Many patients do not need extensive functional testing, especially at the start. Sometimes the most useful first step is a detailed consultation, review of previous results, lifestyle assessment and targeted blood testing. In other cases, advanced testing may help clarify why symptoms are persisting or why previous approaches have not worked.
We will always aim to recommend testing only when it is likely to change the management plan or provide clinically useful information. More testing is not always better. The right test, at the right time, with careful interpretation, is far more valuable than ordering multiple investigations without a clear reason.
How we choose the right tests
Testing decisions are based on your individual presentation. During your consultation, we will consider:
- Your main symptoms and health goals
- Your medical history
- Previous investigations
- Medications and supplements
- Diet, stress, sleep and lifestyle factors
- Family history
- Your budget and priorities
- Whether the result is likely to change the plan
We will talk through the options clearly, including why a test may or may not be useful for you.
What comes next
What happens after testing?
Once results are available, they are reviewed in detail and interpreted alongside your clinical history. This forms the basis of a personalised plan, which may include nutrition, lifestyle, supplement support, medication where appropriate, further investigations or referral back to your GP or specialist if needed.
The value of testing is not just in the result, but in understanding what the result means for you and what to do next.
Follow-up appointments include more than the consultation itself. Time is taken beforehand to carefully review and interpret your results, and afterwards to develop your personalised plan, provide a written report, and organise any recommendations such as supplements, lifestyle advice or prescriptions.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions.
Can functional medicine testing help if my blood tests are 'normal'?
Sometimes, yes. Standard blood tests are very important, but they do not always explain why someone may still be experiencing symptoms. Functional medicine testing may help us identify broader patterns around hormones, gut health, metabolic function, nutrient status or inflammation when interpreted alongside the wider clinical picture.
Do I need to know which test I need before booking?
No. Most patients are unsure which tests may or may not be appropriate for them. During your consultation, we will discuss your symptoms, medical history, previous investigations and goals before deciding whether any testing is likely to be helpful.
Can testing help with symptoms such as fatigue, bloating, skin problems or hormone issues?
Potentially, yes. Depending on the situation, testing may help us better understand patterns linked to symptoms such as fatigue, digestive issues, skin flares, PMS, PMDD, perimenopause symptoms, poor sleep, metabolic health concerns or food-related reactions.
Can I do hormone testing if I am already on HRT?
Absolutely. Some patients come to us because they are already on HRT but still do not feel fully themselves, while others may have struggled for years with symptoms such as PMS, hormonal migraines, fatigue, poor sleep or sensitivity to hormonal contraception. More detailed hormone assessment can often provide valuable insight into hormone metabolism, cortisol patterns and other contributing factors, helping us build a more personalised and targeted approach.
Are these tests available on the NHS?
Some standard blood tests are available through the NHS, depending on symptoms and clinical indication. Many of the more specialised functional medicine tests discussed on this page are private tests and are not routinely offered within standard NHS care.
How long do results take?
Standard blood test results are usually available within one week. Advanced functional medicine tests, such as DUTCH hormone testing, gut microbiome testing or organic acids testing, typically take three to four weeks as they are processed by specialist laboratories. We will always advise you on timings before you proceed.
