Why measure urinary metabolites?
The urine contains products of metabolic breakdown from a wide range of foods, drinks, drugs, environmental contaminants, endogenous waste metabolites and bacterial by-products. Understanding these compounds can help assess the functioning of kidney, bladder, liver and our overall well being. However, many of the compounds in urine are poorly understood.
What are the key metabolites to check in urine?
Because urine contains the signature of products inside the body, it can help assess the concentration we have within us.
This test checks for 36 urine metabolites:
Glycolysis (pyruvate, lactate)
Citric acid cycle (citrate, cis-aconitate, isocitrate, Alpha-ketoglutarate, succinate, fumarate, malate)
Fatty acid oxidation (adipate, suberate, ethylmalonate, methylsuccinate)
Ketone (Alpha-Hydroxybutyrate, Beta-Hydroxybutyrate)
Cofactor need (Alpha-Ketoisovalerate, Alpha-Ketoisocaproate, Alpha-Keto-Beta-Methylvalerate, Beta-Hydroxyisovalerate, Methylmalonate, Kynurenate, Hydroxymethylglutarate)
Neurotransmitters (vanilmandelate, homovanillate, 5-hydroxyindoleacetate, quinolinate)
Detoxification (para-hydroxyphenyllactate, orotate, pyroglutamate, benzoate, hippurate)
Bacterial metabolism (para-hydroxybenzoate, para-hydroxyphenylacetate, 2-hydroxyphenylacetate, 3-indoleacetate, tricarballylate)
How to test for urinary metabolites?
An easy, low cost method of measuring your levels is by using a urine test at home. Simply order the test kit, collect the sample at home, ship it for free to our world class CLIA-certified labs, and find out your levels within days. Unlike a blood test, a urine sample makes it especially useful for those fearful of needles.
Be informed, read more
For a thoroughly detailed discussion on the human urine metabolites, please read this excellent review by The Metabolomics Innovation Center.
Q: Can I purchase the test across US?
A: Except New York and New Jersey our tests are available in all 48 states. State regulations in NY, NJ do not allow us to ship the tests to their residents.
Q: What does the kit contain and how do I use it?
A: The kit contains urine collection strip, instructions on how to collect the samples, and a form requesting basic information including date and time of collection. The directions are straight forward and easy to follow.
Q: How long does it take to receive the results?
A: You will receive the kit within 3-5 business days with a prepaid return envelope (within US). After you ship the sample and it is received by our lab, you get the results within 5-7 business days. We can ship to your address outside US but you will need to pay for return shipping to our labs in US.
Q: What do I expect from the report?
A: The report with your test results will be easy to understand and will have all the necessary details. It will mark your levels on a healthy range and will specify what are the expected low and high ranges. It will briefly discuss what your numbers mean and next steps you should take to maintain healthy levels.
Q: Can I use my insurance to pay for the test?
A: You can use HSA (or FSA/MSA/HRA) accounts to pay for the tests since these are prescription tests (for further confirmation, please check the IRS publication#969). However, please ensure you are not going outside your specified max and min deductible limits. We do not have the capability to process the insurance claim. Since insurance plans vary for individuals we can not guarantee your HSA payment will always be processed by your plan. We suggest talking to your insurance provider if you have any questions.
Q: How reliable are my tests and how do I ensure my results are accurate?
A: Measuring urine metabolites is still a new field that is being researched and documented.
The variations in results are mainly from two sources: the way samples are collected and the variation from lab-to-lab.
To minimize the first variation, we provide detailed instructions on how to collect the sample.
To minimize the variation from labs, we have partnered with CLIA-certified labs that are regulated by the states, as well as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Majority of the tests from these labs are FDA approved to ensure they meet the proper regulatory requirements. Additionally, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) requires inter-laboratory tests to ensure the ranges established by each lab do not drift or are not out of acceptable ranges. This is done by regularly testing reference samples between different labs. Finally, the labs test thousands of samples for different age groups and health conditions, and have well established reference data to compare your results against this large pool.
Q: Can you recommend what therapy should I take for cortisol levels high or low?
A: Unfortunately, no. As a lab test provider we can only test and report out data from your sample. We are not authorized to provide any medical recommendations. But we strongly encourage you to discuss the results with your doctor for next steps.
