Lab testing
You order the blood tests yourself, and the results come to you, without waiting for a doctor to agree.
Order one if your blood work keeps coming back normal and you are tired anyway, or your labs never included ceruloplasmin, magnesium RBC or retinol.
| Blood | Hair | |
|---|---|---|
| What it shows | Copper, iron and their cofactors, today | Mineral trends, stress patterns and toxic metals |
| Window | Today | About three months |
| Where | Quest or Labcorp, in the United States | A kit at home in the United States. Elsewhere, you post your own sample. |
| Who you pay | Request A Test, at their price | MineralShaman™, with the kit included |
Iron status lives in blood, so pair the two when iron is the question you came with.
MineralShaman™ may receive an affiliate commission, but your price doesn't change.
The blood panel
Officially it is the Mag, Zinc and Copper Panel with Iron Panel plus Vitamin A and Vitamin D.
We call it the Full Monty Iron Panel.
| Group | Markers | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Copper status |
| Copper that is bioavailable and doing work |
| Iron and how it moves |
| Saturation, storage and inflammation |
| The cofactors |
| Magnesium inside the red cell, retinol and stored vitamin D |
| The rest of the picture |
| Zinc for context, uric acid for antioxidant status |
If your laboratory runs a shorter menu, the five to insist on are ceruloplasmin, serum copper, serum iron with TIBC, magnesium RBC and retinol.
Outside the United States, clients have put this panel together in Canada, Europe, Australia and South America. Ask what has worked where you are.
The hair test
Trace Elements, a CLIA licensed clinical laboratory running hair since 1984, reports thirty six elements and twenty seven ratios from an unwashed sample.
Before you order
Do I need a doctor's order?
No. The requisition comes with your order.
How much does the panel cost?
Request A Test sets the price and shows it on their page, with any fasting instructions.
Can I start with hair instead?
Yes, many people do. Blood can follow when you can get it.
My doctor already ran labs. Can you use those?
Yes, in part. Send what you have to [email protected] and you get back the markers to add.
How current do my results need to be?
Within about three months, and ideally within six weeks. Mineral status moves.
Should I change my supplements before the draw?
Carry on as you are, and bring the list of what you take and when. It is worth more than a washout.
Why is ferritin on the panel?
Read beside transferrin saturation and ceruloplasmin, ferritin is an inflammation signal. Reading it as a fuel gauge is the mistake I see most in this field. The long version.
Is there a way to talk it through first?
A Clarity call is thirty minutes, $45, booked at calendly.com/mineralshaman.
Once your results are in hand
The Mineral Balancing consultation is ninety minutes, recorded, with the protocol written for you. It runs with or without labs, and if you have them, blood and hair are read side by side.
These sessions are built to leave you able to read your own numbers and run your own protocol.