What You Need to Know About Functional Medicine Testing & Achieving Optimal Health

Functional Lab Testing: What your Lab results are Really Telling You.

Have you ever been told, “Your labs look normal,” even though you feel anything but normal?

This is one of the most common frustrations we hear from patients. You’re tired, inflamed, gaining weight, or struggling with brain fog — but your conventional blood work says everything is "fine." At Harmony Health Clinic, we approach testing differently. We dig deeper, looking not just for disease, but for dysfunction. That’s where functional medicine blood work and specialty testing can be life-changing.

Why “Normal” Isn’t Always Optimal

Did you know 60% of U.S. adults have at least one chronic disease — and 42% have two or more? These include conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, arthritis and autoimmune disorders. Knowing that over half the American population is struggling with chronic health issues is deeply concerning. Now consider this: most lab reference ranges are based on the average population. But if the average person is already unwell, then defining “normal” by those standards is misleading at best — and dangerous at worst. It’s time we shift our focus from what’s statistically common to what’s optimally healthy.

Functional medicine uses optimal ranges — narrower windows that reflect what’s ideal for health, energy, and resilience. If you fall outside of these optimal zones, it may indicate early dysfunction, even if you haven’t been diagnosed with a disease yet.

For example:

• A Free T3 level of 2.3 pg/mL may be considered "normal", but many people feel exhausted, foggy, and cold at that level. In functional medicine, we aim for Free T3 levels closer to 3.2–4.0 pg/mL, where the body tends to function with better metabolism, energy, and cognitive clarity.

• A vitamin B12 level of 300 pg/mL is “normal,” but symptoms like fatigue, numbness, or porr short term memory often appear below 500 pg/mL. Optimal would be closer to 600-1200 pg/ml

  
  

• Vitamin D at 30 ng/ml would be considered sufficient in conventional ranges. At this level patients can start to experience poor immune health, mild depression, or inflammation flares. We aim to have vitamin D at 60-80 ng/ml to support gut barrier, mood, immune function, thyroid and more. 

The Test we use to go beyond the basics

At Harmony Health Clinic, we use a combination of standard blood panels and advanced specialty tests to uncover the root cause of your symptoms. We will always try to use your insurance and the most cost effective approach if possible, but sometimes digging deeper requires specialty testing to allow us to really see what is going on internally. 

A Few Common Functional Lab Tests We Offer:

• GI-MAP: A comprehensive stool analysis to detect parasites, bacteria, yeast, inflammation, and gut dysfunction.

• OATs (Organic Acids Test): Assesses nutrient deficiencies, detox pathways, mitochondrial function, and microbial overgrowth.

• Precision Point Food Sensitivity Testing: Identifies delayed IgG/IgA food reactions that contribute to gut and systemic inflammation.

• ZRT Saliva Hormone Testing: Measures cortisol rhythms and key hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone — ideal for adrenal fatigue and hormone imbalance assessments.

• Vibrant America Mold/MycoTox Panel: Detects mold-related toxins (mycotoxins) that may be contributing to fatigue, brain fog, chronic illness, or immune dysfunction.

The Brain-Gut Connection: What the Latest Research Shows

Modern science continues to prove what functional medicine has long believed: your gut and brain are deeply connected. A 2022 study found that over 90% of serotonin (your “feel good” neurotransmitter) is produced in the gut. Imbalances in the gut microbiome can contribute to anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline. Furthermore, a leaky or inflamed gut may trigger systemic inflammation that affects the nervous system, hormones, and immune health.

If your lab work is showing elevated inflammation markers (like CRP), poor detox markers (like ALT/AST), or even subtle shifts in white blood cell counts, it may be a clue that your gut is out of balance — even if you don’t have digestive symptoms.

How We Use This Data to Build a Personalized Plan

The best part about functional testing? It gives us a clear roadmap to help you feel better — faster.

Once we’ve identified the root issues, we design a custom protocol that may include:

• Targeted supplementation (probiotics, herbal antimicrobials, mitochondrial support, B vitamins, omega-3s, etc.)

  
  

• Nutrition strategies to reduce inflammation and heal the gut lining

  
  

• Lifestyle adjustments that support sleep, detox, stress resilience, and movement

  
  

• Re-testing when needed to track progress and fine-tune your care

No more guesswork. No more band-aid solutions.

Ready to Get Answers?

If you’ve been dismissed or told “everything looks normal” — but you know something’s off — it’s time to take a more functional approach.

At Harmony Health Clinic, we’ll listen, test thoroughly, and create a plan that’s tailored to your body’s unique needs.

Serving Naples, FL and surrounding areas.

Contact us today to schedule your first visit or submit labs for review!