Specialist & Add-On Testing · Detective Health Edinburgh
Not a premium tier. Not an upgrade. These are targeted tools for specific clinical presentations that the core five-test programme wasn't designed to answer — or that need a more granular layer added to what it found.
When does deeper investigation apply? When the core tests point toward mould, chemical toxicity, or SIBO as a driver. When methylation is the primary clinical question — especially post-folic-acid-fortification or with confirmed MTHFR variants. When nutrient status, mitochondrial function, or fatty acid patterns need more precision than the OAT alone provides. Or when one system hasn't resolved despite addressing what the core tests identified.
Specialist Tests
Each page below has full clinical detail, marker explanations, pricing, and the process for ordering. All tests are interpreted personally — no automated reporting.
The most direct test available for methylation cycle function. Measures SAM, SAH, the SAM:SAH methylation index, homocysteine, cystathionine, cysteine, adenosine, and methionine directly in plasma. Particularly relevant post-folic-acid-fortification and for confirmed MTHFR variant holders who need functional follow-up rather than genetic screening alone.
A urine test that shows mycotoxin exposure, mostly from food. It doesn’t diagnose mould illness, and a high result can’t be pinned on your house, so I no longer offer it for mould at home. If your home is damp, start with the building. The page explains why, and what to do with a result you already have.
A urine panel of environmental chemicals (ToxDetect, about 170 markers including organophosphates, phthalates, parabens, benzene compounds, acrylamide, styrene and xylene), plus glyphosate and the MycoTOX panel. It shows recent exposure, not a stored total or a diagnosis. Most useful with a specific occupational or household exposure to check.
Genova's comprehensive metabolic assessment — combines urine organic acids with dried blood spot fatty acids, amino acids, and oxidative stress markers. More complete than a standard OAT for complex presentations where amino acid status, fatty acid balance (omega-3:6 ratio, EPA/DHA), and mitochondrial function all need assessment simultaneously. Optional add-ons: fatty acids (+£51), vitamin D urine (+£59), urine elements (+£100).
Three-gas SIBO breath test measuring hydrogen, methane (intestinal methanogen overgrowth), and hydrogen sulphide — the three distinct gas patterns associated with different SIBO subtypes, different symptom presentations, and different treatment approaches. Home collection with 24-hour dietary preparation. Available as standalone or bundled with the GI-MAP for comprehensive small and large intestine assessment.
Three-month tissue record of mineral status and heavy metal accumulation — calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, and 30 additional elements including toxic heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, aluminium). Mineral ratios provide metabolic pattern data unavailable from serum testing. Hair sample collection at home — no blood draw required.
Clinical Indications
These tests are not routine additions. Each one is indicated by a specific clinical pattern — either something the core tests identified that needs a targeted follow-up, or a presentation that the standard five-test architecture wasn't designed to investigate.
Stephen Duncan FDN-P MSc BSc · Edinburgh & UK-Wide
A short conversation is usually enough to identify the right starting point — and whether a specialist test is warranted at all, or whether the standard programme would cover it first.