Blood test (phlebotomy)

This is a blood test which assesses the level of amino acids in the blood. This can be helpful in malabsorption issues but the pattern of amino acids can also be indicative of metabolic blocks. When one amino acid in a ‘chain’ or pathway is high and the next is low, this can indicate a block in this pathway. This is usually only found in complex disorders of mitochondria and chronic fatigue disorders.

Conversely, very high levels of amino acids are found in insulin resistance.

Phlebotomy can be carried out at our Dublin clinic or locations around the country. Please enquire with our team. Phlebotomy carries an additional charge.

This test measures:

• Glycine, alanine, serine, threonine, methionine, taurine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, histidine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, arginine, lysine, ornithine, citrulline, alpha-aminobutyric acid, and the branched chain amino acids (BCAA) valine, leucine and isoleucine

Works well with:

• Functional Nutritional Profile
• Bioactive B Vitamins

Daniel had Long Covid symptoms for over a year. He experienced severe fatigue, post-exertional malaise (PEM), migraine, dizziness and histamine reactions amongst others. As part of additional testing, Daniel also measured his amino acid profile.

This showed a number of other avenues to investigate or follow up on. He began to supplement with some of the low amino acids, though avoiding arginine in case of EBV viral reactivation. He also supported some pathways of amino acid metabolism. While this was not a cure, he felt a benefit from amino acid supplementation in terms of supporting energy and resilience.

Key findings:

• Low levels of arginine and borderline low citrulline which can be implicated in ammonia production but are also essential for blood vessel health and blood flow
• Low normal levels of tryptophan which is a suggested pathway in Long Covid
• Low levels of glutamine which is not common but may play a role in energy and cognitive function in Long Covid
• Ratio of phenylalanine to tyrosine was too high suggested a conversion issue or a metabolic block