Clinic appointment
Mineral Check
Blood levels of seven minerals and trace elements: calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, chromium and manganese.
- Doctor-reviewed results
- Laboratory analysis
- 3 to 5 working days from lab receipt
- No fasting required
What’s included
7 markers measured
Calcium
A mineral that helps build bones and keep teeth healthy, controls how muscles contract (including the heartbeat) and helps blood to clot normally.
Magnesium
A mineral involved in muscle and nerve function and in releasing energy from food.
Zinc
An essential mineral for immunity, wound healing and many enzymes. Low levels can follow poor absorption, some medicines or heavy alcohol use.
Copper
Copper is a mineral the body uses to make red and white blood cells and to release iron to form haemoglobin, which carries oxygen. Most people get all they need from their diet. Long-term high doses can damage the liver and kidneys.
Chromium
A trace element measured here alongside other minerals. Levels are read in the context of your diet, supplements and any exposure.
Manganese
A trace element that helps make and activate some enzymes. It is harmful in excess.
Iron
The amount of iron in your blood. Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) reflects the blood's ability to bind and carry iron, and relates to the amount of transferrin, a protein made by the liver. In iron deficiency anaemia, iron is low and TIBC high. With too much iron, as in haemochromatosis, iron is high and TIBC low or normal.
Overview
A direct measurement of calcium, magnesium, iron and four trace elements, aimed at people with a specific reason to look: a very restricted diet, a malabsorption condition or long-term supplement use they want measured. It is a narrow panel and it is not part of routine health screening in the UK.
Shows the levels of minerals the body needs in small amounts, which a doctor can use when discussing a restricted diet, heavy supplement use or an absorption concern.
Who this is for and who it isn’t
Who it’s for
- Adults aged 18 and over
- People on restricted diets or long-term acid-suppressing medicines
- Anyone with muscle cramps whose routine tests were normal
Who it isn’t for
- Not a general health check, and trace element results are hard to interpret without a clinical reason for testing. It does not test for lead, mercury, cadmium or other heavy metals, so it is not a screen for exposure to them. If your question is really about tiredness, a full blood count with iron stores and thyroid is a better first step.
- Anyone with a new, severe or worsening symptom: contact your GP or call NHS 111. A test you buy today is not a substitute for being examined.
Common reasons people choose this test
- A long-term restricted or exclusion diet
- A gut condition or bowel surgery affecting absorption
- Taking high-dose mineral supplements over a long period
- Muscle cramps you want investigated
These are reasons people choose to test, not signs that something is wrong. A result is one part of a picture your doctor puts together with your history and an examination.
What your result looks like
Every result is shown with the unit and the reference range exactly as the laboratory reported it, with the doctor’s note underneath.
- CalciumIn range
- Result
- 2.38 mmol/L
- Range
- 2.2–2.6
- Magnesium▼ Low
- Result
- 0.64 mmol/L
- Range
- 0.7–1.0
- ZincIn range
- Result
- 15 µmol/L
- Range
- 11–24
| Marker | Result | Units | Range | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium | 2.38 | mmol/L | 2.2–2.6 | In range |
| Magnesium | 0.64 | mmol/L | 0.7–1.0 | ▼ Low |
| Zinc | 15 | µmol/L | 11–24 | In range |
Doctor’s note (example)
Magnesium is a little low, which can follow acid-suppressing medicines, diuretics or alcohol. A clinician may suggest dietary changes or a short course of supplement.
…and 4 more markers. Values above are examples. Your report shows your own results with the laboratory’s units and reference range for your age and sex, reviewed, signed and released by a GMC-registered doctor.
How it works
- You book your appointmentA trained clinician takes your sample at one of our London clinics. Nothing to do at home.
- The clinician takes your sampleA single clinic blood draw by a trained clinician
- The laboratory analyses itYour sample is processed for the measurements included in this test. Lab processing typically takes 3 to 5 working days from receipt of your sample.
- A doctor reviews and releases itA GMC-registered doctor reads every result and signs the report before it reaches you.
- Sample
- Clinic blood draw
- Preparation
- No fasting required
- Who it's for
- Any sex · ages 18+
How to prepare
What we can and can’t tell you
The reference range beside each result is the laboratory’s own. A result in range is not a clean bill of health and a result outside it is not a diagnosis. Most ranges cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one range. No test result replaces an examination or your own doctor’s judgement, and none of these panels is a cancer screening programme.
Read the full note
The reference range printed beside each of your results is the laboratory's own, and it is the range that applies to your result. We do not apply a second range of our own, and we do not tell you that a result the laboratory reported as normal is nonetheless too low or too high. If you see a claim elsewhere that your result ought to sit inside a narrower band than the one the laboratory printed, treat it with caution and ask your doctor.
Some assays cannot give an exact figure above or below a certain point, and those results are reported the way the laboratory sends them, for example as a value greater than a stated number. A result in range is not a clean bill of health, and a result outside a range is not a diagnosis: most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so some healthy people fall just outside them. No blood test replaces an examination, a scan or your own doctor's judgement, and none of these panels is a screening programme for cancer.
If you have a symptom that is new, severe, or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111 rather than waiting for a test result. In an emergency call 999.
Frequently asked questions
Are trace element levels useful without symptoms?
Usually not much. These results mean the most when a doctor is looking at them because of a specific diet, condition or exposure, which is why the reviewing doctor reads them alongside the reason you gave for testing.
How long do results take?
The laboratory typically takes 3 to 5 working days from receiving your sample. This does not include kit delivery, sample collection or return postage. A doctor reviews your results before they are released.
Can I choose a home kit or a clinic?
This test is a clinic blood draw, as it needs a venous sample for accuracy. We arrange a convenient appointment for you.
Is a doctor involved?
Yes. Every result is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor who signs it off and explains what it means and what to do next.
Is it confidential?
Your results are available through your secure patient portal. Our privacy policy explains how your information is handled and when it may be shared to provide your care.
What happens to my sample and results?
Your sample is analysed at a UKAS-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189). A GMC-registered doctor then reads every result and signs the report before it is released, so nothing reaches you unreviewed. There is no option to receive results without a doctor reading them first. The report arrives in your secure portal in plain English: each result with its unit and the laboratory's own reference range, and the doctor's note on what the set means read together. If a result sits outside its range the report says so and explains what usually happens next, which is most often a conversation with your own GP, who can act on it alongside your history and examination. Most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one of them. On a report with many results it is common for one to sit just outside its range, and a single number on its own rarely tells the whole story. If a result needs urgent attention, the reviewing doctor is alerted straight away and we contact you by phone the same working day rather than leaving it in the portal for you to find. If a specific result needs rechecking, the reviewing doctor says so in your report.
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