Functional & Diagnostic Testing at Greystones Health
Understanding Your Health Through Personalized Testing
Comprehensive Blood Work, Digestive Health & Hormone Testing in Toronto
Sometimes, understanding your health means looking a little deeper.
At Greystones Health, we believe that laboratory testing is most valuable when it helps answer meaningful questions about your health. Whether you're experiencing persistent symptoms, exploring possible nutritional deficiencies, or simply wanting a clearer picture of your overall well-being, our naturopathic doctors take a thoughtful, individualized approach to testing.
Because better information can help you make more informed decisions about your health.
Comprehensive Blood Testing
Blood work can provide valuable insights into your overall health and help identify potential nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, metabolic concerns, and other underlying health conditions.
Depending on your individual needs, your naturopathic doctor may recommend blood testing to assess:
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Cardiovascular health: Cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and other cardiovascular risk markers.
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Metabolic health: Fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting insulin, and markers associated with insulin resistance.
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Thyroid function: TSH, free T3, free T4, and thyroid antibodies to investigate thyroid function and possible autoimmune thyroid conditions.
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Anemia and nutritional deficiencies: Complete blood count (CBC), ferritin, iron studies, vitamin B12, folate, and vitamin D.
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Liver and kidney function: Liver enzymes, creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and other relevant markers.
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Inflammation: C-reactive protein (CRP) and other inflammatory markers, where clinically appropriate.
Testing can be tailored to investigate specific symptoms or provide a broader assessment of your health.
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Comprehensive Stool Testing & Gut Microbiome Analysis
Digestive health plays an important role in overall well-being. For patients experiencing IBS, chronic bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or other persistent digestive symptoms, we may recommend comprehensive stool testing to investigate possible contributing factors.
One of the tests we commonly use is the GI Advanced Profile, which provides an extensive analysis of various aspects of digestive health, including:
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Gut microbiome composition: Evaluating the presence and relative abundance of different intestinal microorganisms.
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Potential pathogens: Assessing for certain parasites, pathogenic bacteria, and yeast, including Candida species.
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Digestive function: Investigating markers associated with digestion and pancreatic enzyme activity, depending on the panel.
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Intestinal inflammation: Measuring markers such as fecal calprotectin, which may help identify the need for further medical investigation.
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Intestinal immune activity: Assessing selected markers, such as secretory IgA, that may provide additional context when interpreted alongside symptoms and other clinical findings.
These tests can provide supplementary information to help guide individualized treatment recommendations. However, microbiome findings do not always indicate disease, and specialized stool panels cannot independently diagnose or rule out conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Further medical testing, including endoscopy, may be necessary.
Hormone Testing — DUTCH Test
Hormonal changes can affect many aspects of health, including sleep, mood, energy, menstrual cycles, and menopausal symptoms.
The DUTCH Test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) is a specialized hormone assessment that measures selected hormones and their metabolites using dried urine samples collected at specific times.
Depending on the test selected, it may provide information about:
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Sex hormones: Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and selected hormone metabolites.
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Estrogen metabolism: How the body processes estrogen through different metabolic pathways.
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Adrenal hormones: Cortisol, cortisone, and their daily patterns, along with certain metabolites.
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Androgen metabolism: DHEA-related markers and testosterone metabolites.
DUTCH testing may be considered for selected patients experiencing menstrual irregularities, perimenopausal symptoms, or other hormone-related concerns when additional information could help guide care.
Although DUTCH testing offers detailed hormone metabolite measurements, its clinical usefulness for diagnosing hormonal disorders or directing treatment is not well established for many common concerns. Conventional blood tests and a thorough clinical assessment remain important, and DUTCH testing is not routinely necessary for diagnosing perimenopause or menopause.
Personalized Testing, Individualized Care
At Greystones Health, we believe laboratory testing should have a clear purpose. Our naturopathic doctors take the time to review your health history, discuss your symptoms, and determine which tests may be appropriate for you.
Our goal is to use meaningful clinical information to help you better understand your health and make informed decisions about your care.
We also believe in the importance of collaborative, integrative healthcare. With your consent, we are happy to communicate and work alongside your family doctor and other healthcare providers, whether by sharing laboratory results, providing updates on treatment plans, or coordinating care as part of your broader healthcare team. Our goal is to ensure you feel supported by a connected circle of care, with practitioners working together in your best interest.
Conveniently located at College and Yonge in downtown Toronto, Greystones Health offers individualized naturopathic care and diagnostic testing options to support your long-term health and well-being.