Any vitamin must be treated according to its properties. The Approches and method are different if you are using liposoluble or hydrosoluble vitamins. For minerals you can use AAS or ICP-MS or colorimetric methods. For vitamins, you can use "in vivo or "in vitro models" depending on you objectives and hypothesis

I am not asking how to assess micro-nutrients.  As a clinician I would like to prescribe a vitamin/mineral assessment but don't know if the array of tests available with commercial vehicles have been validated by an independent lab.  Many companies offer an array of tests, but I would like to know if the tests are accurate and actually measure what is meaningful. 

I sent two files that may help to you

Any vitamin quite more than the need of that person probably can trigger malignant tumor formation particularly fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K , by storage in the cells, causing inflammatory and pressure effects first within the cells then tissues and organ. So every vitamin content must be within normal range in the blood not less,not more.  

Assessment of micronutrient status is very dependent on the specific nutrient of interest. For example, it is challenging to assess z calcium status despite the fact that there are blood tests that can accurately measure calcium levels This is because calcium is critical to normal body function within a tight concentration range, therefore blood levels are defended even when total body levels may be depleted. By the time blood levels are low it is very late. Conversely, 25 hydroxy-vitamin D levels do accurately reflect vitamin D status, but you do need to use a lab with a validated "gold reference" (now available from the WHO). Blood tests for iron status are also complex as blood iron levels themselves are not an accurate measure of body iron stores. To measure iron status several blood tests (typically haemoglobin, ferritin and transferren saturation) need to be considered together. So, in answer to your question - it depends! One approach is to do some research on common nutrient deficiencies in your population of interest, thus develop your panel, then look up how deficiency is diagnosed (information which most text books will have).

Hi like to use Spectracell's panel. It is a functional tests using cultured WBC from the patient, rather than just measuring blood levels of nutrients. 

Best, 

Elaine

You assume that adequacy levels are known. This is actually not true. The outdated tables of nutrient requirements that are known as RDA (determined back in the 1940s) which have been recently adjusted and now called RDI levels are based on the amount necessary to prevent the disease condition which that specific nutrient is the only cure for. The question of optimum levels of nutrients is left out of the discussion due to political agenda.

On the WHO website of the International Program for Chemical Safety there is a page for the  NUTRIENT RISK ASSESSMENT PROGRAM that called in 2004 for comments from concerned individuals regarding the process to determine a modern understanding with the view to setting out legal limits for some nutrients. My comments regarding the research of men like Pauling, Passwater, Hoffer, Osmond and other giants in the field of megavitamin therapy are posted at

http://www.who.int/ipcs/highlights/nutrient_project_comments/en/

http://www.who.int/ipcs/highlights/nutrient_project_comments/en/

I am a medical oncologist with 50 years in the cancer field.  This issue of finding a commercial lab that has validity via CLIA or other validation processes is really an important issue.  Most, if not all, of the above responses do not answer this question.  Testing via known commercial labs such as LabCorp, Quest, Mayo Medical Labs, ARUP & others involves separate testing of many trace elements, vitamins & minerals and is cost prohibitive for most of our patients.  About 12 years ago there was a company in San Diego called Pantox Labs that offered what I believed to be legitimate testing. Sadly, that company went out of business.  I have no answer for this question & came across your query in my own search for a validated lab that does such testing.  Elaine Weil mentioned SpectraCell, but my review of that website indicates that their testing cannot be done in many states for reasons not specified.  I will get back to you if I find a solution. 

This is an interesting question and one that I would like to have some type of response to as well. I have a PhD in Health Psychology and nutrients are so important to emotional regulation although the nutrient testing lab that I am familiar with was not consistent with their findings in fact there were errors on the reports which were significant and not reliable. Someone asked me yesterday about this topic and my response was until we have more reliable and valid research on this and have accountability with testing I cannot recommend this.