What Is the Organic Acids Test? Everything You Need to Know

You're exhausted all the time, no matter how much you sleep. Your brain feels foggy. Your digestion is unpredictable. Maybe you're dealing with mood swings, joint pain, or a dozen other symptoms that don't seem connected. You've tried different approaches, adjusted your diet, taken supplements, but nothing addresses the root cause.

Standard blood tests come back "normal." Your doctor says everything looks fine. But you know something's off.

This is where Mosaic’s Organic Acids Test (OAT) can provide answers that typical testing misses. It's a comprehensive urine test that measures 76 different metabolic markers, offering a detailed snapshot of what's happening inside your cells. The test reveals how efficiently your body produces energy, processes nutrients, manages gut health, handles detoxification, and supports neurotransmitter production.

Unlike standard blood work that captures a single moment in time, the OAT shows patterns of metabolic function that can explain seemingly unrelated symptoms. It helps identify the underlying imbalances that might be causing your health issues.

But what do those results mean, and how can they help you feel better? Let's break down what the OAT test measures and why it might be the missing piece in your health puzzle.

Understanding the Basics of the OAT Test

What is the Organic Acids Test?

Organic acids are byproducts of metabolism. They're produced by your cells, the bacteria in your gut, and any fungi or yeast that might be present in your system. These compounds are created during various metabolic processes including energy production, neurotransmitter synthesis, detoxification, and nutrient metabolism.

The OAT measures these organic acids through a simple urine sample. Urine is actually the ideal medium for this test because metabolites concentrate there at much higher levels than in blood, making it easier to detect subtle imbalances.

What makes this test so valuable is its comprehensiveness. From one simple sample, you get insights into 76 different markers across multiple body systems. The test reveals metabolic efficiency, gut health status, nutrient deficiencies, neurotransmitter function, mitochondrial health, and detoxification capacity.

When your metabolic pathways are working smoothly, organic acids are processed and eliminated at normal levels. But when something's off, whether due to enzyme problems, nutrient deficiencies, gut imbalances, or toxic exposures, these acids accumulate in abnormal amounts. The OAT detects these patterns.

Is the OAT test legitimate?

The science behind organic acid testing is solid. The test uses gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, which are considered gold standard methods for measuring metabolites. These are the same analytical techniques used in research laboratories and are well-validated for accuracy.

That said, the OAT works best as part of a comprehensive health assessment rather than as a standalone tool. The real value comes when an experienced practitioner interprets your results within the context of your complete health picture, including your symptoms, health history, and other relevant testing.

The markers measured by the OAT have been studied extensively in scientific literature, particularly in relation to metabolic disorders, gut health, and nutritional status. While interpretation requires clinical expertise, the underlying measurements are scientifically sound.

Who should consider OAT testing?

Organic acid testing is particularly valuable if you're dealing with chronic, unexplained symptoms that haven't responded to conventional treatment. It's worth considering if you experience persistent fatigue or energy crashes that sleep doesn't fix, digestive issues or suspected gut imbalances, brain fog, poor concentration, or memory problems, mood issues including anxiety or depression, or suspected nutritional deficiencies despite eating well.

The test is also useful if you've tried multiple approaches without finding the root cause of your symptoms, or if you want a comprehensive baseline of your metabolic health before making interventions.

What the OAT Test Measures

The OAT analyzes 76 different markers across six major categories. Each category provides insights into different aspects of your metabolic health. Understanding what these categories reveal helps you appreciate the comprehensive nature of this test.

Intestinal Microbial Overgrowth Markers

Your gut hosts trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast, and fungi. When these populations stay balanced, they support digestion, immune function, and even mood regulation. But when certain organisms overgrow, they can cause widespread problems.

The OAT measures specific metabolites produced by problematic microbes. Yeast and fungal markers, particularly those from Candida and Aspergillus species, indicate overgrowth that can contribute to brain fog, fatigue, sugar cravings, and digestive issues. Bacterial markers, especially those from Clostridia species, reveal bacterial imbalances that affect everything from mood to digestive function.

These overgrowths don't happen randomly. They typically result from factors like antibiotic use, which wipes out beneficial bacteria along with harmful ones. High-sugar diets feed problematic yeast and bacteria. Chronic stress and immune dysfunction also allow opportunistic organisms to flourish.

The connection between gut health and overall wellbeing runs deeper than most people realize. Gut imbalances affect energy levels, cognitive function, immune response, and even mood. This is why addressing microbial overgrowth often leads to improvements in symptoms that seem completely unrelated to digestion.

Mitochondrial Health and Energy Production

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of your cells. They take the food you eat and the oxygen you breathe and convert them into ATP, the energy currency your body runs on. When mitochondrial function declines, you feel it everywhere.

The OAT measures metabolites from the Krebs cycle, the series of chemical reactions that produce cellular energy. Markers like citric acid, aconitic acid, and succinic acid reveal how efficiently your mitochondria are functioning. When these markers are abnormal, it indicates your cells aren't producing energy effectively.

This explains why some people feel chronically exhausted despite getting adequate sleep. Their fatigue isn't about rest. It's about cellular energy production. You might also notice poor exercise recovery, feeling "tired but wired," difficulty with physical exertion, or needing excessive amounts of caffeine just to function.

Multiple factors affect mitochondrial health. Nutrient deficiencies, particularly B vitamins and CoQ10, impair energy production. Oxidative stress from toxins or inflammation damages mitochondria. Even genetic variations can affect how efficiently your mitochondria work.

Neurotransmitter Metabolites

Your brain relies on neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that regulate mood, focus, motivation, and emotional wellbeing. The OAT measures metabolites related to key neurotransmitters including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

These markers reveal whether your body has the raw materials and biochemical machinery to produce adequate neurotransmitters. Low metabolite levels might indicate deficiencies in amino acids or vitamins needed for neurotransmitter synthesis. Elevated metabolites can suggest problems with neurotransmitter breakdown or recycling.

The test also measures compounds like quinolinic acid, which can affect brain function and has been linked to neuroinflammation. Understanding these patterns helps explain symptoms like persistent low mood, anxiety or panic, difficulty concentrating, low motivation, or emotional instability.

What's particularly interesting is the gut-brain connection that appears in OAT results. Bacterial imbalances in the gut can directly affect neurotransmitter production and function. This is why addressing gut health often improves mental and emotional symptoms.

Nutritional Markers

Even if you eat a healthy diet and take supplements, you might still have functional nutrient deficiencies. The OAT reveals these deficiencies through metabolites that indicate how well your body is actually using various vitamins and minerals.

The test measures markers related to B vitamins, including B6, B12, biotin, and folate. These vitamins are crucial for energy production, neurotransmitter synthesis, and countless other metabolic processes. It also evaluates vitamin C and CoQ10 status, both critical for antioxidant protection and cellular function.

Amino acid metabolism markers show whether you're properly processing the protein building blocks your body needs. Abnormal patterns here can indicate digestive issues, absorption problems, or increased nutritional demands.

Why might someone have deficiencies despite supplementation? Several reasons. Gut inflammation or damage can impair nutrient absorption. Some people have genetic variations that increase their need for certain nutrients. Chronic stress, illness, or intense physical activity can deplete nutrients faster than diet replaces them. And some forms of vitamins in supplements aren't well absorbed or utilized.

The OAT helps identify which nutrients need attention and can suggest whether absorption is the underlying issue.

Oxalate Metabolites

Oxalates are compounds that can come from your diet, be produced by certain fungi in your body, or be generated through normal metabolism. In small amounts, they're not a problem. But elevated oxalates can contribute to several health issues.

High oxalate levels are associated with kidney stone formation, joint pain and inflammation, fatigue and malaise, and various other symptoms. Some people are particularly sensitive to oxalates and experience symptoms at levels that wouldn't bother others.

The OAT measures oxalate metabolites to identify if this is a contributing factor to your symptoms. If levels are high, it helps determine whether the source is dietary (eating lots of high-oxalate foods like spinach, almonds, or chocolate), microbial (fungal overgrowth producing oxalates), or metabolic (your body producing excess oxalates).

The connection between gut health and oxalate processing matters too. Certain beneficial gut bacteria help break down oxalates before they're absorbed. If these bacteria are depleted, more oxalates enter your system.

Detoxification Indicators

Your body is constantly processing and eliminating toxins from the environment, your diet, and your own metabolism. The OAT provides insights into how well your detoxification systems are functioning.

The test measures markers related to glutathione, your body's master antioxidant and a crucial component of detoxification. It also evaluates phase 2 detoxification pathways, the processes your liver uses to neutralize and eliminate toxins.

When detoxification capacity is compromised, you might experience chemical sensitivities, frequent headaches, skin problems, or a general sense that you react badly to medications, supplements, or environmental exposures.

Several factors affect detox capacity. Nutrient deficiencies can impair enzyme function. Genetic variations influence how efficiently you process certain compounds. Toxic overload from environmental exposures can overwhelm your system. And gut health issues can increase the toxic burden your liver needs to process.

Next Steps After Testing: From Data to Action

Getting your OAT results is just the beginning. The real value comes from working with a qualified healthcare provider who can interpret your results and create a personalized plan to address any imbalances.

Working with a healthcare provider

A qualified practitioner can connect your results to your symptoms and health history. They understand which imbalances to prioritize first. Not every abnormal marker needs immediate intervention. Some findings are more significant than others, and some issues need to be addressed before others for the interventions to work effectively.

When you review results with your practitioner, they'll explain which markers are most significant for your situation. They'll connect abnormal findings to the symptoms you're experiencing. They'll create a personalized protocol addressing your specific imbalances. And they'll help you understand realistic timelines for improvement.

Working with a provider who offers both testing and ongoing support streamlines your health journey. You won't need to coordinate between separate testing companies and practitioners. Your care team understands your complete health picture. Geviti provides OAT testing with practitioner interpretation, support, and intervention all in one place, making the process seamless.

Common intervention approaches

Your healthcare provider may recommend targeted approaches based on your specific findings. While the details of your protocol will be individualized, common categories of intervention include:

Gut health support: Addressing microbial imbalances through dietary modifications, antimicrobial protocols when appropriate, and probiotic support to restore healthy bacterial populations.

Mitochondrial support: Targeted nutrients like CoQ10, B vitamins, and other compounds that support cellular energy production and protect mitochondria from oxidative damage.

Neurotransmitter optimization: Amino acid support, B vitamins, and lifestyle modifications including stress management and sleep optimization to support healthy brain chemistry.

Nutritional correction: Targeted supplementation and dietary changes to address specific deficiencies identified in your results, along with interventions to improve absorption if needed.

Detoxification support: Interventions to support your body's natural elimination pathways, reduce toxic burden, and provide the nutrients needed for effective detoxification.

Your practitioner will determine which interventions are most appropriate for your unique situation and create a protocol tailored to your results. They'll also help you understand why certain approaches are recommended and what outcomes to expect.

How often should you retest?

Your practitioner will recommend retesting based on your specific findings and the interventions you're implementing. The typical timeframe is 3 to 6 months after starting your protocol.

This allows enough time for meaningful metabolic changes to occur. Some markers respond relatively quickly to interventions, while others take longer to shift. The body needs time to restore balance, replenish nutrients, address microbial imbalances, and optimize metabolic pathways.

Retesting serves several purposes. It tracks your progress and confirms that interventions are working. It helps identify which aspects of your protocol are most effective. It reveals whether any new imbalances have emerged. And it allows your practitioner to adjust your protocol based on how your body is responding.

This iterative approach, testing and adjusting based on results, is what makes functional medicine so effective for complex health issues.

Takeaways

The Organic Acids Test reveals metabolic patterns that standard blood work simply can't detect. While conventional testing looks at what's in your bloodstream at a single moment, the OAT shows how your body is actually functioning at a cellular level over time.

These 76 markers tell a comprehensive story about what's happening inside your body. They provide insights into gut health and microbial balance, mitochondrial function and energy production, neurotransmitter metabolism and brain health, nutritional status and absorption, and detoxification capacity.

The connections between these systems explain why you might have seemingly unrelated symptoms. Your fatigue might connect to both gut imbalances and mitochondrial dysfunction. Your mood issues might link to nutrient deficiencies and neurotransmitter problems. OAT helps identify these connections.

But having data is only valuable if you can turn it into action. This is where working with a qualified practitioner makes all the difference. They interpret your results within the context of your complete health picture. They create a personalized protocol addressing your most significant imbalances. They help you understand realistic timelines and adjust interventions based on your progress.

Most effective protocols start with foundational issues: restoring gut health, correcting nutrient deficiencies, and supporting mitochondrial function. These foundations often need to be in place before other interventions can work optimally.

If you're ready to understand what's happening at a cellular level and finally get answers about your persistent health concerns, the OAT test might be the missing piece in your health puzzle.

Getting Started with the OAT Test Through Geviti

Geviti makes it easy to access OAT testing with comprehensive practitioner support. All Geviti members have access to the OAT test. You can purchase the test anytime, with or without a recommendation from your Geviti care team. The test is $329.99 for Lite members and $299.00 for Plus/Plus Rx members.

How to purchase the OAT test:

1. Open the Geviti app or web portal
2. Select “Other” from the bottom menu bar
3. Select “Order Labs and Diagnostics”
4. Select “Specialty Test Kits”
5. Choose the Organic Acids Test (OAT)
6. Select “Continue to Purchase” and checkout

What happens after I purchase the test?

After checking out, the at-home test kit will be mailed to you. Upon receiving the test kit, you will collect a urine sample and mail it back to Mosaic’s lab using the prepaid mailing materials included in your kit. Results will be available 5-10 business days after the lab receives your sample. Once your results are ready, you can view them in the Geviti app or web portal in the “documents” section. From there, your longevity specialist will create a custom review video explaining your results.

Note: The OAT test is also one of the four panels included in the EnviroTOX Suite of Panels. If you would like to test organic acids, heavy metals, mold/mycotoxins, and environmental contaminants all at once, consider the EnviroTOX Suite of Panels instead of buying each test separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

What key information does the OAT test provide?

The OAT measures 76 organic acid metabolites that reveal gut health and microbial balance, energy production and mitochondrial function, neurotransmitter metabolism, nutritional status including B vitamins and other key nutrients, and detoxification capacity. It provides insights into metabolic processes that standard blood tests often miss, helping identify root causes of chronic symptoms.

How do I collect a sample for the OAT test?

The OAT requires a first-morning urine sample collected before eating or drinking. You'll receive a collection kit with detailed instructions. The process is simple and done at home. You'll need to avoid certain foods for 48 hours before collection, including apples, grapes, raisins, pears, cranberries and their juices, as these can affect test results.

Can the OAT test identify nutritional deficiencies?

Yes, the OAT measures metabolites that indicate functional vitamin and mineral status, including B vitamins (B6, B12, biotin, folate), vitamin C, and CoQ10. These markers often reveal deficiencies before they show up in standard blood tests. They can also explain why you might feel deficient despite taking supplements, pointing to absorption issues or increased nutritional demands that need to be addressed.

How often should I retest after making changes?

Most practitioners recommend retesting 3 to 6 months after implementing interventions based on your initial results. This allows enough time to see measurable metabolic changes. Your practitioner will determine the optimal retesting schedule based on your specific findings and the interventions you're using. Retesting helps track progress and adjust your protocol as needed.

What's the difference between the OAT test and regular blood work?

Standard blood work measures what's circulating in your bloodstream at a single moment in time. It's valuable for detecting acute problems and monitoring certain health markers. The OAT measures metabolites in urine that reflect cellular metabolic processes over time. It reveals how efficiently your body produces energy, processes nutrients, manages gut health, and handles detoxification at a cellular level. The OAT often uncovers imbalances that blood work doesn't detect, especially functional issues that haven't yet progressed to disease states.

Sources:

• https://mosaicdx.com/test/organic-acids-test/
• https://mosaicdx.com/resource/toxicant-testing-comparison-chart/
• https://mosaicdx.com/resource/shipping-information-within-the-united-states/