OMX Organic Acids Test
When standard blood tests show nothing — but you know something is wrong.
In addition to face to face appointments we are offer online consultations via phone or video using Telehealth
At a Glance
| What it tests | Organic acids, amino acids, neurotransmitter metabolites, mitochondrial markers, B vitamins, oxidative stress, inflammation, detoxification pathways |
| Sample type | First morning urine — collected at home, posted to the laboratory |
| Turnaround | Approximately 2–3 weeks from sample receipt |
| Best suited for | Chronic fatigue, post-viral illness, brain fog, mood disorders, weight loss resistance, ADHD, athlete recovery, unexplained symptoms, proactive baseline testing |
| Ordered by | Benjamin Deutscher following an initial naturopathic consultation |
| Location | 265a Waverley Road, Malvern East, Melbourne |
| Booking | Call (03) 9572 3211 to arrange |
If you have been unwell for months or years — fatigued, foggy, low, not recovering the way you should — and your GP has run tests that all came back normal, that result is not reassuring. It just means the standard tests aren’t looking in the right places.
The OMX Organic Metabolomics test looks somewhere different. Rather than measuring what is circulating in your blood at a given moment, it analyses what your body is actually doing at a cellular level — how you are producing energy, metabolising nutrients, clearing toxins, making neurotransmitters, and managing oxidative stress. It maps your metabolic signature: the unique biochemical picture of how your body is functioning right now.
This is the test we reach for when a client’s presentation is complex, when other testing hasn’t explained what’s happening, or when we need to understand the underlying metabolic drivers of chronic fatigue, post-viral illness, persistent mood disturbance, or weight that won’t shift despite doing everything right.
What the OMX Measures
The OMX analyses urine metabolites across more than 100 biomarkers, grouped into clinically meaningful pathways. This isn’t a list of isolated numbers — it’s a map of interconnected systems that explains why someone feels the way they do.
Energy production and mitochondrial function
The Krebs cycle and mitochondrial markers reveal whether your cells are actually generating energy efficiently — or whether there is a block somewhere in the chain that is leaving you exhausted regardless of how much you sleep. This is the core finding in many chronic fatigue presentations.
Neurotransmitter metabolism
The OMX measures metabolites of serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and GABA — the neurotransmitters that regulate mood, motivation, focus, and anxiety. Low levels of these metabolites, or disruptions in how they are being made and cleared, are frequently found in clients with depression, anxiety, brain fog, and concentration difficulties. Importantly, this gives us a biochemical picture of what is driving those symptoms — not just a label for them.
Nutritional and vitamin status
B vitamin sufficiency — particularly B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12 — is assessed through their functional markers. These vitamins are essential co-factors in energy production and neurotransmitter synthesis. Deficiencies that don’t show clearly on standard blood tests are frequently visible here. Vitamin C status and other antioxidant cofactors are also assessed.
Amino acid metabolism
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, enzymes, and neurotransmitters. The OMX assesses how well your body is absorbing, converting, and utilising them — including whether there are digestive insufficiencies limiting absorption, or metabolic blocks preventing conversion.
Oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity
A measure of the body’s current free radical load and its capacity to manage it. Consistently elevated in chronic illness, post-viral conditions, and metabolic dysfunction. This marker helps explain the inflammatory and fatiguing burden many clients carry, and guides antioxidant support.
Detoxification pathways
The OMX assesses phase I and phase II liver detoxification function — how efficiently your body is processing and clearing metabolic waste, environmental toxins, and hormonal metabolites. Impaired detoxification is a consistent finding in clients with chemical sensitivities, hormonal disruption, and chronic fatigue.
Carbohydrate metabolism and ketosis markers
The OMX reveals whether your body is efficiently burning carbohydrates for fuel, or whether there are blocks in glucose metabolism contributing to fatigue, brain fog, or weight loss resistance. For clients on ketogenic or low-carbohydrate protocols, it also confirms whether the body has genuinely shifted into fat-burning or is stuck in a metabolic middle ground. This is one of the markers most relevant to athletes and weight loss resistance presentations.
Gut-derived metabolites
Certain organic acids in urine are produced by gut bacteria and yeast — providing indirect evidence of dysbiosis, SIBO, or Candida overgrowth even without a stool test. Where gut involvement is suspected, this can inform whether a GI-MAP test is also warranted.
Who the OMX Is Most Useful For
The OMX is not a screening test for everyone. It is a deep-dive test for people with complex, persistent, or unexplained presentations — particularly where standard testing has failed to find answers. We find it most valuable for:
- Chronic fatigue and post-viral illness — including long COVID, Epstein-Barr, and Ross River presentations where energy has never fully recovered
- Brain fog, poor concentration, and cognitive difficulties that have developed gradually or followed an illness
- Mood disorders — depression, anxiety, low motivation, emotional flatness — particularly where the person feels something biochemical is driving their mood rather than purely situational factors
- ADHD, ADD, and neurodevelopmental presentations — where neurotransmitter metabolite patterns and mitochondrial function provide insight into what is driving attention, focus, and behavioural regulation
- Weight loss resistance — where someone is doing everything right but not losing weight, and metabolic dysfunction, impaired fat oxidation, or carbohydrate metabolism issues are the likely explanation
- Athletes and high performers — particularly where recovery is poor, performance has plateaued, or there are signs of overtraining that standard testing hasn’t explained. The OMX reveals whether mitochondrial output, oxidative stress burden, or nutritional depletion is limiting your capacity
When the OMX points to oxidative stress or mitochondrial dysfunction — two of the most common findings in athletes and people with chronic fatigue — hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is one of the primary interventions we use in-clinic to directly address those findings.
By delivering high-concentration oxygen under pressure, HBOT accelerates cellular energy production, reduces oxidative burden, and supports the tissue repair and recovery that standard training recovery cannot achieve on its own. For athletes, it means faster recovery between sessions and a measurable reduction in the oxidative load the OMX identified. For chronic fatigue clients, it addresses the mitochondrial impairment at its source.
- Burnout and adrenal exhaustion — where the body’s stress response and energy systems have become depleted over time
- Unexplained symptoms that don’t fit a clear diagnosis and have not been explained by standard blood work
- Proactive baseline testing — for health-conscious individuals who want to understand their metabolic baseline while well, so any future decline can be identified against a known reference point. This is particularly valuable for anyone with a family history of metabolic, neurological, or chronic fatigue conditions
OMX and GI-MAP — The Complete Picture
The GI-MAP and the OMX are complementary tests that together give a remarkably complete picture of what is driving chronic illness.
The GI-MAP looks at what is happening in the gut — which pathogens are present, how the microbiome is functioning, whether there is inflammation, leaky gut, or immune activation. The OMX looks at what is happening at a cellular and metabolic level — how the body is producing energy, making neurotransmitters, clearing toxins, and managing oxidative stress.
Many of the most complex presentations we see — chronic fatigue, post-viral illness, autoimmune conditions, severe mood disorders — involve dysfunction in both areas simultaneously. Gut dysbiosis drives systemic inflammation that impairs mitochondrial function. Impaired detoxification allows metabolic waste to accumulate that disrupts neurotransmitter production. The two systems are deeply interconnected.
For clients who want a truly thorough investigation and have the appetite for comprehensive testing, ordering both together provides a level of clinical insight that is genuinely difficult to match. We discuss this option where it is clinically appropriate — both tests together represent a significant investment, and we only recommend the combination when we believe both dimensions are relevant to your presentation.
| GI-MAP What is living in your gut and how is it functioning? • Pathogens, parasites, bacteria, viruses • Inflammation and leaky gut markers • Microbiome diversity and keystone species • Immune function within the gut • Pancreatic function and fat absorption | OMX How is your body functioning at a cellular level? • Mitochondrial energy production • Neurotransmitter synthesis and metabolism • B vitamin and amino acid sufficiency • Oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity • Liver detoxification pathways |
How Does the OMX Compare to the DUTCH Test?
The DUTCH Test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) is well known in naturopathic practice for its detailed assessment of cortisol patterns, oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and their metabolites. It is an excellent test for hormonal presentations — particularly perimenopause, menopause, adrenal fatigue, and oestrogen dominance. MNHC offers the DUTCH Test and it remains a valuable tool for the right presentation.
The OMX covers different ground. Where the DUTCH focuses on hormones and their metabolites, the OMX maps energy production, neurotransmitter pathways, nutritional sufficiency, oxidative stress, and detoxification. There is some overlap — both tests assess aspects of adrenal function and both can inform a treatment plan for fatigue — but they are asking different questions.
For a client presenting primarily with hormonal symptoms — irregular cycles, perimenopausal transition, suspected oestrogen dominance — the DUTCH Test is often the more targeted choice. For a client presenting with chronic fatigue, brain fog, mood disturbance, or weight loss resistance where the hormonal picture seems secondary, the OMX typically provides more actionable clinical information.
Where both hormonal and metabolic dysfunction are present, both tests can be ordered. We discuss which test or combination makes most sense based on your individual presentation during your initial consultation.
| OMX | DUTCH Test | |
| Primary focus | Cellular metabolism, energy, neurotransmitters | Hormones and their metabolites |
| Sample type | First morning urine | Dried urine (multiple collections) |
| Best for | Fatigue, brain fog, mood, weight | Hormonal symptoms, adrenal, perimenopause |
| Cortisol assessment | Indirect markers | Detailed 4-point cortisol pattern |
| Neurotransmitters | Comprehensive metabolite mapping | Limited |
| Mitochondrial function | Yes — core feature | No |
| B vitamins | Functional assessment | Limited |
| Available at MNHC | ✓ | ✓ |
What Happens After Testing?
The OMX is ordered as part of a naturopathic consultation — not as a stand-alone test. This is important, because the value of the test is almost entirely in the interpretation. The raw results are a dense map of metabolic data that requires specific training to read meaningfully, and a clinical context to act on.
Once results are returned from the laboratory, we spend significant time reviewing them in the context of your case before your follow-up appointment. What does the mitochondrial picture tell us about your fatigue? Are the neurotransmitter metabolites consistent with your mood presentation? Does the B vitamin picture explain the cognitive symptoms? Is there a detoxification burden that is driving the inflammatory load?
The treatment plan that comes out of this process is targeted and specific. Not a generic fatigue protocol — a plan built around what your results actually show. This might involve specific nutritional support for the pathways that are impaired, herbal medicine to support mitochondrial or detoxification function, dietary changes that address the metabolic patterns in the results, and where relevant, referral for further investigation.
Progress is monitored with repeat testing at appropriate intervals. The OMX provides a baseline metabolic signature that can be compared over time as treatment takes effect — giving both you and us an objective measure of how your body is responding.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the OMX different from a standard urine test my GP can order?
A standard urine test from a GP checks for infection, kidney function markers, glucose, and protein — essentially looking for obvious disease. The OMX analyses over 100 metabolites produced by your body’s biochemical processes — organic acids, amino acid metabolites, neurotransmitter breakdown products, mitochondrial markers — none of which appear on a standard urinalysis. It’s a completely different class of test asking completely different questions.
Do I need to stop any supplements before the test?
Yes — certain supplements can affect results, particularly high-dose B vitamins, antioxidants, and some herbal medicines. We provide specific instructions on what to pause and for how long before collection. This is discussed at the consultation when the test is ordered. Do not stop any prescribed medications without speaking to your prescribing doctor first.
How is the sample collected?
The OMX uses a first-morning urine sample collected at home. A collection kit is provided with detailed instructions. The sample is posted directly to the Diagnostic Solutions laboratory for analysis. Most people find the collection straightforward — there are no clinic visits required for the sample itself.
How long does it take to get results?
Approximately two to three weeks from the date the laboratory receives your sample. We contact you to arrange a follow-up consultation once results are in. We review the results thoroughly before that appointment so the consultation is focused on what the findings mean for your specific case and what we are going to do about it.
Can the OMX diagnose conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome or depression?
The OMX is not a diagnostic test in the conventional sense — it does not produce a diagnosis. What it does is map the biochemical patterns underlying your symptoms, which informs a targeted treatment approach. A client with chronic fatigue may show mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired B vitamin metabolism, and elevated oxidative stress markers — none of which constitute a formal diagnosis, but all of which are clinically actionable. The test explains why you feel the way you do and points to what can be done about it.
Is the OMX covered by Medicare or private health insurance?
The OMX is not covered by Medicare. Some private health funds provide a rebate on naturopathic consultations, which includes the time spent reviewing and interpreting test results — check with your fund for your specific entitlements. The test cost itself is separate to consultation fees. Pricing is discussed at the initial consultation.
Can I do the OMX and GI-MAP at the same time?
Yes — and for clients with complex presentations involving both metabolic and gut dysfunction, ordering both together provides a genuinely comprehensive picture. The two tests use different sample types (urine for OMX, stool for GI-MAP) so they can be collected and posted concurrently. We discuss whether the combination is clinically warranted at the initial consultation — both tests together represent a significant investment and we only recommend it when we believe both dimensions are relevant to your case.
I’m an athlete — is the OMX relevant for me?
Yes, and it’s underused in this context. Athletes and high performers often push their bodies in ways that create significant oxidative stress, nutritional depletion, and mitochondrial burden — none of which show on standard blood tests. If your recovery is slower than it should be, your performance has plateaued despite consistent training, or you’re experiencing fatigue, mood changes, or GI symptoms that don’t resolve with rest, the OMX frequently reveals what is actually going on. It can identify whether overtraining has depleted key B vitamins or amino acids, whether oxidative stress is impairing recovery, or whether carbohydrate metabolism issues are limiting your fuel efficiency.
Can I use the OMX as a baseline test even if I’m not unwell?
This is one of the most valuable ways to use the test. Establishing your metabolic baseline while you’re healthy gives you a reference point that is genuinely useful — if symptoms develop in future, we can compare against a known baseline and identify exactly what has shifted. It also often reveals subclinical deficiencies or early metabolic patterns that can be corrected before they become symptomatic. We particularly recommend this for people with a family history of chronic fatigue, neurological conditions, or metabolic disease, and for anyone in a high-demand phase of life — business, elite sport, new parenthood — where maintaining metabolic reserve matters.
We order the OMX for clients across Malvern East, Malvern, Toorak, and Glen Iris, and from Hawthorn, Camberwell, South Yarra, Armadale, and Kew.
Find out what your body is actually doing.
The OMX is available through an initial naturopathic consultation at MNHC.
Our naturopaths have specific training in metabolomics testing and interpretation.
[ CALL (03) 9572 3211 ]
265a Waverley Road, Malvern East, Melbourne
INTRODUCING OMX
INTRODUCING OMX Metabolomic Testing Offers Enhanced Insights into Patient Metabolic Status
The OMX ™ Organic Metabolomics test in Australia by Designs for Health and Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory evaluates urine metabolites—including organic acids, amino acids, and other key compounds—to assist practitioners in unravelling their patient’s metabolic pathways, revealing their unique Metabolic Signature.
Using a systems-biology approach, OMX assesses biomarkers that go beyond the traditional lists of metabolites. This test enables practitioners to see a patient’s larger health picture by deciphering and connecting perturbations of key metabolic pathways and analytes, allowing for truly personalised therapeutic support.
How You Can Benefit from the OMX Metabolomics Test
Understanding your metabolome allows clinicians to establish a larger picture…
Combined with your medical history and lifestyle, support can be provided from the bottom up. Ideally, practitioners will use OMX to establish a baseline metabolic signature for healthy patients. The baseline could be used for future comparison if symptoms, disease, or illness occurs.
When is the OMX test most useful?
- Chronic health issues, despite all the standard
blood tests come back “normal” - Lack of energy, fatigue, and lethargy
- Mood disorders, depression, anxiety, ADHD,
brain fog, and focus disturbances - Digestive complaints
- Weight loss resistance
- Athletes, to determine overtraining,
poor exercises recovery and GI distress. - Post-viral infections
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Evaluating the level of catabolism
(post-chemo, progressive diabetes, MS) - ADD/ADHD and Autism
- Unexplained health concerns
where other tests are not detecting anything
OMX Provides Insights Into the Following Areas of Health:
- Metabolic and macronutrient processing
- Mitochondrial dysfunction
- Nutritional and vitamin status
- Level and flow of amino acid
- Inflammation
- Ketosis or poor carbohydrate metabolism
- Detoxification
(impaired fatty acid metabolism + more) - Mood issues (Neurotransmitter metabolism)
- Oxidative stress
- Gut concerns (dysbiosis) – complements very
well prior to a GI-MAP to assess overall health