£300 is a lot of money to spend on your health, and you deserve to know exactly what you're getting before you hand it over. Private blood tests and nutrition consultations have become a crowded market, and the packages can look very similar until you start asking questions.
These are the seven questions worth asking any provider before you book. We've answered every one of them for NOA too, including the parts where the honest answer is "no" or "that's not what we do". Our NOA Now plan is £299, so this is a decision we know well.
1. Are the markers chosen for me, or is it a fixed set?
Ask for the list of markers by name, not just a number. A higher count isn't automatically better: what matters is whether the markers are relevant to the symptoms you want to understand.
Our answer: NOA uses a fixed set of 30 markers, the same for every woman. We chose them because they're the ones most relevant to the symptoms we hear about most, like fatigue, PMS, hair loss, low mood and cycle changes. What's personalised is the interpretation and your plan, not the test.
The 30 markers are:
Iron: iron, ferritin, TIBC, UIBC and transferrin saturation
Vitamins: active B12, serum folate and vitamin D
Thyroid: TSH, free T4, free T3, total T4 and thyroid antibodies (TPO-Ab and TG-Ab)
Female sex hormones: oestradiol, LH, FSH, SHBG and total testosterone
Blood sugar: HbA1c
Liver: ALT
Kidney: urea, creatinine and eGFR
Cholesterol: total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL as a percentage of total cholesterol
What we don't test: a full blood count (including haemoglobin), progesterone, cortisol or gut health. If those matter for you our team of nutritionists can advise you further on how to go about obtaining these.
2. Does the price include the lab fees and the blood draw?
This is where headline prices can be misleading. Some providers include everything, others add the blood draw, postage or consultation at checkout. Ask for the total you'll actually pay.
Our answer: the £299 NOA Now price covers the lab analysis of all 30 markers, your health questionnaire, a 45-minute consultation, your personalised plan and access to your members dashboard. The blood draw is always an extra, chosen at checkout, because that fee goes directly to the phlebotomist:
Blood draw option
Extra cost
Total with NOA Now
At a partner clinic
£37
£336
At home with a mobile phlebotomist
£63
£362
You can also pay in three monthly installments. If you'd rather skip the consultation, NOA Essentials is £199 plus the blood draw, and includes the same test, plan and dashboard.
Supplements recommended in your plan are not included in the price.
3. Does it matter when in my cycle I take the test?
If hormones are being tested, yes. Oestradiol, LH and FSH change across the menstrual cycle, so a result only makes sense if you know which day it was taken. A provider testing hormones should give you clear timing advice.
Our answer:
Regular periods: book your test for Day 2 - 3 of your cycle. Day 1 is the first day of full bleeding.
Irregular periods: test on any day and note this in your health questionnaire so your nutritionist can take it into account.
No periods, or using hormonal contraception: you can test on any day.
HRT gel or spray: skip your dose on the morning of your test and take it after your blood draw.
HRT patch: test on day 2 of your current patch.
There are a few other things that can affect results. Avoid biotin and vitamin B12 supplements for at least 48 hours before your test, and alcohol for 24 hours. You don't need to fast.
4. How long is the consultation, and is there any follow-up?
A results email with a few lines of comment is very different from a proper conversation. Ask how long the consultation is, who it's with, and what support you get afterwards.
Our answer: NOA Now includes a 45-minute 1:1 video consultation with a women's health nutritionist. We aim to send your booking link within 5 working days of your sample arriving at the lab. Your nutritionist talks you through every result, connects it to your symptoms and builds your personalised nutrition, lifestyle and supplement plan.
Afterwards, your results, plan and progress live in your NOA members dashboard. Your nutritionist will also suggest when to retest, usually at 3, 6 or 9 months, so you can see whether things are changing. Retests and follow-up calls are not included in the NOA Now price.
5. What qualifications does the nutritionist have?
Nutrition titles in the UK can be confusing, and they don't all mean the same thing. These are the main ones you'll come across:
Registered Dietitian: registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). A legally protected title. Dietitians are regulated by law and can work with diagnosed medical conditions, often in the NHS.
Registered Nutritionist (RNutr): registered with the Association for Nutrition (AfN). Degree-level training in nutrition science, on the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists.
Registered Nutritional Therapist: registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), often with membership of BANT. Trained to give personalised nutrition and lifestyle advice to individuals, on a register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
On their own, "nutritionist" and "nutritional therapist" aren't protected titles, so it's always worth asking which of these someone holds.
Our answer: each of our nutritionists is registered with the Association for Nutrition, or with the CNHC and BANT, depending on their training. You can meet the team on our experts page.
6. Is a medically qualified person reviewing my results?
Some providers have a GMC-registered doctor review every result, others use nutrition professionals only. Neither is wrong, but you should know which one you're paying for, because it changes what the service can tell you.
Our answer: no. Your results are reviewed by a qualified nutritionist, not a medical team. Our blood tests are analysed by Inuvi Diagnostics, a UKAS-accredited medical laboratory. No doctor reviews your individual results.
If any of your results fall outside the reference range, your nutritionist will tell you and recommend you discuss them with your GP or specialist.
7. What can a nutritionist not do for me?
It's worth being clear on this before you start, so your expectations match what you're buying.
A nutritionist can explain what each marker indicates, spot patterns between your results and your symptoms, and build a nutrition, lifestyle and supplement plan around them. A nutritionist cannot:
Diagnose a medical condition
Prescribe medication, including HRT or thyroid medication
Replace your GP, or treat a condition your GP is managing
Our answer: NOA is a nutrition service, not a medical one, and we never diagnose, treat or cure. If something in your results needs medical attention, we'll tell you clearly and point you to your GP.
The checklist at a glance
Markers customised or fixed? Fixed set of 30, all named above
Lab fees and blood draw included? Lab included; draw £37 (clinic) or £63 (home)
Does cycle timing matter? Yes: Day 3 if your periods are regular
Consultation and follow-up? 45-minute 1:1 video call and dashboard; follow-ups and retests not included
Nutritionist's qualifications? Each registered with AfN, or CNHC and BANT
Medical review of results? No: reviewed by a nutritionist, GP referral where needed
Diagnosis or prescribing? No: nutrition guidance only
Whichever provider you choose, ask these questions first. If you'd like to talk them through with us, book a free 15-minute call with one of our nutritionists, or see everything included in the NOA Now plan.