It’s important to be armed with information when you go to see your doctor. Most doctors spend very little time studying nutrition in medical school and to add insult to injury, drug companies are constantly peddling their wares to the medical community as the next cure all. By taking an active role in your health and informing the doctor of what tests you would like done and why, you can help bring your doctor on board when it comes to how nutrition can affect these numbers. Also, you can be prepared to make the best choice possible when and if your doctor wants to prescribe medications to you. Conventional wisdom suggests that drugs be used to intervene and fix the problem with no attention being paid to diet and lifestyle factors. Drugs have their own side effects and problems associated with them, some worse than the disease itself; not to mention the cost of taking the drugs.
Most blood work performed it standard and does not always give you a complete picture of what is going on inside of your body. Beware that what is sold as “normal” may not be normal for you. When targets numbers for a given test are lowered, increased, or changed; often times it is so that drugs can be sold, not to make you healthier. Many doctors and medical associations would rather wait till you are at the point of no return before a problem is addressed and then prescribe medications.
These tests should be performed in a fasting stat.
Vitamin D-Historically we have gotten our daily dose of vitamin D from sun exposure. We can also get what we need from animal products and fortified dairy products. Unfortunately, too much vitamin A inhibits vitamin D. It is critical in fat metabolism, cancer prevention, fertility, prevents insulin resistance and both types of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and acts as an anti-inflammatory.
Blood levels should be in in the 50-65 ng/dl [2]
Cholesterol-Total cholesterol levels do not give a complete picture of what is going on but rather, this is a measure of several blood lipids. These include VLDLs, LDLs, and HDLs. Each play their own roles and should be taken into account separately.
Blood levels between 120-140 mg/dl[1]
HDL-This is what helps to move fat from body back to the liver. This is generally thought of as the “good” cholesterol. It acts a scrubber for your arteries and veins as it brings the fats back to the liver.
Blood levels above 50 mg/dl[1]
LDL-LDL (low density lipoprotein) is vital for the body. LDL “shuttles” fats around the body that we use for muscle function, building cell membranes, and in the brain. Generally, this is thought of as “bad” cholesterol; however, the size of the molecule has to be taken into consideration. There are types A and B. The type B appears to be the harmful kind. It gets trapped in the blood vessels. The immune system them mistakes them for foreign invaders and attacks them. This is where narrowing of the arteries come from as plague builds up. Type B is associated with high insulin levels. High insulin levels increase total cholesterol production.
Blood levels of 40-70 mg/dl with a consideration for particle size.[1]
Triglycerides– triglycerides is the measure of circulating fats in your blood stream. They are an indicator of high dietary carbohydrate and insulin sensitivity. High carbohydrates intake and poor insulin sensitivity=high triglycerides.
Blood levels between 50-80 mg/dl [1]
Fasting Blood glucose–Fasting glucose is the least sensitive marker for predicting future diabetes and heart disease. Several studies show that a “normal” FBG level in the mid-90s predicts diabetes diagnosed a decade later. It ONLY tells you how sugar behaves in your body at a fasting state.
Blood glucose levels less than 86 mg/dL [1]
A1c-Blood glucose levels can be misleading. They can vary from day to day due to stress, exercise, etc. A1c is the measure of how much sugar is sticking to your red blood cells. This measure give you an indication over time of blood glucose not just a snaps shot.
Blood levels should be 4.6-5.3% [1]
C-Reactive Protein-this is a marker of systematic inflammation. The immune system will make this in response to inflammation. This is necessary if you have an infection, however, if you DO NOT have infections than this can be in indicator of hidden inflammation.
Blood levels should be below 1.0 mg/l [1]
Ferritin is also a marker of inflammation (there it is again!!). “Moderate elevation of ferritin may lead to a 2-3 times increased risk for development of diabetes. Though the normal range in your lab for ferritin can be from 12-150 ng/mL in women and 12-300 ng/mL in males, studies have shown high ferritin levels increase cardiovascular risk. Lowering the iron stores to near optimal level of between 70-80ng/mL will improve outcomes in cardiovascular disease including reduced risk for heart attacks, strokes and also improve life expectancy( http://primaldocs.com/opinion/8-signs-of-heart-disease-that-many-doctors-miss/).”
Sources:
- Wolff, Rob. The Paleo Solution. The Original Human Diet. 2010.
- National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/