Understanding Functional Blood Chemistry

WHAT IS A BLOOD TEST & WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Blood tests are the gold-standard that provide doctors and functional Nutritionist Practitioners with an excellent view into your health. A simple blood draw assesses your general health and evaluates and monitors conditions such as:

• • diabetes
  • liver and kidney issues
  • thyroid
  • vitamin deficiencies
  • anaemias
  • inflammation
  • certain cancers
  • cardiovascular health
  • cholesterol levels

Regular blood testing is without a doubt one of the most important ways to keep track of your overall physical well-being. Getting tested at routine intervals helps to see how your body changes over time as well as allowing doctors and properly trained clinical nutritionists to make diagnoses, and inform treatment and therapy plans.

THE ROLE OF BLOOD TESTS IN NUTRITIONAL THERAPY

Blood testing is a key part of nutritional therapy. Testing is usually recommended at the start of the therapeutical relationship as it determines your physiological and biochemical states from the outset. Establishing a solid baseline with a full blood test is especially important as we can then monitor trends and identify subclinical ranges that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. This can make all the difference when it comes to designing an optimal nutrition action plan with the right recommendations to meet your expected outcomes, as well as monitor how you are responding to it.

Think of the human body as a car. Once a year, you book an MOT to check your car is safe to be on the road and that everything is working correctly. The same check up routine should be considered when it comes to your body. Is it functioning optimally? Is it safe for use, or in need of some maintenance or repairs to avoid a breakdown?

Interpreting and evaluating blood labs thoroughly is a skill, and connecting blood chemistry markers to your symptoms is a very valuable tool we use in nutritional therapy to provide us with key information relating to underlying deficiencies or excesses such as low levels of red blood cells, or haemoglobin, vitamin D, B12, folate, or iron. This accuracy of testing provides great insights into why you feel a certain way. For example, determining you have anaemia and which specific type can explain your constant fatigue, or you may have been taking too much vitamin D or certain supplements. All these things can be detected in your blood test.

In my clinical practice, I often see clients whose General Practitioner or doctor has overlooked the implications of low levels of a marker and the clients symptoms have persisted thereafter. Iron, for example, is linked to anaemia and when levels are low, this can be casually chalked off as being “being normal” or “nothing to worry about”. However, when I see low levels of a marker, in this case mild anaemia, it is a signal that further investigation to determine the underlying cause is required. Why is your iron low? Is it due to heavy periods in women? Or could it be internal bleeding, or gut malabsorption? These are essential questions to understand the root cause of your ailment and determine the best course of therapy.

Another example is if your blood test shows low levels of Vitamin B12. This is useful information and should not be ignored. As clinical functional medicine nutritionists, we dig deeper, considering what may be creating the deficiency. Could it be the possibility of gut malabsorption or other conditions such as low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria),small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), or pancreatic insufficiency?

Assessing your blood test results gives us a wealth of specific information about your health status and the tools needed to create a therapy plan that suits you by modifying your diet and lifestyle accordingly.

TYPES OF BLOOD TEST

WHEN IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE A BLOOD TEST?

• • If you are experiencing unusual and persistent symptoms such as fatigue, recurrent infections, abnormal weight loss or gain, bone pains.
  • If you want to optimise your health and have a general MOT or service. Knowledge is power so to know the state of your biochemistry can allow you to modify your diet or fitness plan to promote healthy habits accordingly.
  • To prevent disease or complications because of familial medical history of cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, stroke, kidney conditions so you can catch the warning signs.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU GET A BLOOD TEST?

This depends on your age, health status, and may also be at the discretion of your doctor if you are under consultant care. In clinical practice at Nutrition Diets, the order of blood tests for clients depends on personal circumstances and health status. Generally speaking, routine blood tests are recommended once or twice a year to monitor overall health. In the case of anaemia (Iron or B6 or B12)  or due to low levels of vitamin D (very common nowadays), bloods can be retested within 3 months to monitor progress.

WHY DO SOME BLOOD TESTS REQUIRE FASTING?

Everything you eat and drink contains vitamins, proteins, and other nutrients that can cause the related levels in your blood to temporarily spike or drop. Fasting for 8 to 12 hours helps ensure that blood test results are free from these variables, making your test results as accurate as possible.

Some common tests that may require fasting include:

• • • • cholesterol tests
      • blood sugar tests
      • liver function tests
      • kidney function tests
      • basic metabolic panel
      • glucose tests

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A BLOOD TEST

• • • • Avoid drinking or eating for 8-12 hours before the test.
      • Avoid alcohol 1-2 days prior to the test.
      • Don’t smoke 1 hour prior to the test.
      • Stop all supplements a week before the test for more accurate results.

PREVENTION IS THE BEST FORM OF CURE

Your Health. Your Choice.

Blood tests are a convenient and fast way of getting a wider view of your health. A comprehensive blood chemistry panel covers a wider range of markers in one go that serves as a window into your present health without having to wait weeks to get one done.

For more information or guidance on testing, functional nutritional therapy, or GP referral letters get in touch.