There are a LOT of fancy, expensive tests around, a lot that you can order yourself.
But did you realise that some of the standard blood tests your GP orders are a goldmine of information when you know how to read them?
Mostly, the standard blood tests, like the Electrolytes, Liver Function Tests, Haematology, Blood Glucose and Cholesterol Panel aren’t really given the time of day unless something is flagged by the pathology company as high or low.
But did you know that a lot of the time, the reference ranges given by the pathology company often aren’t based on science and what is actually healthy?
Whaaaaaat???
Yep, that’s right!
Take the Liver Function Tests – these reference ranges keep creeping up over the years but these higher ranges aren’t reflecting what is healthy. They are reflecting what’s becoming more common in the population. And common tends to mean a higher incidence of fatty liver and metabolic disease.
I don’t know about you, but I want a bit more for my health than what’s common!
And most ranges don’t take into account age or stage of life, race and sex, which can make a huge difference to what is normal and expected or not.
These blood tests, when interpreted correctly, can give indications of fatty liver and insulin resistance.
They can be an early sign of bone degradation in menopausal (or sometimes perimenopausal women).
They can give us clues that may indicate lowered adrenal function.
They can show us inflammation in the body, and where that inflammation may be coming from.
They are literally a gold mine of information and I’ve done a lot of further study in this area to be able to interpret my clients results, often saving them hundreds of dollars in additional testing and flagging issues before they’ve even become symptomatic.
My advice is to always get a copy of your blood tests because being able to see patterns and where you normally sit is important, and see a practitioner who has experience in this area.