SUPER SIMPLE LABORATORY DEFINITION GUIDE Your doctor may decide to run some lab tests to get to the bottom of your health concerns, but there are a few tests I find helpful that doctors may not typically run. Ask for the following lab tests. Helicobacter pylori test: This is a breath or stool test for the bacterium that causes inflammation of the stomach lining and that is also linked to stomach ulcers. A normal sample will not contain the H. pylori bacterium. CDFA comprehensive digestive stool analysis: This test detects the presence of yeast, parasites, and bacteria that contribute to chronic illness and neurological dysfunction. Celiac disease test: Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, but particularly, the body attacks the small intestine, damaging your ability to digest and absorb nutrients. If you have this disease, you can never eat anything containing gluten, so it s important to know if you have the condition. Different doctors may decide to do different tests, and there are a number of tests that can be illuminating for celiac disease, so get your doctor s advice on which ones are right for you. The blood tests look at immunological reactions to the proteins in gluten, and are the first step in determining whether you might have celiac disease. If those tests come back positive, an intestinal biopsy will confirm the diagnosis. Note that you have to be eating gluten for test results to be accurate. If you have already quit eating gluten, you could get a false negative result. If you have celiac disease, you may want to begin with the autoimmune prescription. Colorectal screening: Colon cancer is an unusual but possible cause of digestive distress. Normally this involves a colonoscopy, but could also involve a blood test in those who cannot, for whatever reason, endure a colonoscopy. C reactive protein (CRP): This test is a measure of inflammation. It is typically administered to determine heart disease risk, but it can also tell whether your digestive tract lining is likely to be chronically inflamed, as it measures systemwide inflammation. Adult food allergy panel: This test is controversial and there are some doctors who will tell you that the results are unreliable and unrelated to clinical symptoms. However, I like to run the IGM and IGG food allergy tests. These can give false negatives, but it is totally worth either avoiding or rotating foods in your diet that you react positively to.
Ferritin level: Ferritin is a protein made by the liver that binds to iron. It is essential for carrying and delivering iron and oxygen from the bloodstream into the cells and is required to convert carbs, sugars, and fats into energy. Oftentimes, a person may not appear anemic when iron levels are measured, but there may be a ferritin issue, making it difficult for the body to deliver iron and oxygen. Low ferritin levels are often associated with fatigue; ask for a ferritin level test even if you have normal iron and hemoglobin numbers. CK level: CK, or creatine kinase, is found in the blood specifically when muscle tissue is being broken down. Normal levels mean the body isn t breaking down muscle very much. If the level is high, this could be an indication that the body is using the metabolic pathways for breaking down muscle for energy. This can happen when you aren t well hydrated; also, some individuals are prone to scavenging muscle instead of fat. Testosterone level: This is an important test for both men and women when energy is an issue. If it s low, apart from any libido issues, this can be a sign that an individual is not getting restorative sleep. If you are sleeping eight hours but waking up feeling like you haven t slept at all, your sleep is probably not restoring you and you are probably not producing enough testosterone. If you have low testosterone, you might benefit from a melatonin supplement in addition to the other sleep advice given in this chapter. I can t tell you how many clients come in who have sleep apnea and low T. When we repair the sleep apnea, the testosterone levels go through the roof! This is why I am not generally in favor of simply supplementing with testosterone, which many healthcare professionals recommend. It s not that I m diametrically opposed to hormone replacement therapy, but I believe that we should optimize the body before considering that treatment. I would rather get to the bottom of why a client s body isn t producing enough testosterone, or why it isn t being used, and fix that. Then, with a little help scrubbing the receptor sites and restoring the pathways with the right micronutrients from food, the body is more likely to fix the hormone levels itself.
E2, or estradiol tests: An estradiol test measures the amount of estrogen in your blood. Estradiol helps with the growth of the female sex organs and controls the way fat is distributed in the female body. In men, it helps with fertility and sex drive. This test checks how well the ovaries or adrenal glands are functioning. Testosterone tests, both free and total: This blood test measures the level of testosterone your body is producing. It can help diagnose conditions like decreased sex drive and infertility in both genders. Sex hormone binding globulin, or SHBG test: This is a carrier protein that indicates how hormones are being transported in the body and being delivered to receptor sites. Low levels of SHBG can relate to obesity and type 2 diabetes, while high levels can relate to hyperthyroidism and/or low testosterone. Vitamin D test: This test reports the levels of vitamin D in the blood. It can help diagnose or monitor issues that occur with vitamin D deficiency, like bone weakness and poor food absorption. FSH test: This test measures your level of follicle-stimulating hormone, which is what helps manage a woman s menstrual cycle and stimulates the ovaries to produce eggs. Testing for FSH can help diagnose menopause or problems in becoming pregnant. FSH also stimulates the production of sperm in men, and can point to problems with male infertility. LH test: This measures the luteinizing hormone (LH), and is useful even in postmenopausal women. LH is produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. It aids in the release of eggs during the menstrual cycle and can help pinpoint when you are ovulating. Some people believe you Progesterone test: This hormone is produced mainly in the ovaries and works in concert with estrogen to balance the hormonal cycle. Progesterone levels rise and fall on a monthly basis. C reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine tests: These two tests are typically used to determine cardiovascular risk, but they also are signs of inflammation and hormonal imbalance, especially in men.
C reactive protein (CRP) test: This measures inflammation, which is now regarded as a cardiovascular risk factor and can be related to high serum cholesterol levels. Aldosterone test: This is good especially for people who have hypertension, to indicate if it is adrenal based or not. Aldosterone is a hormone released by the adrenal glands that helps the body regulate blood pressure. If your levels of this hormone are not within the normal range, it can lead to things like hard to control blood pressure or low blood pressure upon standing. Your levels also vary when standing, sitting, and lying down and according to your sodium intake, so ask your doctor about the results. ACTH levels: This is useful when hypertension is involved. This adrenocorticotropic hormone is released from the pituitary gland in the brain. It helps regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels. This test can help pinpoint if your pituitary and adrenal glands are overproducing or under producing it. APOE: This is a genetic test that can indicate an inherited greater susceptibility to heart disease. Everyone has two APOE genes. Two APOE-3 genes are considered normal, but having one or two APOE-4 genes is associated with inefficient fat metabolism. Fasting blood sugar, along with fasting insulin level: These tests require you to not eat at least eight hours prior to the blood draw, and they screen for diabetes and prediabetes. These are important to look at because elevated triglycerides are a marker for the onset of prediabetes or diabetes. Vitamin D: When levels are low, it can indicate hormonal imbalances. This test can help diagnose or monitor issues that occur with vitamin D deficiency, like bone weakness and poor food absorption. Hormones: Tests of estrogen, progesterone, E2, total testosterone, and free testosterone are helpful. Cholesterol is the primary building block for these sex hormones, which are produced from metabolized cholesterol. If you aren t metabolizing cholesterol, these pathways may be disrupted, causing other problems. Apolipoprotein A: This is a protein carried in HDL, or the good, cholesterol. It helps with the process of removing bad cholesterol from your body, reducing your cardiovascular risk.
ANA titers: Antinuclear antibodies are substances produced by the immune system that attack the body s own tissues. This test helps detect autoimmune disorders, or can help narrow down unexplained symptoms such as arthritis, rashes, or chest pain. ANA is reported as a titer (this just means the concentration as determined by a laboratory process called titration) and high titers suggest the possibility of an autoimmune condition (low to nonexistent titers are normal). Mood changes and cognitive challenges can be a precursor to autoimmune issues, so it s good to know if yours are a symptom of autoimmunity. Sed rates, or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR): This test reveals inflammatory activity in your body that can lead to mood changes and even cognitive dysfunction. It can help diagnose and monitor inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Thyroid tests: You have to go beyond the traditional panel. When people start to have low energy, depression, or anxiety, thyroid issues can be a cause. For example, in Hashimoto s thyroiditis, anxiety can get extremely serious. TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone. This shows how hard the pituitary is working to communicate with your thyroid. The test is a good one to run if you are experiencing fatigue, exhaustion, and brain fog. T4. Your thyroid gland produces T4, and abnormal levels can also be related to fatigue. If T4 is below normal, ask your doctor about hypothyroidism. T3. Your liver converts T4 into T3 to make it bioavailable, and this hormone has a major impact on your metabolism. Low levels of T3 are often associated with a disrupted circadian rhythm, weight gain, and depression. Reverse T3 (RT3). Many doctors aren t used to running this test, but ask for it because these misshapen thyroid hormones block T3 receptor sites and could be the cause of low T3. Reverse T3 could be associated with stubborn excess weight and possibly with autoimmune disease. If your RT3 is high, avoid soy foods and be even more diligent about getting enough sleep. TgAB or anti-thyroid antibody (ATA). Abnormal amounts of these thyroid antibodies could be preventing you from utilizing thyroid hormones. This can be associated with fatigue, chronic low-grade infection symptoms (like feverish feeling and swollen lymph nodes). If your levels are high, avoid nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplant), which can aggravate this condition because of their inflammatory effect in some people. Thyroid peroxidase. This enzyme destroys T4 before it can produce T3. It can manifest as chronic allergies or indicate an autoimmune disorder.
Fasting insulin: Insulin helps transport glucose, the body s main source of energy. This test measures the amount of insulin in your blood after an eight-to twelve-hour fast. Leptin: Leptin is a hormone that maintains energy balance in the body by regulating metabolism and hunger. It helps your brain know when you are hungry or full. It s possible to lose sensitivity to leptin and have problems identifying hunger. Adiponectin: Adiponectin is a hormone released by fat cells that helps your body use both sugar and fat from food. Aldosterone: Aldosterone is a hormone released by the adrenal glands that helps the body regulate blood pressure. If your levels of this hormone are not within the normal range, it can lead to hard-to-control blood pressure or low blood pressure upon standing. Your levels also vary when standing, sitting, and lying down, or with salt intake, so ask your doctor about your test results. Sugar distribution is affected by both the liver and the muscle s ability to store glucose, and this hormone can give an indication of the efficiency or lack of efficiency of this pathway. ACTH test: Adrenocorticotropic hormone is a hormone released from the pituitary gland in the brain. It helps regulate blood pressure as well as blood sugar. This test can help pinpoint if your pituitary and adrenal glands are overproducing or underproducing. Levels change throughout the day, so it s recommended to have this test in the morning. Urinalysis: This can indicate issues with the kidneys or a diabetic condition. The test looks at the levels of ketones and protein in the urine.
PRIMARY TESTS : These are the most important tests to get. ANA (antinuclear antibody): This test detects antibodies to certain antigens. It can suggest an autoimmune disease, although it isn t very specific about which one. A normal test result will reveal no ANA in the blood. It s not exactly a diagnostic test, but it is evidence that points toward autoimmunity. ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate): This test is another measure of inflammation. Rheumatoid factor (RF): This is a specific test for rheumatoid arthritis but may also be present with lupus, Sjogren s syndrome, and several other autoimmune conditions. Aldolase: This is a really great marker, especially in those who have tissue modulation like scleroderma or other skin issues. Aldolase is an enzyme that breaks down sugars to produce energy. It is found in high amounts in muscle tissue. C reactive protein (CRP): This test measures inflammation and can identify flare-ups of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Immunoglobulin: This test indicates serum Ig levels, especially IgG, IgA, and IgM, which can show how well the immune system is working. SECONDAARY TESTS: Your doctor may be less familiar with or willing to run these tests, but a functional medicine or naturopathic doctor may be more open to doing so. Ask your doctor if these are available to you: Anti cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody: This is a test for a biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis but may also be present in cases of juvenile arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, Sjogren s syndrome, and other autoimmune conditions. Like the ANA test, this is a marker used along with other markers to make a diagnosis of autoimmunity. Anti double stranded DNA (anti dsdna): This tests for antibodies that, when present, may indicate lupus in particular. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA): This detects and measures specific antibodies that could indicate an upset immune system. Lyme, Epstein Barr, and cytomegalovirus: These tests show the presence of their respective conditions.