Comprehensive blood work can be a powerful tool in understanding your health.
When I work with a client, I always do a thoughtful analysis of their latest labwork. That’s because as a CNS (Certified Nutrition Specialist), I am trained to evaluate and interpret blood panels, and to look at those values in context with signs and symptoms the client is experiencing.
As you know, reference ranges are normally provided with your labs. It’s important to understand that reference ranges are just that – ranges. If you fall within range, but you still feel as if something is off, it is worth exploring.
Meaning that your labs look good, but you feel less than good.
The issue is that reference ranges may not be based on a healthy population. Ranges have broadened over the years because general health has declined.
The normal ranges represent everyone who has been tested for that marker. So, “normal blood levels,” meaning that they fall within the reference range provided, does not mean that they are optimal for you. This is why so many people don’t feel good even when their labs come back “normal.”
Optimal ranges are usually tighter, smaller ranges. And to take it a step even further, optimal levels should be personalized. We use optimal ranges in functional nutrition/medicine.
A good example is Vitamin D. Vitamin D levels have a wide normal reference range, often reported as 30-100 ng/mL. Optimal ranges, based on research, are more like 60-80 ng/mL, although each individual may have a different optimal number depending on various factors.
When clients are outside of these ranges, it can give us clues that something within the physiology of this person is off. It’s also important to track trends in lab results over time rather than focusing on a single result, as changes in a client’s baseline value can be more indicative of an underlying problem.
Be sure to advocate for your health and ask questions. And if you feel as if something is off, it probably is.
When I work with a client, I always do a thoughtful analysis of their latest labwork. That’s because as a CNS (Certified Nutrition Specialist), I am trained to evaluate and interpret blood panels, and to look at those values in context with signs and symptoms the client is experiencing.
As you know, reference ranges are normally provided with your labs. It’s important to understand that reference ranges are just that – ranges. If you fall within range, but you still feel as if something is off, it is worth exploring.
Meaning that your labs look good, but you feel less than good.
The issue is that reference ranges may not be based on a healthy population. Ranges have broadened over the years because general health has declined.
The normal ranges represent everyone who has been tested for that marker. So, “normal blood levels,” meaning that they fall within the reference range provided, does not mean that they are optimal for you. This is why so many people don’t feel good even when their labs come back “normal.”
Optimal ranges are usually tighter, smaller ranges. And to take it a step even further, optimal levels should be personalized. We use optimal ranges in functional nutrition/medicine.
A good example is Vitamin D. Vitamin D levels have a wide normal reference range, often reported as 30-100 ng/mL. Optimal ranges, based on research, are more like 60-80 ng/mL, although each individual may have a different optimal number depending on various factors.
When clients are outside of these ranges, it can give us clues that something within the physiology of this person is off. It’s also important to track trends in lab results over time rather than focusing on a single result, as changes in a client’s baseline value can be more indicative of an underlying problem.
Be sure to advocate for your health and ask questions. And if you feel as if something is off, it probably is.