Regular
Blood Work
Ranges for
blood chemistry are good indicators of our health. Regular blood
work is beneficial in that it is a good screen for diseases and
it records health markers at given times so that a history is established.
Blood work can also help indicate nutritional and functional status.
I like to use
blood work preventively. I have heard many times “my blood
work is all normal” – this is great, it means you do not
have a diagnosable disease, but it doesn’t guarantee that you
are in good health. I like to look at blood ranges with the word
“optimal” in mind. In other words, standard ranges for
blood chemistry tend to be fairly wide. When the ranges are narrowed,
they can help pinpoint deficiencies and/or functional problems that
can be addressed with nutrition.
Standard blood
work can give information about nutritional intake, digestion, mineral
balance, essential fatty acid deficiencies, blood sugar handling,
hydration, hormone balance, immune status, liver function and kidney
function. In most cases, health problems do not develop overnight
and using regular blood work as a preventive tool tells you what
areas to target and if the things you are doing are working.
August
11, 2009
