The following recommendations were given by Dr. Mercola at the Longevity Conference. On the video Dr. Mercola explained the six medical tests you need to ask your
doctor for. Each of these tests provides you with important and useful information about what’s going on in your body. Make necessary diet, supplement and lifestyle adjustments based on your results. This will improve your physical health for sure and perhaps even your mental health.
Vitamin D – Dr. Mercola considers this hormone to be the single most important health factor. Ask for the 25-OHD version of the test. You want your blood levels to be in the 55-65 range. Unless you live in the south and get enough sun you are most likely deficient. Up here in the North my GP says almost everyone is deficient. I was!
Supplement with Vitamin D3, not the very ineffective D2. Because Vitamin D regulates 2000-3000 genes, it’s lack can be traced to everything from autoimmune diseases to cancers to depression to skin diseases to ADHD and autism in children born to deficient mothers. Learn all you need to know (and more) about Vitamin D here. Be sure to keep tabs on your levels to make sure they aren’t too low or too high if you are supplementing.
Fasting Insulin – should be 3 or less. High fasting insulin is associated with insulin resistance and metabolic disorders.
Insulin resistance is associated with type 2 diabetes, out of whack blood lipids, unbalanced hormones, thyroid, and heart disease. It hinders the cells from storing much needed magnesium. Blood sugars can still stay controlled after insulin levels are too high if you have a strong pancreas so this isn’t a good indicator of insulin levels.
Ferritin – 20-80. High iron levels are mostly a concern for post-menopausal women and men. This is critical because iron is an anti-antioxidant. Donate blood to lower your levels if they are too high. Avoid iron supplements if you are in these two groups (unless your iron is low, of course).
Uric acid – 3-5. High levels are associated with heart disease, gout, obesity and dementia. Commonly caused by insulin resistance. Fructose is a major source of high uric acid levels (ignore those commercials that make fructose avoiders look like idiots). Eating too much organ meats and some types of seafood as well as beer can also raise levels.
TSH – many women have impaired thyroids. Common causes are fluorides, eating unfermented soy (like tofu), and bromides (found in many breads).
A level higher than 2mU/l have been associated with an increased risk of hypothyroidism.
Fasting Triglycerides/HDL – Dr. Mercola (and many other experts) states that total cholesterol is unimportant unless over 350.
What is the single most potent predictor of heart disease is the ratio of fasting triglycerides to high density lipoproteins. You want this number to be 25-30% or higher. Your ideal triglyceride/cholesterol ratio should be below 2.0.
Although this was not one of the six tests, Dr. Mercola mentioned that most older adults are deficient in Vitamin B12 because they can no longer absorb it well from foods. Sprays or shots are helpful, but not oral supplements for older adults.
Have you had any of these tests? What did you do to improve your health based on your results?