Category Archives: Lab testing

Lab Testing – Simple Urine Test Tell a Big Story

Imagine a simple lab test that can determine whether you are getting adequate levels of nutrients, whether you are properly utilizing fatty acids, if you have intestinal bugs which are hampering your ability to absorb food and nutrients, and see if you are being exposed to an excessive amount of petrochemicals. Imagine no more as US Biotek, based in Seattle, Washington has that test and its easier than you think.

All that is required to get a comprehensive report is a first morning urine sample that saturates a dry strip collector. From there you let the dry strip air dry for an hour, place it into a bag of dessicant and stick it in the mail. No freezing the sample, no extensive prep work needed, and better yet, no blood draw necessary. The test not only looks at functional markers of nutrient insufficiency, it also can track your excretion of benzene, toluene, xylene, styrene, trimethylbenzene, phthalates and parabens. All of these toxins can have a huge effect on your health.

If your health care practitioner doesn’t want to order the test, call the people at Direct Lab Services at 1-800-908-0000 and ask them about the test. It will be well worth your while.

Lab Testing – Which test is best?

Of all the questions I get as a consultant in the field of laboratory testing, this is by far the most asked one. This question was once posed at a conference I set up back in 2004 here in Reno, Nevada. The panel included three top people in the field of laboratory testing and each of course had a particular favorite test but when it came down to picking a test that wasn’t from their lab they all agreed on one, the comprehensive blood chemistry.

This test includes a full chemistry also known as an SMAC 25, with a complete blood count (CBC), a differential (white blood count analysis) along with a thyroid panel which should include a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). There is one small drawback and that is how to interpret the results. This is something I have been doing for over 20 years, the past 12 of which I have been using a system I developed called LabAssistTM  which has been improved by the team at Health Director and is now known as the Bio-Clarity Report. Currently it is available through your health care provider. All they have to do is contact my office at Lab Interpretation LLC (775)851-3336 and ask for an information packet. Alternatively, if you don’t have a willing practitioner, you can contact Direct Lab Services and they will order the test for you along with the Bio-Clarity Report.  You can click on the link above or call them at 1-800-908-0000.

Tomorrow, I will review a simple urine test that will give you more information about your chemistry than you could ever imagine.

Monthly Nutrition Update

Starting today, I will be reviewing the most important papers each month (in my opinion) from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . The first issue, Volume 85, Number 1, has a number of excellent studies.

Risk Assessment for vitamin D by Hathcock, Shao, Vieth, and Heaney – In this review article, the authors believe that vitamin D is much safer than previously thought. While high doses are dangerous, 800 I.U.’s daily for adults and 400 for children seem to be safe (higher levels were deemed safe but I like to keep things a little saner).

Normal-weight obese syndrome: early inflammation? by De Lorenzo, et al – The authors of this study propose that people with normal weight but high fat content (>30%) are at a higher risk of becoming obese than those with lower fat levels. They further report that adipose tissue (fat tissue) harbors more pro-inflammatory cytokeines which leads to a greater risk of being obese later in life. This seemingly makes the case that an increase in exercise and a lowering of body fat is protective against obesity especially among younger people.

Supplementation with calcium + vitamin D enhances the beneficial effect of weight loss on plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations by Major, et al – When going on a weight loss program, the addition of calcium and vitamin D helps to improve your lipid profile (cholesterol, HDL and LDL).

Folate and vitamin B-12 status in relation to anemia, macrocytosis, and cognitive impairment in older Americans in the age of folic acid fortification by Morris, Jacques, Rosenberg and Selhub – This excellent study shows that when vitamin B-12 is deficient, high folic acid was associated with anemia and cognitive impairment. When B-12 was normal, folic acid was associated with protection against cognitive impairment. This means that a balance between the two nutrients is as important as having enough of either one. Two assess your levels of these two nutrients, I suggest a urine Organix test from MetaMetrix . The two markers are FIGLU (folic acid marker) and Methylmalonate (B-12).

Carbohydrate intake and HDL in a multiethnic population by Merchant, et al – Basically, the bottom line of this study was the suggestion that decreasing the intake of sugar-containing soft drinks and juices as well as snacks would be highly beneficial to improving you blood fat profile.

EHP Update – January 2007

Here is a review of the major articles in this months issue of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Pilot Study of Urinary Biomarkers of Phytoestrogens, Phthalates, and Phenols in Girls – While this study does not link serious health issues with these ubiquitous chemicals, it does show that many young girls have measurable amounts of these hormonally active toxins. Very disturbing indeed.

Maternal Fish Consumption, Mercury Levels, and Risk of Preterm Delivery – In this landmark study, it was shown that there is a relationship between mercury and the risk of pre-term delivery. Even with low- to moderate-exposure, there was a relationship. The researchers tracked pregnant women’s fish intake from canned, sport caught and fresh purchased. The worst offender was canned fish. If you are pregnant, please do not eat canned fish or any predatory species such as shark or swordfish. If you need (and you do) Omega-3 fatty acids, take supplements.

Environmental Estrogens Induce Mast Cell Degranulation and Enhance IgE-Mediated Release of Allergic Mediators – In an interesting study, researchers suggest that environmental estrogens like DDT, PCBs, bisphenol A and others, may promote allergic reactions in humans. More evidence that these toxins need banning.

A Case-Control Analysis of Exposure to Traffic and Acute Myocardial Infarction – Pollution from automobile and truck traffic is once again linked to an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease and heart attack. If you live near heavy traffic, test for solvents through US Biotek, then use the Bio-ClarityTM Report from Health Director through your health care provider to come up with a detoxification protocol. Your heart will love you for it.

Increased Rate of Hospitalization for Diabetes and Residential Proximity of Hazardous Waste Sites – These researchers found a statistically significant relationship between diabetes hospitalizations and proximity to toxic waste dumps.

Potential Risks Associated with the Proposed Widespread Use of Tamiflu – Because of the fear of a viral pandemic, the World Health Organization suggested stockpiling hundreds of millions of doses of Tamiflu, an anti-retroviral drug. These authors believe that we need to be aware that because the drug does not easily degrade, if that many doses were to be taken, humans would eventually excrete the active ingredient which will then make its way to the environment. The risk is if birds ingest the drug and begin to breed Tamiflu resistant strains of viruses. This could have horrendous ramifications for people worldwide.

Hair Manganese and Hyperactive Behaviors: Pilot Study of School-Age Children Exposed through Tap Water – My fellow researcher and author, Robert Crayhon, has been a strong opponent of supplements containing the mineral manganese. After reviewing this paper, which shows a relationship between exposure to manganese and hyperactivity, I am becoming more and more convinced of the correctness of his position. I know of a couple who have taken so much manganese over the years that have exhibited very odd, almost psychotic behavior because of it. I suggest that everyone have their water tested through Doctor’s Data for this and other heavy metals and trace minerals.

Top 100 Science Stories of 2006 – My Opinion

Discover Magazine, one of my favorites, recently (January 2007) published its annual top 100 list of science stories in 2006.  Here is a selection on my top science stories based on their list.

  1. The World Melts the Masses Mobilize (their #4) – To me, global warming is one of the most important issues of the day. The evidence is growing, but action by the world’s governments is nowhere near where it has to be to avoid disaster.
  2. Alternative Energy (their #1) – This issue dovetails into my #1 as we need to lower our dependence on fossil fuels as fast as possible. That would be both good for the environment as for our economy.
  3. RNA Flouts Rules of Heredity – (their #5) – Epigenetics, a topic I have blogged about in the past, shows us that while our DNA is important, our environment may be more critical when it comes to developing disease. This understanding may very well change the face of medicine and health in the coming decades.
  4. Fast-Food Fats Prove Health Hazard (their #14) – The tidal wave of pressure to remove trans fats from our food supply is certainly welcome to those of us concerned with health issues. To quote Dr. Walter Willet, “Trans fats are clearly toxic to humans and have no place in human diets.” Fake science Fox News? I think not.
  5. Global Warming Leaves Its Marks (their #20) – Yes, two global warming stories in my top 10. This one shows many of the real devastating consequences of our environmental disaster. To those who deny its existence, please open your eyes and reflect on what is happening. If you are right, we waste some money, if you are wrong, our world is headed for a magnitude of disaster not seen since the last mass extinction 60 million years ago.
  6. New Tests Help Chemotherapy Hit the Mark (their #34) – As many of you know, I work in the lab interpretation business so this intrigues me to no end. Imagine that instead of just guessing which chemotherapy drug to use for a person, there could be a test to determine which would be best for them. Wow, the concept of biochemical individuality being used in medicine. What a shame its taken so long.
  7. Low-Fat Diet A Bust? (their #53) – Low-fat diets may not be as beneficial as was once thought. It is more important to eat the right fats than to eliminate fats. Stop eating trans and lower the intake of saturated fats is the way to go. Thank God medicine is realizing something many of us in the nutritional field have known for a long time.
  8. Polio’s Return Traced to Lapses in India (their #60) – Being a Rotarian, polio eradication has long been one of our organizations goal. This devastating disease must be stopped at all costs. Continually monitoring the outbreaks and educating the populous about the availability of a vaccine against polio is critical into making this disease a thing of the past.
  9. Tissue Engineering Triumph: Lab-Grown Bladders (their #2) – Being able to grow organs outside the body will have dramatic ramifications. While the initial success was based on a small trial, this form of research may save millions of lives in the future.
  10. Stem Cell Setbacks Inspire New Methods (their #15) – Despite not achieving much success with stem cells in the past, these failures did not dispel the belief in continuing research. No, it has spawned new techniques and more public funding which now seems to be paying off. There seems to be ways of harvesting stem cells without using embryos, something which should please many of the opponents of this type of research.

Well, I hope you were interested in my list.  I really suggest you get Discover this month. It is well worth it.

The Pollution Within

Run don’t walk to your local newsstand and pickup the October 2006 copy of the esteemed magazine National Geographic especially if you’re interested in reading about a growing problem which I have lectured about around the world, environmental toxicity and health. Author David Ewing Duncan wrote a brilliant article about the staggering number of chemicals found in his own blood stream that will make your blood boil with anger and scare you to your core. While I don’t think that banning all chemicals and returning to cave life is the answer, we can’t continue to deny that these chemicals can harm to our health, especially infants and unborn fetuses.

What we need to do is to force companies to do safety studies on all of their chemicals to prove that their benefits outweigh the risks associated with low level exposure. Until then, we need to monitor our ability to excrete these chemicals using laboratory testing from such labs as US Biotek for solvents and other chemical pollutants or Doctor’s Data for heavy metals.

Laboratory Testing – Learn from the pros

Are you a health care professional and want to learn what the best laboratory tests are for your patients as well as learning how to interpret them?  Well there is a seminar being put on by Carbon Based Corporation this coming October that you need to go to.  Information about the seminar is available here.

The seminar will cover subjects ranging from what tests to pick, which labs are the best, how to read the results and much, much more.  Practitioners from around the country will be sharing their experiences and will provide valauable tips that will help you help your patient’s more efficiently and cost-effectively.

Guest speakers will also talk about sports medicine, the latest in nutraceuticals for the brain and what services are available to help you and your patients find the best nutritional products out there.

Improvements seen using anti-fungal drugs. Is it really because of the yeast?

One common thread I read about in many newsgroups relating to autism is the use of antifungal drugs like Nystatin and Flagyl to treat this common neurological disorder.  There is a lab that claims to have a series of markers that prove that many autistic children have yeast (that nonsense will be the subject of another blog later this month) and it is a major part of their disease.  They go on to show that they have many case studies from parents showing remarkable recoveries because of the use of antifungal therapy.  This they go on to pontificate, is proof positive that they are right.  Sorry, but that isn’t proof as there may be a stronger alternative reason.

One of the things that antifungal drugs may do is they may downregulate Phase I detoxification which is typically high in autistic children. The importance of this? If a child is toxic from solvents, heavy metals or other environmental insults, upregulated Phase I (increased) may create more neurotoxic byproducts than the Phase II detoxification system can handle.  When we give the child an antifungal and they do better are we really just killing yeast or are we releaving the pressure caused by the neurotoxins floating around their system?

Well then, if we are lowering the Phase I detoxification pathway by using antifungals, isn’t this good regardless of why?  Absolutely not.  By abusing these kind of drugs we increase the likelihood of creating a new drug resistant fungus that may cause incalcuable long term damage to the child. Upregulating Phase II detoxification also known as conjugation reactions, is a better, safer and more productive choice.