Low Non-HDL Cholesterol and/or Blood Sugar
See Answer
High Non-HDL Cholesterol and/or Blood Sugar
See Answer
High Triglycerides, Free Fatty Acids, and/or Non-HDL Cholesterol
See Answer
Low Carbon Dioxide
See Answer
Functional Primary Hypothyroidism (Low Thyroid Hormones, High TSH)
See Answer
Secondary Hypothyroidism (Low Thyroid Hormones, Low/Normal TSH)
See Answer
High BUN
See Answer
Low RBC Magnesium
See Answer
High C-Reactive Protein and/or High White Blood Cell Count
See Answer
Low Ceruloplasmin, Glutathione, and/or Vitamin A
See Answer
High F2-Isoprostane, Hemoglobin, Ferritin, and/or Uric acid
See Answer
Low Pregnenolone, DHEA, Progesterone, and/or Testosterone
See Answer
High Cortisol
See Answer
Low Cortisol
See Answer
High Estradiol and/or High Prolactin
See Answer
High Parathyroid Hormone
See Answer
High Urine Indican
See Answer
High Candida IgA or IgM Antibodies
See Answer
High ALT and/or High AST
See Answer
High Bilirubin and/or High Bile Acids
See Answer
Low thyroid hormones with a low or normal TSH is called secondary hypothyroidism, which we would generally consider a result or adaptation to fuel deficiency The body interprerts low fuel status as a type of "pseudo-starvation" and therefore is incentivized to lower the metabolic rate in the medium-term in order to preserve the mass of the organism. Without this adaptation, the organism would continue to lose weight until it died. Thus, this pattern of hypothyroidism does not represent a "problem" with the function of the thyroid gland, but nevertheless does indicate an issue.
Elevated inflammatory markers indicate that the immune system is hyperactive and that the system is inflamed. What is inflammation? Inflammatiaon is fire in the body. One can have acute inflammation or chronic inflammation. Acute inflammation is normal. It is the immune system's natural response to tissue damage or infection. For example, imagine you rolled your ankle. What would happen? It would get inflamed. It would get red, hot, swollen, and painful. That is the body's immune system setting that damaged tissue on fire in order to break it down and rebuild new and healthy tissue. Chronic inflammation is dysfunctional. It means that the body is on fire due to inappropriate hyper-activation of the immune system. Inflammation is potentially devastating to the metabolic function because it affects a variety of its aspects. Firstly, because it is a fire and the body must expend resources to deal with the fire, it is a direct stressor on the body, leading to stress hormone activation. Additionally, it may damage the engine function via direct mitochondrial insult, via disruption of the liver/GLP-1 system, or damage to the thyroid. Additionally, it may lead to intestinal malabsorption and potential fuel deficiency. Why would my body be inflamed? Generally speaking a good rule of thumb is that unless there is a good alternative explanation, systemic inflammation is gastrointestinal inflammation until proven otherwise. A large proportion of the immunologic tissue surrounds the gut and it is very immunologically active due to the need to evaluate the food that passes through as well as the organisms that inhabit the microbiome. GI inflammation can be thought of as either (1) an intrinsic gut problem (i.e., dysbiosis, digestive dysfunction) or (2) a food-related problem (i.e., food sensiivities and intolerances).
Low anti-stress markers indicate the system has accumulated a high amount of bioenergetic stress over time.
High ALT or AST indicates the liver is inflamed.
Low thyroid hormones with an elevated TSH is called primary hypothyroidism, meaning there is a problem with the thyroid gland itself. The thyroid is the gas pedal of the system. The engine cannot rev if we do not push the gas pedal. Therefore, hypothyroidism is metabolic dysfunction (specifically engine malfunction) by definition. The damage to the gland is generally thought to be caused by inflammation and oxidative stress. In some cases, there is overt autoimmunity against the gland, which is called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.
Parathyroid hormone is a stress hormone, but it is particularly involved in bone health. It is activated by stress and its effect is to pull calcium off the bone. The system does this because it wants the additional minerals to use as motor oil, to make the engine more efficient, so it can make more energy to deal with the stress. This is problematic in the long-term, however, because the system will deplete the bone mineral reserve. Thus, an elevated PTH likely signifies the system is a negative calcium balance.
High urine indican indicates small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). The bacteria in the upper GI take in an amino acid called tryptophan and output the chemical indican. So if there is too much indican in the body and specifically in the urine, that indicates there is bacterial overgrowth.
Elevated fuel markers indicate mitochondrial (engine) malfunction.
Remember that the mitochondria is responsible for converting fuel into energy. So if the mitochondria/engine malfunctions, fuel will back up and become elevated in the serum.
Low cholesterol or low blood sugar indicates low fuel status. The general paradigm is as follows. First, we eat food. We would say that the primary fuel of the system is carbohydrates. So we eat calories, or specifically, we eat carbohydrates. Those calories go into the gastrointestinal tract, where they are digeted and absorbed into the system. Once in the system, those calories now represent fuel. Fuel status is defined as the amount of potential energy in the system that is available to the mitochondria to be used as energy. Fuel is then burned via the mitochondria into cellular energy, which can then be used to drive work and allow the system to function. Low fuel status is not good because it directly leads to low energy supply and therefore stress. In the short-term, the body will respond to low fuel status by activating stress hormones to mobilize the utilize stored energy. That is why a short-term fuel deficient state in a healthy individual leads to weight loss. In the long-term, however, chronic stress will cause the system to burn out and the system will have to lower the metabolic rate (non-obligatory BMR). Low fuel status occurs for basically one of two reasons: an issue with the intake or an issue with the gastrointestinal tract. So one possibility is the caloric intake is too low. Another possibility is that the caloric intake is normal, but the carbohydrate intake is low. Low calorie diets and low-carbohydrate diets have been shown to lower metrics of metabolic function and activate stress. Alternatively, there may be an issue with the GI tract causing malabsorption. For example, if one consumes a normal 2000 Calorie diet; however, you are only absorbing 50% of the intake, then it is as if you are only consuming 1000 Calories. The body does not know the difference. Additionally, these ideas can synergize with each other. If there is gastrointestinal dysfunction, it may decrease the appeitte, which would then also independently lower the fuel status.
Low carbon dioxide is a sign of metabolic dysfunction, particularly of carbohydrate-driven metabolism. Carbon dioxide is the exhaust of the system. We breathe out carbon dioxide because it is made in the mitochondria as a byproduct of metabolism. The amount of exhaust production is proportional to the metaboilc rate. Therefore, we want the CO2 to be higher because it means the engine is revving. If the engine is not revving well, then a low amount of carbon dioxide will be produced and this can be measured in the blood.
High estrogenic markers are a sign of bioenergetic stress and inflammation. Stress and inflammation increase the enzyme aromatase that converts testosterone into estrogen. Women who have elevated estrogenic markers, likely also have lower progesterone, and are said to be "estrogen dominant," meaning that the estrogen to progesterone ratio is high. The estrogen dominant state is associated with a wide array of gynecological pathology.
Elevated fat fuel markers signify metabolic/engine malfunction involving fat-driven metabolism.
Engine malfunction will result in failure to produce adequate energy supply. Dysfunction of FDM can be caused by hormone imbalance, gut/liver axis dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress.
High BUN (blood urea nitrogen) is a marker of excess protein catabolism. In other words, the body is using too much protein for fuel. Remember that we do not want to use protein as a fuel source, we want to use protein as the raw material for muscle building. We want to use carbohydrates as the primary fuel source. This would occur for essentially 1 of 2 reasons: (1) you are consuming too much dietary protein or (2) the system is stressed and you are needing to break down muscle or organ mass to access the stored protein and use that as a fuel source. The second scenario is probably worse than the first, however, even that is not ideal because excess uremia over time will cause nitrosative stress, damage the engine, and damage the liver/kidneys as well.
High cortisol indicates the system is in the stressed state.
High oxidative stress markers suggest that there is a high production of reactive oxygen species. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an inefficiency in oxygen utilization. Because oxidative stress is the precursor to inflammation, it can be thought of similarly.
Low antioxidant markers suggest that the total antioxidant capacity is low, which we call "battery malfunction." Low ceruloplasmin specifically indicates that the bioavailable copper status is low. Because copper is so foundational to how oxygen is utilized, deficiency will ultimately lead to oxidative stress. The antioxidant capacity is drained when it is needed to put out inflammation and oxidative stress. It can be addressed by resolving the underlying source of inflammation/oxidative stress and by antioxidant supplmentation.
High bilirubin or bile acid levels indicate biliary congestion and stasis (medical term: cholestasis). These chemicals are generally processed via the biliary system. Thus, if the biliary system is congested (or sludgy), they back up and become elevated in the serum.
Low RBC Magnesium indicates the magnesium stores of the body are low. Magnesium is a very important mineral, we call it the motor oil of the body because it allows the mitochondria/engine to function properly. Technically, it is a cofactor for multiple enzymes in glycolysis and the citric acid cycle. It is also involved in stress management and hormones balance. Magnesium becomes depleted due to stress. Essentially the magnesium burn rate increases because it is used up in the process of making the stress hormones. Therefore a low RBC Magnesium generally indicates chronic stress.
High Candida antibodies indicates overgrowth of yeast in the gastrointestinal tract. In our gastrointestinal tract, we have billions of bacteria. These bacteria have a variety of important functions, including helping us digest, absorb, and control inflammation. Over time, however, these good bacteria can be replaced by bad bacteria of even yeast. This can happen due to the consumption of inflammatory food, stress, alcohol, and overuse of oral antibiotics or oral hormones. Candidiasis can be quite consequential, as it can create a host of other functional imbalances.
While it may seem counter-intuitive, even though cortisol is a strses hormone, it is not good if the serum level is low because this indicates adrenal burnout. Cortisol levels first go up under acute stress, but if stress is chronically activated, it will stay elevated, but then start to decrease and ultimately become low as the anti-stress system is burned out.
Diagnostic Labs Study Session
Jeffrey Wacks
Created on November 27, 2024
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Transcript
Low Non-HDL Cholesterol and/or Blood Sugar
See Answer
High Non-HDL Cholesterol and/or Blood Sugar
See Answer
High Triglycerides, Free Fatty Acids, and/or Non-HDL Cholesterol
See Answer
Low Carbon Dioxide
See Answer
Functional Primary Hypothyroidism (Low Thyroid Hormones, High TSH)
See Answer
Secondary Hypothyroidism (Low Thyroid Hormones, Low/Normal TSH)
See Answer
High BUN
See Answer
Low RBC Magnesium
See Answer
High C-Reactive Protein and/or High White Blood Cell Count
See Answer
Low Ceruloplasmin, Glutathione, and/or Vitamin A
See Answer
High F2-Isoprostane, Hemoglobin, Ferritin, and/or Uric acid
See Answer
Low Pregnenolone, DHEA, Progesterone, and/or Testosterone
See Answer
High Cortisol
See Answer
Low Cortisol
See Answer
High Estradiol and/or High Prolactin
See Answer
High Parathyroid Hormone
See Answer
High Urine Indican
See Answer
High Candida IgA or IgM Antibodies
See Answer
High ALT and/or High AST
See Answer
High Bilirubin and/or High Bile Acids
See Answer
Low thyroid hormones with a low or normal TSH is called secondary hypothyroidism, which we would generally consider a result or adaptation to fuel deficiency The body interprerts low fuel status as a type of "pseudo-starvation" and therefore is incentivized to lower the metabolic rate in the medium-term in order to preserve the mass of the organism. Without this adaptation, the organism would continue to lose weight until it died. Thus, this pattern of hypothyroidism does not represent a "problem" with the function of the thyroid gland, but nevertheless does indicate an issue.
Elevated inflammatory markers indicate that the immune system is hyperactive and that the system is inflamed. What is inflammation? Inflammatiaon is fire in the body. One can have acute inflammation or chronic inflammation. Acute inflammation is normal. It is the immune system's natural response to tissue damage or infection. For example, imagine you rolled your ankle. What would happen? It would get inflamed. It would get red, hot, swollen, and painful. That is the body's immune system setting that damaged tissue on fire in order to break it down and rebuild new and healthy tissue. Chronic inflammation is dysfunctional. It means that the body is on fire due to inappropriate hyper-activation of the immune system. Inflammation is potentially devastating to the metabolic function because it affects a variety of its aspects. Firstly, because it is a fire and the body must expend resources to deal with the fire, it is a direct stressor on the body, leading to stress hormone activation. Additionally, it may damage the engine function via direct mitochondrial insult, via disruption of the liver/GLP-1 system, or damage to the thyroid. Additionally, it may lead to intestinal malabsorption and potential fuel deficiency. Why would my body be inflamed? Generally speaking a good rule of thumb is that unless there is a good alternative explanation, systemic inflammation is gastrointestinal inflammation until proven otherwise. A large proportion of the immunologic tissue surrounds the gut and it is very immunologically active due to the need to evaluate the food that passes through as well as the organisms that inhabit the microbiome. GI inflammation can be thought of as either (1) an intrinsic gut problem (i.e., dysbiosis, digestive dysfunction) or (2) a food-related problem (i.e., food sensiivities and intolerances).
Low anti-stress markers indicate the system has accumulated a high amount of bioenergetic stress over time.
High ALT or AST indicates the liver is inflamed.
Low thyroid hormones with an elevated TSH is called primary hypothyroidism, meaning there is a problem with the thyroid gland itself. The thyroid is the gas pedal of the system. The engine cannot rev if we do not push the gas pedal. Therefore, hypothyroidism is metabolic dysfunction (specifically engine malfunction) by definition. The damage to the gland is generally thought to be caused by inflammation and oxidative stress. In some cases, there is overt autoimmunity against the gland, which is called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.
Parathyroid hormone is a stress hormone, but it is particularly involved in bone health. It is activated by stress and its effect is to pull calcium off the bone. The system does this because it wants the additional minerals to use as motor oil, to make the engine more efficient, so it can make more energy to deal with the stress. This is problematic in the long-term, however, because the system will deplete the bone mineral reserve. Thus, an elevated PTH likely signifies the system is a negative calcium balance.
High urine indican indicates small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). The bacteria in the upper GI take in an amino acid called tryptophan and output the chemical indican. So if there is too much indican in the body and specifically in the urine, that indicates there is bacterial overgrowth.
Elevated fuel markers indicate mitochondrial (engine) malfunction. Remember that the mitochondria is responsible for converting fuel into energy. So if the mitochondria/engine malfunctions, fuel will back up and become elevated in the serum.
Low cholesterol or low blood sugar indicates low fuel status. The general paradigm is as follows. First, we eat food. We would say that the primary fuel of the system is carbohydrates. So we eat calories, or specifically, we eat carbohydrates. Those calories go into the gastrointestinal tract, where they are digeted and absorbed into the system. Once in the system, those calories now represent fuel. Fuel status is defined as the amount of potential energy in the system that is available to the mitochondria to be used as energy. Fuel is then burned via the mitochondria into cellular energy, which can then be used to drive work and allow the system to function. Low fuel status is not good because it directly leads to low energy supply and therefore stress. In the short-term, the body will respond to low fuel status by activating stress hormones to mobilize the utilize stored energy. That is why a short-term fuel deficient state in a healthy individual leads to weight loss. In the long-term, however, chronic stress will cause the system to burn out and the system will have to lower the metabolic rate (non-obligatory BMR). Low fuel status occurs for basically one of two reasons: an issue with the intake or an issue with the gastrointestinal tract. So one possibility is the caloric intake is too low. Another possibility is that the caloric intake is normal, but the carbohydrate intake is low. Low calorie diets and low-carbohydrate diets have been shown to lower metrics of metabolic function and activate stress. Alternatively, there may be an issue with the GI tract causing malabsorption. For example, if one consumes a normal 2000 Calorie diet; however, you are only absorbing 50% of the intake, then it is as if you are only consuming 1000 Calories. The body does not know the difference. Additionally, these ideas can synergize with each other. If there is gastrointestinal dysfunction, it may decrease the appeitte, which would then also independently lower the fuel status.
Low carbon dioxide is a sign of metabolic dysfunction, particularly of carbohydrate-driven metabolism. Carbon dioxide is the exhaust of the system. We breathe out carbon dioxide because it is made in the mitochondria as a byproduct of metabolism. The amount of exhaust production is proportional to the metaboilc rate. Therefore, we want the CO2 to be higher because it means the engine is revving. If the engine is not revving well, then a low amount of carbon dioxide will be produced and this can be measured in the blood.
High estrogenic markers are a sign of bioenergetic stress and inflammation. Stress and inflammation increase the enzyme aromatase that converts testosterone into estrogen. Women who have elevated estrogenic markers, likely also have lower progesterone, and are said to be "estrogen dominant," meaning that the estrogen to progesterone ratio is high. The estrogen dominant state is associated with a wide array of gynecological pathology.
Elevated fat fuel markers signify metabolic/engine malfunction involving fat-driven metabolism. Engine malfunction will result in failure to produce adequate energy supply. Dysfunction of FDM can be caused by hormone imbalance, gut/liver axis dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress.
High BUN (blood urea nitrogen) is a marker of excess protein catabolism. In other words, the body is using too much protein for fuel. Remember that we do not want to use protein as a fuel source, we want to use protein as the raw material for muscle building. We want to use carbohydrates as the primary fuel source. This would occur for essentially 1 of 2 reasons: (1) you are consuming too much dietary protein or (2) the system is stressed and you are needing to break down muscle or organ mass to access the stored protein and use that as a fuel source. The second scenario is probably worse than the first, however, even that is not ideal because excess uremia over time will cause nitrosative stress, damage the engine, and damage the liver/kidneys as well.
High cortisol indicates the system is in the stressed state.
High oxidative stress markers suggest that there is a high production of reactive oxygen species. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an inefficiency in oxygen utilization. Because oxidative stress is the precursor to inflammation, it can be thought of similarly.
Low antioxidant markers suggest that the total antioxidant capacity is low, which we call "battery malfunction." Low ceruloplasmin specifically indicates that the bioavailable copper status is low. Because copper is so foundational to how oxygen is utilized, deficiency will ultimately lead to oxidative stress. The antioxidant capacity is drained when it is needed to put out inflammation and oxidative stress. It can be addressed by resolving the underlying source of inflammation/oxidative stress and by antioxidant supplmentation.
High bilirubin or bile acid levels indicate biliary congestion and stasis (medical term: cholestasis). These chemicals are generally processed via the biliary system. Thus, if the biliary system is congested (or sludgy), they back up and become elevated in the serum.
Low RBC Magnesium indicates the magnesium stores of the body are low. Magnesium is a very important mineral, we call it the motor oil of the body because it allows the mitochondria/engine to function properly. Technically, it is a cofactor for multiple enzymes in glycolysis and the citric acid cycle. It is also involved in stress management and hormones balance. Magnesium becomes depleted due to stress. Essentially the magnesium burn rate increases because it is used up in the process of making the stress hormones. Therefore a low RBC Magnesium generally indicates chronic stress.
High Candida antibodies indicates overgrowth of yeast in the gastrointestinal tract. In our gastrointestinal tract, we have billions of bacteria. These bacteria have a variety of important functions, including helping us digest, absorb, and control inflammation. Over time, however, these good bacteria can be replaced by bad bacteria of even yeast. This can happen due to the consumption of inflammatory food, stress, alcohol, and overuse of oral antibiotics or oral hormones. Candidiasis can be quite consequential, as it can create a host of other functional imbalances.
While it may seem counter-intuitive, even though cortisol is a strses hormone, it is not good if the serum level is low because this indicates adrenal burnout. Cortisol levels first go up under acute stress, but if stress is chronically activated, it will stay elevated, but then start to decrease and ultimately become low as the anti-stress system is burned out.