Inside Tracker

By Kalyn Weber

  In case you missed it, gluten-free dining is a pretty hot topic right now. Gluten seems to have become the new villain in the world of nutrition. The market for gluten-free items is exploding, with Americans spending billions of dollars on gluten-free products each year. Are more of us developing gluten intolerances or is eating gluten-free just perceived as a healthier lifestyle? Read more to find out what the science says about the GF diet.

  What is gluten and what is celiac disease?

Gluten is a general term for the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley and other grains. It helps give bread its chewiness and affects the texture of other baked goods.Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which your body reacts poorly to the presence of gluten and attacks the lining of the small intestine. This reaction causes the villi (small, finger-like objects in the lining of your digestive track) to flatten, which prohibits proper absorption from taking place. Over time, celiac disease can cause serious health issues and the only treatment is to avoid gluten altogether.

  Here’s the kicker: According to the National Institutes of Health, celiac disease affects less than 1% of the U.S. population.

  So why are 17% of US households purchasing gluten-free products?

  In 2011, a study by Gibson and colleagues found that gluten-containing diets seemed to cause gastrointestinal distress (although not to the same clinical degree as seen in celiac disease) for some individuals. The authors called these conditions “non-celiac gluten sensitivity” or “gluten intolerance.”

  This study and others paved the way for the gluten-free movement. Anecdotal evidence from individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other gastrointestinal disorders curing themselves with the gluten-free diet flooded the Internet. Suddenly, we were hooked. Gluten free! Gluten free!

  Until the same authors told us that these reported improved symptoms are likely due to that tricky old placebo effect!

  Last year, in a much more rigorous study, researchers conducted a double-blind crossover trial with participants who self-reported having non-celiac gluten sensitivity or IBS. They were placed on a series of diets that contained different amounts of gluten (high gluten, low gluten and no gluten). What were the results? Basically, it didn’t matter what type of diet participants consumed: their symptoms of bloating, gas, and nausea persisted. Participants’ blood and fecal biomarkers also remained unchanged throughout the study.

  So…what’s the deal with gluten?

  According to the most recent science, self-diagnosed gluten sensitivity seems to be just another game your mind is playing on you. If you expect to feel better after removing gluten from your diet, then you will. It could also be that people are substituting gluten-containing items for more healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables.

  Don’t believe us? Conduct your own experiment. InsideTracker lets you monitor your own biomarkers of health. See what effect your diet and lifestyle has on your body’s inner chemistry by trying out our new Ultimate Plan.

A Triathlete Learns More About Nutrition

By Perrin Braun

After spending 11 years as a triathlete and a triathlon coach, Diane Stokes knows a thing or two about fitness and nutrition. She admitted that although she is usually “up on all the latest nutrition products,” she was surprised to find out how much the InsideTracker program taught her about her body.

Stokes is constantly on the lookout for products and services that can help her perform to her full potential and feel as strong as possible. When training for an Iron Distance triathlon, which can last up to 14 hours, she wanted to make sure that she wasn’t impeding her training by missing any important nutrients, so she gave InsideTracker a try.

Stokes’ InsideTracker results and analysis revealed that she was high in B vitamins and low in vitamin D. The results also showed that her levels of vitamins B12 and B6 were extremely high, which presented a different problem. “I’m 48 years old, and women my age are told to take a B vitamin,” Stokes explained. “However, my B levels were three times that of a normal person. If I had been taking a vitamin B supplement, as recommended by many doctors, I would have been at toxic levels.”

What makes InsideTracker unique is its integration of an “optimal zone” in the blood analysis — a number that is specific to each person and takes into account his or her own unique demographic information such as: age, gender, ethnicity, activity level, as well as lifestyle and performance goals. InsideTracker’s sophisticated algorithm called B.R.A.I.N (Biomarker Research Analysis Integrative Network) determines the optimal zones for each marker based on the latest peer-reviewed research. So while medical professionals may have recommended that Stokes take a B vitamin, her levels were actually much too high to warrant a supplement.

“InsideTracker is great because it can tell you what is going on with your body at any point in time,” she added. “Athletes who exercise outside may think they are getting enough vitamin D from being in the sun, but sunscreen prevents absorption and people who live in colder climates are generally lower in vitamin D.”

Impressed by InsideTracker’s analysis, she signed up for a second blood test, this time with the Performance Plan, which tests 20 different biomarkers. During this time, Stokes recalled feeling sluggish, tired, and generally not as healthy as her usual self, so she submitted a second blood sample in the hopes of discovering the root cause of her fatigue. She soon found her answer. She discovered that she was low in in magnesium, testosterone, and zinc--biomarkers that are related to energy levels--which explained why she was feeling tired. She also found out that her vitamin D levels were still sub-optimal.

After taking supplements to fix her magnesium, zinc, vitamin D, and testosterone issues, Stokes reports feeling much better. Thankful for her new clean bill of health, Stokes bought an InsideTracker test for her husband. “I eat a pretty healthy diet, and I know what foods have what vitamins and minerals in them,” Stokes said. “But InsideTracker gives insight into how your body is doing, and it can give you the tools you need to help you feel better.”

By Perrin Braun

Joshua Quarles is on the move. As an avid cyclist and downhill skier, he has never been at a loss for athletic pursuits. Even though he constantly monitors his diet, Quarles, who is the CFO of a community bank in Montana, was still worried about his health. With a family history of high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure, Quarles wanted to make sure that his diet was as rigorous as his cycling regimen.

When he went to the doctor back in 2011 to get his yearly physical exam, he was dismayed to learn that his cholesterol levels were higher than usual. Although they weren’t in the danger zone, they were still higher than Quarles expected. Soon afterwards, he cut out all cholesterol from his diet and became a vegan. However, something was still missing: Quarles wanted to increase his competitiveness in cycling, and he needed to make sure he was getting enough protein in his diet while not eating meat, dairy, or fish. After reading about cyclist Sarah Hammer’s success using InsideTracker in Wired magazine, Quarles also decided to give the program a try. He signed up for the InsideTracker Performance Plan to receive concrete, evidence-based nutrition recommendations that would help him improve his physical performance and decrease his cholesterol.

After getting his blood drawn at a LabCorp clinic in Montana and receiving the detailed online analysis from InsideTracker, Quarles brought the results into his physician’s office. “Doctors don’t really care about your results unless they’re in the critical zone, and what’s great about InsideTracker is that it can see what ranges would be appropriate specifically for your body,” Quarles said. What makes InsideTracker unique is its integration of an “optimal zone” in the blood analysis — a number that is specific to each person and takes into account his or her own unique demographic information such as: age, gender, ethnicity, activity level, as well as lifestyle and performance goals. InsideTracker’s sophisticated algorithm called B.R.A.I.N (Biomarker Research Analysis Integrative Network) determines the optimal zones for each marker based on the latest peer-reviewed research. So while Quarles’ physician may not have noticed his sub-optimal levels of cholesterol because they were within the “normal” range for the general population, his levels were actually not high enough to meet his personal needs.

Quarles’ doctor was so impressed by the scientific nutritional recommendations, which are based on biomarker levels, that he encouraged Quarles to get his blood analyzed by InsideTracker every 4 to 6 months. His favorite part of the program was the high level of personalized information that he received. InsideTracker works by showing you your current biomarker levels and then explaining and giving recommendations on how to achieve ideal levels; it also suggests a diet tailored to your needs and preferences.

“It’s really helpful that InsideTracker adjusts your diet recommendations based on what you like to eat,” Quarles said. “I’ve seen a lot of improvement in my cycling because I have a better sense of how I can impact my performance through my diet, and now I’m constantly looking up new foods to liven up my meals.”

Following his first InsideTracker test, Quarles upgraded to the Ultimate package in order to receive information about even more of his biomarkers. After adhering to the program’s nutrition recommendations, his cholesterol levels decreased dramatically. He reports that his diet has improved significantly thanks to InsideTracker, and that the algorithm helps him “see how one biomarker can impact another.”

Fast-forwarding to present day, Quarles is working hard to preach the InsideTracker gospel. He purchased InsideTracker packages for his wife and father, and even his physician is interested in taking a test himself.  Does he have any advice for people who are looking to improve their health, wellness, and performance? “Try InsideTracker,” Quarles said. “Almost everyone will be surprised by what they see on their test results. Most people don’t realize that some foods have a negative impact on their performance, so the program will help them learn what foods they should avoid and how they can monitor their diet.”

By Kalyn Weber

Sex Hormone Binding Globulin, also known as SHBG, is an awesome little glycoprotein that most of us have never heard of. Since SHBH is related to testosterone and other sex hormones, many women remain in the dark about their SHBG status. But SHBG is an important biomarker for women to pay attention to! Read more to find out why.

What is Sex-Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)?

SHBG is a glycoprotein, a molecule that consists of a carbohydrate plus a protein, and is produced mainly in your liver. It binds to three sex hormones found in both men and women: estrogen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and testosterone. It's job is to transports these hormones throughout your blood to other tissues in your body. SHBG has a stronger affinity for DHT and testosterone (which are androgens), as compared to estrogens. It therefore plays a significant role in maintaining the delicate balance between estrogen and testosterone in a woman’s body.  

Why are optimal levels of SHBG important for women?

If you’ve been following the InsideTracker blog, you know that testosterone and other hormones play an important role in a woman’s overall physical and emotional health.  As a woman, you may have experienced times in your life when you knew your hormones were out of whack. SHBG makes sure that these hormones are transported throughout your body and are available for the tissues that need them. Optimal SHBG levels decrease a woman’s risk of developing polycystic ovarian syndrome, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Watch our free demo to learn how you can determine if your SHBG is at its optimal level.

What causes low SHBG levels in women?

SHBG levels decrease as a result of taking certain hormones, like androgens, anabolic steroids, and norethisterone-related synthetic progesterones. Certain conditions, like hypothyroidism, obesity, Cushing's syndrome, and acromegaly (a condition where your body produces too much growth hormone), can also cause low SHBG levels. Interestingly, insulin resistance, even without obesity, results in lower SHBG levels. 

Women with low levels of SHBGare more likely to have higher testosterone levels, which can lead to androgenization, i.e. the development of masculine characteristics. Low SHBH is often associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome. Other signs of low SHBG in women include: high levels of androgens, male-patterned hair growth or hair loss, menstrual irregularities, decreased breast tissue and skin abnormalities. Women with low SHBG are also at higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome.

What causes high SHBG levels in women?

 Compared to men, women naturally have higher levels of SHBG. The aging process, particularly for women, decreases SHBG levels, which means younger women tend to have higher SHBG levels than postmenopausal women.  Pregnancy increases SHBG even further, as SHBG is actually produced in the placenta tissue. Some evidence suggests that continuous use of oral contraceptives can also increase your SHBG levels. Finally, undernourishment, as seen in anorexia nervosa, and estrogen or thyroid hormone treatment can cause higher than normal SHBG levels in women.

Women with high levels of SHBG have less available testosterone in their bodies. That’s bad news for any lady since testosterone (another biomarker measured by InsideTracker) plays a important role in maintaining energy levels, muscle development, bone health, and your sex drive! 

What’s next?

SHBG is an important biomarker… but it’s just one piece of the puzzle in the roadmap to optimal health for women. InsideTracker can help provide you with more of the whole picture by analyzing your levels of 30 blood biomarkers related to optimal wellness.

By Gil Blander, PhD

Each day I open up my email inbox to see several articles on sports nutrition, and many of them read like an infomercial or science fiction story. Millions of dollars are invested in athletes’ bodies, and then lost, often due to injuries and poor performance. The cause is actually the same that teams have faced for years: managing an athlete’s diet. The reason I started my LinkedIn group was to move away from marketing hype and toward sound scientific recommendations based on data. Like the fashion industry, diets face rapid changes and many people jump on a bandwagon without knowing the direction it is going. The medical industry, and specifically sports medicine, is seeing a greater attention to evidence-based practices by applying research and data to improve the outcomes of rehabilitation and prevention. Instead of a collective approach with sports nutrition, we are seeing just the opposite with various gurus trying to market their own agendas to differentiate services or expertise. We need an immediate reality check and an applied sciences approach with collaboration between academic experts and those working in the field, not a marketing machine, to drive health and performance.

In perusing the sports headlines, it becomes quite clear that athletes are now electing to take ownership of their own nutrition by hiring personal nutritionists, many of whom are not licensed or certified, and even more of whom are not following practices that are based on what we know in the scientific literature. The result is an epidemic of risky practices that predispose an athlete to injury and poor performance, which can take weeks and sometimes months to rebound from. My favorite example of this is one star player who was put on a very low carbohydrate diet to improve body composition. He removed specific foods that his advisor suggested may be causing inflammation, but several key nutrients were missing. His hemoglobin thus fell to a level that compromised him aerobically. When a typical nutritionist thinks about fueling, he or she is prescribing macronutrient amounts (eg, carbohydrate, protein, and fat). In reality, biomarkers should guide applied solutions. It will be interesting to follow Lebron James after his reported commitment to eliminating carbohydrates from his diet. Will we see the same pattern of injuries and compromised performance that other teams experienced following this approach? Time will tell.

  Another fascinating example of dietary extremism was one InsideTracker client who was told to follow a high fat/high protein diet exclusively. This athlete trained intensely, multiple times a day, but failed to recover appropriately. He had diminished energy on the court and chronic soreness like never before. Exactly two days after testing, what the athlete saw on his InsideTracker dashboard was alarming. Not only was he deficient in basic vitamins and minerals, but his hormone profile resembled that of someone close to retirement, rather than that of an elite athlete. Convinced that his current approach was likely to blame for the recent decline in performance, he adopted a conventional diet that was based on his biomarker status and universally accepted nutritional recommendations. Six weeks later, after following guidance from the InsideTracker algorithm, the baseball player was back to his old self – and his recovery rate was better than during his early years in the league.

  The last sports nutrition scenario that I would like to share is a prime example of being caught in a vicious cycle of bad advice. It does have a happy ending for the private coach and the player he supported in the off-season. The great part of the story is that we are seeing more and more athletes being empowered with the option to take ownership over their careers without the limits of ego and bureaucracy. Careers in the NFL are known not to last long because of injuries and talent being available each year in the draft, leaving no time for players to get settled with nutrition. A player and his off-season coach came to us with a few problems they wanted fixed before the start of camp. During training, the athlete was not recovering and had issues with handling the strain of his normal training routine. The coach privately told us that the normal connection he had had with the athlete over the last three years was not there, and the player was moody. When the bloodwork data came back, it explained everything: there was a dramatic rise in the biomarker SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin), a hormone that is part of bioavailable testosterone. When prodded about alcohol consumption, the player admitted that his normal weekend social drinking had become a daily habit due to the new bar near the beach. He didn’t realize that it was not so much the number of drinks he had, but the total amount of alcohol in each drink. Later he found out that his cocktail was equivalent to nearly 3 servings, and the syrup contained about 1,000 calories of simple sugars. Switching to lighter options on Saturday and Sunday and refraining during the week resulted in favorable changes to his biomarkers.

  The core problem with the above stories is that most athletes are not getting tested at all, never mind being provided with good advice afterwards. Over the course of several Olympic seasons, we’ve seen the challenge of athletes testing for the first time right before the most important competition of their lives. Ideally, each athlete should be fine-tuning his or her biomarkers rather than just getting started. Even in 2014 we are still seeing the antiquated disease model of annual checkups during the pre-season. This approach fails to resonate with strength coaches, who need consistent, hard data. The lesson learned here with blood testing and athletes is that it should be an ongoing process of assessment and analysis, which guides applied, practical recommendations. 

By Gil Blander, PhD

The World Cup illustrated yet again that a small moment in time can mean the difference between winning and losing. Many elite athletes are using physiological data about their sleep, heart rate variability, and blood biomarkers to get the advantage. Like professional athletes, business executives face constant travel, high stake pressure, and extreme competition -- all stressors that can create strain and breakdown to their bodies. As a result, many entrepreneurs and corporate leaders are now monitoring fatigue and well-being with the same services and devices one would see with national and professional sport teams. These corporate athletes have recognized the power of physiological data in helping them gain the advantage in their field.

One of the top stars of the World Cup was Lionel Messi, who in business terms is the CEO of his team. During the last game against Germany, several analysts hinted that arguably the greatest player in the world was tired, resulting in Argentina losing against a very deep Germany team. In business, every day a company competes and the careers of executives are not a short window like professional athletes, but 30 to 50 years with the top talents. Instead of a few months for an offseason, a high level executive has a few weeks at most. The similarities and differences make executives a special breed of athlete that needs to be optimized year round and for decades. With all of the stress and demand on executives, it is no wonder that they are pursuing the best trainers and nutritionists to keep them on the right track. More and more executives see the relationships between their personal fitness data and how those numbers can ensure they are prepared to help their companies’ own bottom line.

The InsideTracker Difference

While popular monitoring devices such as Fitbit and Jawbone Up provide some data about activity level and sleep, in order to truly understand how to reach peak performance, tracking what is happening inside the body is key. With blood analysis, athletes and executives can do a deep dive into their internal biochemistry and get information to help them perform at their best. Our service and software, InsideTracker, is seeing a surge of business leaders investing in quarterly blood testing to get key performance indicators of their physical performance and wellness. InsideTracker’s Performance Panel of 20 core biomarkers is already popular with NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, and MLS athletes; now many in the business world are selecting the test for their own advantages.

InsideTracker disrupts the typical approach to physiological monitoring with blood testing that focuses on prediction and prevention, the opposite of traditional medicine in which blood analysis is used to confirm health problems or diseases. In contrast, the InsideTracker service provides different blood test panels and options focused on helping customers to optimize their well-being and performance. InsideTracker blood tests are available at more than 1,800 partner labs across the U.S. or by arrangement at the customer’s home or office, allowing for easy and rapid testing.

Using InsideTracker empowers our customers by giving them their data, and exposing the science behind every one of their personalized recommendations. After a person’s results are collected, the data are analyzed and each biomarker score is uploaded to the user’s personal Dashboard. The InsideTracker dashboard displays far more than just the biomarker results. Detailed graphs show how each user’s results compare to their personal optimized zone, which is based on their age, gender, ethnicity, activity level and goals. In addition, the Dashboard provides evidence-based recommendations derived from peer-reviewed scientific research to help users optimize each marker for better health and performance. Finally and most importantly, precise nutrition and lifestyle recommendations are loaded onto an interactive decision support system for the user.

Actionable Results

Executives are already using InsideTracker analytics to make changes in exercise, recovery, and diet to gain a competitive edge over their rivals. One example is Steve, who at age 61 found himself feeling drained and missing his mental focus and sharpness. InsideTracker’s Ultimate panel revealed a staggeringly low score of Free Testosterone, the active form of testosterone responsible for many important functions. He was also deficient in two of the other 29 essential biomarkers measured by the Ultimate panel and started making dietary changes immediately. After reducing his social drinking slightly and adding an hour of sleep, the combination of lifestyle changes made a noticeable and measurable difference in his next blood test -- and in his energy and mental acuity. 

You don’t have to be a Vice President or professional athlete to take advantage of InsideTracker’s testing and lifestyle guidance. The same standard of care used with optimizing elite athletes and business leaders should be available to anyone who is looking to make measurable improvements. InsideTracker’s convenient service with evidence-based guidance instead of guesswork is a no-brainer for many of our customers, and we think it should be a no-brainer for you as well.

By Kalyn Weber

We’ve all been there. You see the golden arches in the distance and your mouth immediately begins watering at the thought of those salty fries. Maybe there’s a twinge of guilt as you pull off the road and around the drive-thru to order a #6… the value! The convenience! Just how bad for you is fast food, anyway? Read more about the health effects associated with indulging in your favorite guilty pleasure.

More than 25% of Americans eat fast food at least twice a week. With the growing obesity epidemic, this figure has many nutritionists and researchers frustrated. Science now shows that, despite restaurants’ efforts to offer healthier menu options, fast cuisine is still pretty darn unhealthy. A study from last year used the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) to evaluate the nutritional quality of eight fast food restaurants in the United States. The HEI is a metric created by the US Department of Agriculture to measure dietary quality. Specifically, the index evaluates adherence to the federal Nutrition Guidelines for Americans. It uses a 1-100 scale, with 100 signifying a “perfect diet” based on the federal guidelines. How did the offerings of the fast food restaurants fair on the scale? Not great. On average, the industry scored just 48 points on the Healthy Eating Index… significantly lower than the diet of the average American. Yikes!

Why is fast food so bad for you?

The fact that fast food is unhealthy is probably not a huge shock. But what exactly is it about fast food that makes it so bad for you? Below are a few elements of fast food that make it generally worse for you than the food you eat at home.

Calories. Fast food tends to be calorically dense and nutritionally sparse. In other words, you get a lot of calories without getting many important micronutrients, like the vitamins and minerals that you need. The caloric load of the average fast food meal is close to what the average sedentary woman needs to consume in a whole day. A meal containing a burger, fries and soda can easily total 1500 calories! That doesn’t leave much room to get your nutrients from another meal without overeating!

Saturated Fat and Trans Fat.  While we are not ones to bash fat here at InsideTracker (dietary fat is essential to a healthy diet!), fast food is notoriously full of the less healthy types of fat: saturated and trans fats. While a few of the larger fast food chains have removed trans fats, i.e. partially hydrogenated oils, from their deep fryers, lots of the burgers, fries, and chicken nuggets you pick up at the drive-thru still contain trans fats. Remember: trans fats are closely linked to heart disease, as they have been shown to increase “bad” LDL cholesterol and lower “good” HDL cholesterol. Saturated fats are okay in moderation but eating too much can lead to heart disease.

Sodium. The 2012 American Heart Association guidelines recommend most people consume less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. Despite these guidelines, the average American takes in more than double this amount. High sodium intake can cause high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. Could fast food be the culprit behind your high blood pressure? InsideTracker can help you track your sodium levels and other important biomarkers of health.

Sugar. Hidden sugar shows up all over the place in fast food meals. From burgers to salad dressing, added sugar is hard to avoid in food that comes in a paper bag. Scientific studies are increasingly finding links between sugar consumption and chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and blood pressure.

Missing the good stuff

As you probably realized before reading this article, most fast food contains a lot of ingredients that are just not that good for you. Greasy meals may taste good from time to time, but how much bang are you really getting for your buck when you purchase a value meal? Think about the components of a healthy diet: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, etc. It’s not easy to find these staples at your local fast food joint. 

How often do you hit up the drive thru? Think your diet still has room for improvement? Find out by getting tested with a plan from InsideTracker. We’ll help you track key biomarkers and give you nutrition and lifestyle recommendations based on your individualized results. 

By Kalyn Weber

  For many of us, an annual physical includes a routine blood test. While the process of getting blood drawn is relatively straightforward, it can feel like you need a medical degree to understand the results that come back to you from the lab. We are here to help! Below are two of the most common blood test panels (panel just means group of tests) that your physician may order.

  COMPREHENSIVE METABOLIC PANEL

  “Metabolic” refers to all of the ways your body uses and stores energy. Normally, you have to fast for at least 8 hours before getting this panel, which includes:

  Glucose, also referred to as blood sugar:

Fasting glucose test measures how well the body is regulating blood sugar and it can help determine diabetes status. Normal range is 70 to 99 mg/dL for most adults, although values can vary with age.

  Electrolytes Panel will indicate if there is an acid-base imbalance in your body. Electrolyte levels are affected by how much is taken in through the diet, the amount of water in a person's body, and the amount of electrolytes excreted by the kidneys. 

Sodium. Irregularities in sodium levels may indicate dehydration, excessive intake of salt or certain medications, or problems with the liver or kidneys. Normal range of blood sodium is 135 to 145 millimoles/liter (mmol/L).

Chloride. A high salt/sodium diet and certain medications can impact your chloride levels. Irregular chloride can also be an indicator of certain diseases, like kidney disorders. Healthy range: 98 to 106 mmol/L.

Potassium. This mineral plays an important role in regulating your heartbeat, muscle function, and nerve impulses. Low potassium is usually associated with dehydration or taking diuretics. Normal range: 3.7 to 5.2 mmol/L.

Click here to learn how InsideTracker can provide you with personalized diet and exercise recommendations to fit your unique needs!

Kidney Function

Creatine. Excessive creatine in the blood can be an indication that your kidneys are not functioning properly in removing waste from the blood. Normal creatine levels are around 0.7 to 0.3 mg/dL for men and 0.6 to 1.1 mg/dL for women.

Total Protein. Abnormal blood protein levels can be an indication of kidney or liver abnormalities. Normal blood protein levels are between 6.0 and 8.3 gm/dL.

Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN). Urea nitrogen is found in the blood when protein is broken down. High levels of BUN may indicate kidney disease, dehydration, or urinary track obstruction. Normal levels are generally between 6 and 20 mg/dL.

Liver Function

Total bilirubin. Bilirubin is a yellowish pigment found in bile from liver. It’s yellow coloring is what causes jaundice. While some bilirubin in the blood is normal, high levels of bilirubin can indicate liver disease.Normal levels are between 0.2 and 1.9 mg/dL.

Liver Enzymes. High blood levels of any of these enzymes could be an indication that your liver is not functioning properly:

AST (aspartate aminotransferase) -- Normal range: 10 to 34 IU/L

ALP (alkaline phosphatase) -- Normal range: 44 to 47 IU/L

ALT (alanine aminotransferase) -- Normal range: 8 to 37 IU/L

  COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT TEST (CBC)

  The CBC is a simple blood test in which a small amount of the blood taken is placed into a machine called a centrifuge, which spins your blood very quickly so that the cells separate and arrange themselves by size. By doing this, the lab can give a quick estimate of the breakdown of cells and parts of cells in your blood:

RBC (red blood cell).  RBCs help carry oxygen throughout the body. A normal range of RBC is between 4.2 and 5.9 million cells per cubic millimeter, or ccm.

WBC (white blood cells). WBCshelp you fight infections, so a high WBC count could be an indication that you have an infection or some type of inflammation. A normal WBC range is between 4,300 and 10,800 cmm.

Hgb (Hemoglobin). Hemoglobin is a protein found on red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen. Abnormal hemoglobin levels could be a sign of anemia or another blood disorder. Hgb, like Hct, differs from men to women and is measured in grams per deciliter or g/dl. Normal range for Hgb is 13 to 18 g/dL for men and 12 to 16 g/dL for women.

Hct (Hematocrit) test. Hematocrit is a blood test that measures the percentage of the volume of whole blood that is made up of red blood cells. Hct is oftentimes used to diagnose forms of anemia and other conditions. Hematocrit test values will vary from men to women(men generally have higher values) and also between laboratories. Generally speaking, Hct results will range between 36% and 52%.

Ferritin. A ferritin test indirectly measures the amount of iron in your blood. Anemia and digestive problems are the two main causes of low iron. Normal ferritin levels for men are between 12 and 300 ng/mL; and for women, they are between 12 and 150 ng/mL.

  Note: Normal lab value ranges for all tests may vary slightly among different laboratories, and by patient age and sex. The values described in this article represent those provided by Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. Libraries of Medicine and the National Institutes for Health.

  You Don’t Have To Go It Alone

To save yourself the headache of trying to interpret your blood test results, try InsideTracker’s Do-It-Yourself (DIY) option. Just enter the results of any recent blood test(s) into our online program, and we’ll take it from there. We go further than your doctor’s office, which typically only tells you if your biomarkers are “normal.”

  We can tell you if your biomarkers are in the optimal ranges, based on your age, gender, ethnicity, athletic activity, and other factors. If your blood levels are less than optimal, we’ll offer nutrition and health advice to help you improve your biomarkers, your wellness, and even your athletic performance.

  Haven’t had any blood work done recently? No problem. Consider purchasing a new blood test from InsideTracker. The DIY option is on the house when you order any other plan.

  Buy It Now!

By Perrin Braun

Daniel Rinehart is a 37-year-old avid bicyclist and hiker who understands the value of a nutrition and fitness regimen. While doing his best to get outside, stay active, and eat a healthy diet, it often proves difficult due to his day job as a software developer. Daniel was looking for an accurate way to keep his finger on the pulse of his health, and he was having a hard time finding a practical solution. Then, he attended a talk by InsideTracker founder, Dr. Gil Blander. He was intrigued by the opportunity to obtain evidence-based health knowledge and detailed feedback about biomarkers that are not typically measured at the doctor’s office. Consequently, he ordered a package of 4 InsideTracker Performance plans.

  Diving Into The Data

  When the results of Rinehart’s first test came back, he discovered low levels of vitamin D and high levels of ferritin. Rinehart, who lives in Boston, wasn’t surprised by his low vitamin D levels, since people who live in cold, northern altitudes are often low in this particular vitamin because it is derived from sunlight. However, having low levels of vitamin D can be problematic; vitamin D increases bone health, muscle mass, and strength, among many other health benefits. Rinehart’s high ferritin levels were also troublesome; some studies indicate a potential relationship between ferritin and heart disease.

  “I expect that the preventive medicine aspect of InsideTracker will help me as I get older,” Rinehart said. “Personalized medicine is one of the most interesting parts of what InsideTracker can do because the biomarkers that it tracks might not be measured by your annual physical,” he continued.

Click here to learn how InsideTracker can provide you with personalized diet and exercise recommendations to fit your unique needs!

Strategizing Towards Optimal

  Rinehart took a unique approach to his InsideTracker tests -- he used the results of his first and second tests to establish a baseline number for his ferritin and vitamin D levels. Then, between his second and third and fourth tests, he started taking InsideTracker’s nutrition recommendations to see what impact the guidelines would have on his health. He completely changed what he ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and added a vitamin D supplement to his daily regimen. Adhering to these recommendations paid off -- Rinehart’s third and fourth test results showed vastly improved vitamin D levels. In addition, he noticed that other biomarkers --which were not necessarily in his sub-optimal zone, but had room for improvement -- were drastically boosted with his new diet.

  Rinehart found that InsideTracker’s ability to customize recommendations based on his unique physiology really helped him to understand his body. What makes InsideTracker unique is its integration of an “optimal zone” in the blood analysis -- a number that is specific to each person and takes into account his or her own unique demographic information such as: age, gender, ethnicity, activity level, as well as lifestyle and performance goals. InsideTracker’s sophisticated algorithm called B.R.A.I.N (Biomarker Research Analysis Integrative Network) determines the optimal zones for each marker based on the latest peer-reviewed research. So while Rinehart’s physicians may not have noticed his sub-optimal levels of vitamin D and ferritin because they were within the “normal” range for the general population, his levels were actually not high enough to meet his personal needs.

  Empowering Himself With Knowledge

  Rinehart remarked that he appreciated InsideTracker’s clear, user-friendly interface. “The charting and visual representation of your biomarkers, the history of your tests, and the areas of improvement were very good,” he said. Does he have any advice for people who are looking to improve their health, wellness, and performance? “Additional knowledge is always valuable. In order to attain your full physical capabilities, you need to have the right information going forward,” he said. Lesson learned: even if you’re exercising and eating healthfully, there’s always room for improvement with help from InsideTracker!

By Kalyn Weber

Feeling tired, lethargic, or just not at your best? You could be one of the 3.3 million women in the US who have iron-deficiency anemia. In fact, iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiencies in the country! Read more to learn about the signs of iron deficiency and why they are crucial for women to pay attention to.

What is iron and why is it important?

Iron is essential to our survival. Iron is the key component of hemoglobin, which allows red blood cells to transport oxygen throughout the body. It also plays a major role in cell growth and differentiation, and the development of new cells, hormones, neurotransmitters, and amino acids. Yes, iron is one precious little mineral!

Symptoms of iron deficiency: 

Fatigue

Decreased physical performance

Decreased mental performance

Decreased immune function

Why is iron especially important for women?

Younger, pre-menopausal women, particularly those who exercise regularly, are at a higher risk for developing iron deficiency and eventually becoming anemic. On average, the adult male has about 1,000 mg of stored iron (enough for three years), whereas women have only about 300 mg (enough for six months). Menstruating women in particular deplete these low stores quickly because of blood loss from their monthly cycle. Women with heavy periods therefore are at a higher risk for having low iron levels. Fun fact: oral contraceptives reduce the amount of blood (and iron) loss while intrauterine devices (IUDs) tend to increase menstrual bleeding. Who would have thought your birth control might actually be affecting your iron status?

Just when you thought you were in the clear, if you’re also an athlete you have an even higher risk of being iron deficient. Athletes deplete their iron stores through their sweat, destruction of red blood cells, and gastrointestinal bleeding (associated with frequent use of anti-inflammatory medications). Pregnancy and breastfeeding also increase your body’s demand for iron and can lead to low levels.

What are good sources of iron?

Your body is unable to make iron; the only way your body gets iron is by consuming it through the food you eat or by taking a supplement if you need to. Dietary iron comes in two forms: heme iron and non-heme iron. Non-heme iron is less biologically available than heme-iron. In other words, it is harder for your body to digest and absorb this form of the mineral. Consuming sources of heme iron, like meat, fish and poultry, on a regular basis is an easy way for most people to maintain their iron levels. Non-heme iron is more difficult to digest and is found in leafy greens, beans and fortified foods. These foods, while healthy in other ways, are difficult for your body to extract iron from. But before you start chucking vegetables, here’s the good news: consuming vitamin C with your non-heme iron actually helps your body absorb this important nutrient. Next time you eat spinach, try throwing some lemon juice (or another source of vitamin C) in with your salad as a dressing! A delicious and nutritious way to get your iron! 

How can I check my iron status?

There’s really only one way to tell if your iron levels are suboptimal: get your blood tested! InsideTracker’s Fitness and Performance Plans measure two iron-related markers: hemoglobin and ferritin. Our new Ultimate Plan adds four more iron-related markers to give users a systemic view of this essential nutrient.

Here are the iron biomarkers measured in the Ultimate Plan:

Hemoglobin – a protein that uses iron to help carry oxygen throughout the blood

Ferritin – measures the stored iron in your bloodSerum Iron – the amount of iron in the blood

Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) – measures the maximum amount of iron your blood can carry, and is an indirect measure of transferrin, which transports iron to various tissues and prevents iron from causing damage in the body

Unsaturated Iron Binding Capacity (UIBC) – TIBC minus serum iron

Transferrin Saturation (also called Iron Saturation) – Serum Iron divided by TIBC and then multiplied by 100. It shows how much iron in the blood is bound by transferrin

Based on your biomarkers, InsideTracker will calculate the amount of iron you need based on your age, gender, ethnicity, and athletic activity. We’ll even give you nutrition recommendations to help you reach your optimal nutrition status!

Get started on your track to optimal health. Learn more about choosing a plan from InsideTracker today.

By Kalyn Weber

You may have heard of the glycemic index (GI). It’s a measure sometimes used as a way to predict the impact of various foods on your blood sugar. Fewer people are familiar with the more worthy judge of carbohydrate quality: glycemic load. Impress your friends with your nutrition savvy and learn the difference between these two buzzwords!

 View this free demo to see how InsideTracker can optimize your health and performance.

Blood Sugar 101

You have probably heard of blood sugar, also referred to as blood glucose. Glucose is the simplest form of sugar, as it is the major source of energy for the cells in your body. Every time you eat, your body breaks down the carbohydrates, fats and proteins in your meal into smaller particles. Through this process, glucose (the smallest building block of carbohydrates) is released into your bloodstream. Every time you eat a meal, you experience a spike in your blood sugar. Insulin helps lower your blood sugar by cuing your cells to take up the circulating glucose to use or store for energy. Without insulin, blood sugar levels after meals will remain very high. In certain types of diabetes, insulin either not produced or does not function properly and must be injected into the bloodstream.

  But Why is High Blood Sugar Such a Big Deal? 

In addition to the short-term effects of high blood sugar (fatigue, headaches, etc), chronic hyperglycemia can have serious long-term effects. Over time, high amounts of blood sugar will actually coat your red blood cells. These coated cells impede proper blood circulation and can eventually cause plaque to build up in the blood vessels in your body. The blood vessels in your eyes, kidneys and feet are some of your most vulnerable, which is why symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes often show up in those areas first.  Over the longer term, high blood sugar can lead to a whole array of conditions like nerve damage, kidney problems, gum disease, tooth loss, limb amputations, heart attacks, strokes, and eventually death!

  Glycemic Index vs. Glycemic Load

To review, the Glycemic Index (GI) for a food is defined as the food’s ability to increase blood glucose 2 hours after consumption. Ingesting pure glucose causes a rapid spike in blood glucose levels and has a GI value of 100. All foods in the index are therefore compared to this reference. High-glycemic foods (like white bread and white rice) digest and absorb into the bloodstream quickly, which causes a rapid increase in blood sugar levels. Low-glycemic foods (like most vegetables) digest and absorb more slowly, which causes a gradual rise in blood sugar and insulin levels. 

Here’s a more in depth overview on the Glycemic Index.

One of the biggest flaws of the glycemic index is that it doesn’t take serving size into account. For example, carrots rank rather high on the glycemic index system. However, scientists say that in order to raise your blood sugar, you would have to eat about a pound and a half of carrots. Most of us are probably not eating like that on a regular basis. 

Glycemic load (GL) addresses some of the shortcomings of the glycemic index and gives us a better overall picture of the true effect of a certain food on your blood sugar. Glycemic load accounts for both the quality and quantity of carbohydrates in a food, by including the serving size in its formula, as well as the foods glycemic index.

Here’s how you would calculate the glycemic load for an average sweet potato:

Glycemic Index = 70

Grams per serving = 31.4

Glycemic Load = (70 x 31.4) / 100 = 22

Below is a table of GI and GL values for select foods. If the glycemic load for certain foods seems surprising to you, remember that GL is based on serving size. Bigger serving sizes will cause higher glycemic loads.

GLs less than 10 are considered low-GL foods and have little impact on your blood sugar.

GLs between 10 and 20 are moderate-GL foods with moderate impact on blood sugar.

GLs above 20 are high-GL foods that tend to cause blood sugar spikes.

Low-GL foods should be the staples in your diet whereas higher GL foods make better “once in a while” type foods. While both GI and GL can be useful tools to help us make decisions about our diet, it’s important to keep in mind their limitations. Corn flakes and sweet potatoes have similar GL values, but most of us know intuitively that a sweet potato is a better choice for dinner than corn flakes. Sweet potatoes naturally have lots of nutrients, like vitamin A, potassium, and fiber, while corn flakes do not.

  Keep your Diet and Blood Sugar On Track

Still a little confused? We’re here for you! Find out with us if your blood sugar and other biomarkers of wellness are in their healthiest ranges! When you purchase a plan from InsideTracker, we’ll give you personalized nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle recommendations to help you reach your optimal health status.

By Perrin Braun

Consumer concern over the safety of their food has grown exponentially during the past few years. The demand for organically grown food, which is often perceived as healthier and safer, is bigger than ever before, with many storefronts proudly proclaiming that they stock up on organic products. But do organic foods have as much of an impact on your health as they do on your wallet? Health experts and consumers have spent countless hours debating whether organic foods are more nutritious and safer than conventional foods. Making a commitment to healthy eating is a great step towards a healthier life, but organics may not be the be-all-end-all solution.

What does organic mean?

The term “organic” refers to the way that food is grown and processed. Very specific requirements must be met and maintained in order for a product to be certified organic. Essentially, farmers are not allowed to use synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes (GMOs), petroleum-based fertilizers, and sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Organic livestock must have access to the outdoors and be given organic feed. They may not be given antibiotics, growth hormones, or any animal by-products.

Here’s the tricky part: it’s easy to confuse food-labeling terms like “free-range,” “hormone free,” or “natural” with organic. Unlike organics, these terms are not regulated by law. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has created an organic seal that is put on all products that meet its organic standards—namely, restricting the amount and residue of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics that are used during the conventional growing process. You can tell that a product is organic by looking at the label. Here are some hints:

Food labeled "100% organic" has no synthetic ingredients and can legally use the USDA organic seal.

Food labeled "organic" has a minimum of 95% organic ingredients. It is eligible to use the USDA organic seal.

Food labeled "made with organic ingredients" must contain at least 70% organic ingredients. It is not eligible for the USDA seal.

Note that the USDA hasn’t set standards for organic seafood or cosmetics. Meat, eggs, poultry, and dairy that are labeled as "organic" must come from animals that have never received antibiotics or growth hormones. The problem is that you can expect to pay 50 to 100% more for organic foods because they’re more labor-intensive to grow, and without some assistance from pesticides, the net yield can often be unpredictable or unfavorable.

Is organic food healthier?

To investigate the claim that organic food is higher in nutrients than its traditional counterparts, researchers from Stanford University evaluated nearly 250 studies comparing the nutrients in organic vs. traditional foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, poultry, meat, and eggs), and the health outcomes of eating these foods. Their study concluded that there is very little difference in nutritional content between the two types of foods, aside from slightly higher phosphorous levels in many organic foods, and a higher omega-3 fatty acid content in organic milk and chicken.

Click here to find out how InsideTracker can recommend fruits and vegetables that fit your unique nutrition and physical activity needs!

 However, the real answer may be more complicated than a simple “yes” or “no”. It’s difficult for studies to uncover subtle effects of our environment, or what we eat, on our health because too many outside influences get in the way. Here’s another reason: when it comes to nutritional quality, produce varies tremendously whether you buy organic or not. For instance, one carrot may have two or three times more vitamin A than the one sitting right next to it. This disparity can be attributed to a whole variety of factors: differences in the genetic makeup of different varieties, the ripeness of the produce when it was picked, even the weather. So, if you really want to find the most nutritious fruits and vegetables, organic isn’t necessarily the best route, but unfortunately there isn’t a better guide (until scientists come up with something new!).

Is organic food safer?

The Stanford researchers found that organic produce had an edge where issues of food safety were concerned, with 30% lower pesticide residues than conventionally-grown foods. However, pesticide levels in both organic and non-organic food were within allowable safety limit. The government established a limit to the amount of pesticides that can safely be used in growing and processing foods, and the amount of pesticide residue that is permitted on food. The 1996 Food Quality Protection Act also set tougher standards to protect infants and children from pesticide risks.

However, it’s still not clear what all this means for your health. Just because foods aren’t going over the acceptable limit for pesticides doesn’t mean that they’re safe for everyone. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) did note that children may be at a greater risk for some pesticides than adults because their immune systems are not fully developed. No studies have evaluated the health effects of pesticide exposure on pregnant women, either.

The good news is that you can buy organic without spending too much money by being choosier about the types of organic products that you buy. The EWG released its 2013 list of fruits and vegetables that are the most and the least likely to be contaminated by pesticides. To compile the list, the EWG used over 28,000 samples taken by the USDA and FDA to measure the level of contamination. Each individual sample was given a score of 1-100 in six measures of contamination. The best (Clean 15) and the worst (Dirty Dozen) were then gathered from the results.

The Dirty Dozen:

1. Apples 2. Celery 3. Sweet bell peppers 4. Peaches 5. Strawberries 6. Nectarines – imported 7. Grapes 8. Spinach 9. Lettuce 10. Cucumbers 11. Blueberries – domestic 12. Potatoes

For those of you who are concerned about pesticide contamination, the EWG advises people to purchase the organically-grown version of the above items. The group also recommends that people consider purchasing organic green beans and kale. These foods did not meet the traditional Dirty Dozen criteria, but they were found to be frequently contaminated with pesticides that are toxic to the nervous system. 

The Clean Fifteen:

1. Onions 2. Sweet Corn 3. Pineapples 4. Avocado 5. Cabbage 6. Sweet Peas 7. Asparagus 8. Mangoes 9. Eggplant 10. Kiwi 11. Cantaloupe – domestic 12. Sweet Potatoes 13. Grapefruit 14. Watermelon 15. Mushrooms

According to the EWG, it is not necessary to purchase organic versions of the “Clean Fifteen” since they tested the lowest in pesticide contamination. Whether or not you choose to buy organic produce, you can reduce pesticide reside with the following tips:

Wash and scrub produce under streaming water to remove dirt, bacteria and surface pesticide residues, even produce with inedible skins such as cantaloupe. Do not use soap.

Remove the peel from fruits and vegetables.

Remove the outer leaves of leafy vegetables.

Eat your fruits and vegetables!

Even if you decide not to buy organic, the EWG says that the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweighs the risks of pesticide exposure because eating conventionally-grown produce is better than not eating any at all. Variety and moderation are important parts of any diet, and both conventionally-grown and organic produce can be part of a healthy eating plan so long as you try to make whole fruits and vegetables a priority when choosing what to eat! InsideTracker can take all the guesswork out of choosing a healthy diet, so if you’re wondering which foods can best suit your unique needs, sign up for a plan today!

By Kalyn Weber

To eat or not to eat the chicken’s egg yolk, that is the question.

  At least it’s our question. While Mr. Shakespeare may disagree, that is the question that has fueled the egg controversy for the past 10 years. Until recently, Americans were recommended to limit their consumption of eggs, particularly the fatty, cholesterol-containing egg yolks. But current research indicates that these recommendations may be outdated. Read on to find out if you should swap your egg white omelet for a fluffy yellow one.

  A 2013 meta-analysis of 16 studies showed that moderate egg consumption (defined as up to 1 a day) is not related to heart disease. Other studies from the past decade have had similar findings. The take away is that, if you’re a healthy individual, feel free to eat your egg a day. But hey, we said one! Daily, four-egg omelets with a mountain of bacon and sausage are still a no-no.

  Heart health is important for everyone. Here is what the American Heart Association recommends for protecting your ticker.

  An egg-cellent power food

  Despite their demonization over the years, eggs are one of nature’s greatest power foods. In addition to being a great source of protein and micronutrients, the average egg is only 70 calories! Talk about getting the bang for your buck. And while many people believe that egg whites are the healthy party of the egg, the truth is that it is actually the yolk that contains some of the best nutrients. Below are some of the nutrients you throw away when you opt for egg whites instead of whole eggs:

  Vitamin D: a fat-soluble vitamin that supports your overall health and helps you absorb calcium so can you maintain strong bones

Lutein and zeaxanthin – two nutrients found in eggs that keep your eyes healthy by preventing macular degeneration

Vitamin B-12:  a water-soluble vitamin that promotes healthy blood and nerve cells and prevents a type of anemia, called megaloblastic anemia, which makes you feel weak and tired

Riboflavin: also known as vitamin B-2, this nutrient works with other B-vitamins to support healthy growth and red blood cell production

Folic Acid: a member of the B-complex family of vitamins and a form of folate, folic acid also helps ensure adequate energy levels. Pregnant women who don’t consume enough folic acid are at risk of having babies with neural tube defects.

So where did eggs get off getting their bad rep to begin with? It all comes back to the egg yolk and cholesterol. Eggs yolks contain lots of cholesterol: 185 milligrams of cholesterol in a large egg.

  Dietary cholesterol: Maybe not so bad after all?

  For many years, scientists believed that consuming cholesterol in food products (like eggs) increased the cholesterol in the body and thus led to cardiovascular disease. Emerging research shows that the connection is not quite so linear. It turns out, for healthy individuals dietary cholesterol has a relatively small impact on blood cholesterol. In the egg dilemma, it seems that it is likely the fatty items that often accompany eggs (think bacon, sausage, and cheese) that are contributing to the increase in blood cholesterol. Epidemiological studies demonstrate that, after controlling for these types of confounding variables in the diet, the relationship between cholesterol and heart disease essentially disappears (except in individuals with diabetes).

  But there’s a catch: as the old adage goes in nutrition, “everything in moderation.” Experts are giving the green light to eat one whole egg a day… that is still only 7 yolks per week. The research shows that eating more than that may actually increase your risk of heart failure – at least that is what was shown in one cohort study of male physicians. You can still make your four egg omelets with one-part whole egg to three-part egg whites.

  Still worried about your cholesterol? Get tested. InsideTracker plans let you track your cholesterol biomarkers, including HDL and LDL, and dozens of others markers of optimal health. Plus, we’ll recommend personalized nutrition, lifestyle, exercise and supplement interventions to help you reach your optimal levels.

  Learn more about how you can get started on your path to ultimate fitness with InsideTracker today.

By Kalyn Weber

For many of us, an annual physical includes a routine blood test. While the process of getting blood drawn is relatively straightforward, it can feel like you need a medical degree to understand the results that come back to you from the lab. We are here to help! Below are two of the most common blood test panels (panel just means group of tests) that your physician may order.

  COMPREHENSIVE METABOLIC PANEL

  “Metabolic” refers to all of the ways your body uses and stores energy. Normally, you have to fast for at least 8 hours before getting this panel, which includes:

  Glucose, also referred to as blood sugar:

Fasting glucose test measures how well the body is regulating blood sugar and it can help determine diabetes status. Normal range is 70 to 99 mg/dL for most adults, although values can vary with age.

  Electrolytes Panel will indicate if there is an acid-base imbalance in your body. Electrolyte levels are affected by how much is taken in through the diet, the amount of water in a person's body, and the amount of electrolytes excreted by the kidneys. 

Sodium. Irregularities in sodium levels may indicate dehydration, excessive intake of salt or certain medications, or problems with the liver or kidneys. Normal range of blood sodium is 135 to 145 millimoles/liter (mmol/L).

Chloride. A high salt/sodium diet and certain medications can impact your chloride levels. Irregular chloride can also be an indicator of certain diseases, like kidney disorders. Healthy range: 98 to 106 mmol/L.

Potassium. This mineral plays an important role in regulating your heartbeat, muscle function, and nerve impulses. Low potassium is usually associated with dehydration or taking diuretics. Normal range: 3.7 to 5.2 mmol/L.

Click here to learn how InsideTracker can provide you with personalized diet and exercise recommendations to fit your unique needs!

Kidney Function

Creatine. Excessive creatine in the blood can be an indication that your kidneys are not functioning properly in removing waste from the blood. Normal creatine levels are around 0.7 to 0.3 mg/dL for men and 0.6 to 1.1 mg/dL for women.

Total Protein. Abnormal blood protein levels can be an indication of kidney or liver abnormalities. Normal blood protein levels are between 6.0 and 8.3 gm/dL.

Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN). Urea nitrogen is found in the blood when protein is broken down. High levels of BUN may indicate kidney disease, dehydration, or urinary track obstruction. Normal levels are generally between 6 and 20 mg/dL.

Liver Function

Total bilirubin. Bilirubin is a yellowish pigment found in bile from liver. It’s yellow coloring is what causes jaundice. While some bilirubin in the blood is normal, high levels of bilirubin can indicate liver disease.Normal levels are between 0.2 and 1.9 mg/dL.

Liver Enzymes. High blood levels of any of these enzymes could be an indication that your liver is not functioning properly:

AST (aspartate aminotransferase) -- Normal range: 10 to 34 IU/L

ALP (alkaline phosphatase) -- Normal range: 44 to 47 IU/L

ALT (alanine aminotransferase) -- Normal range: 8 to 37 IU/L

  COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT TEST (CBC)

  The CBC is a simple blood test in which a small amount of the blood taken is placed into a machine called a centrifuge, which spins your blood very quickly so that the cells separate and arrange themselves by size. By doing this, the lab can give a quick estimate of the breakdown of cells and parts of cells in your blood:

RBC (red blood cell).  RBCs help carry oxygen throughout the body. A normal range of RBC is between 4.2 and 5.9 million cells per cubic millimeter, or ccm.

WBC (white blood cells). WBCshelp you fight infections, so a high WBC count could be an indication that you have an infection or some type of inflammation. A normal WBC range is between 4,300 and 10,800 cmm.

Hgb (Hemoglobin). Hemoglobin is a protein found on red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen. Abnormal hemoglobin levels could be a sign of anemia or another blood disorder. Hgb, like Hct, differs from men to women and is measured in grams per deciliter or g/dl. Normal range for Hgb is 13 to 18 g/dL for men and 12 to 16 g/dL for women.

Hct (Hematocrit) test. Hematocrit is a blood test that measures the percentage of the volume of whole blood that is made up of red blood cells. Hct is oftentimes used to diagnose forms of anemia and other conditions. Hematocrit test values will vary from men to women(men generally have higher values) and also between laboratories. Generally speaking, Hct results will range between 36% and 52%.

Ferritin. A ferritin test indirectly measures the amount of iron in your blood. Anemia and digestive problems are the two main causes of low iron. Normal ferritin levels for men are between 12 and 300 ng/mL; and for women, they are between 12 and 150 ng/mL.

  Note: Normal lab value ranges for all tests may vary slightly among different laboratories, and by patient age and sex. The values described in this article represent those provided by Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. Libraries of Medicine and the National Institutes for Health.

  You Don’t Have To Go It Alone

To save yourself the headache of trying to interpret your blood test results, try InsideTracker’s Do-It-Yourself (DIY) option. Just enter the results of any recent blood test(s) into our online program, and we’ll take it from there. We go further than your doctor’s office, which typically only tells you if your biomarkers are “normal.”

  We can tell you if your biomarkers are in the optimal ranges, based on your age, gender, ethnicity, athletic activity, and other factors. If your blood levels are less than optimal, we’ll offer nutrition and health advice to help you improve your biomarkers, your wellness, and even your athletic performance.

  Haven’t had any blood work done recently? No problem. Consider purchasing a new blood test from InsideTracker. The DIY option is on the house when you order any other plan.

  Try Our Free Demo

By Perrin Braun

Suzie Snyder joins the ranks of world-class athletes like Sarah Haskins, Jarrod Shoemaker, and Ruben Sanca who have used the InsideTracker program to increase their speed and improve their strength. As a professional off-road triathlete, Snyder is no slouch when it comes to her physical fitness. In addition to getting her certification as a strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS), she has a master’s degree in exercise science and a deep knowledge base of human physiology and nutrition. However, she wasn’t sure about the best approach to take in improving her physical performance.

“I wasn’t performing to my fullest potential, and I didn’t know why,” Snyder explained.  She has always made it a point to eat a nutritious diet while training specifically for high level performance, but wanted to learn more about what was going on inside of her body, so that she could fix any potential biomarkers that were slowing her down. Snyder signed up for the InsideTracker Performance Plan to receive concrete, evidence-based recommendations that would help her improve her physical performance. Despite Snyder’s exercise and healthy eating habits, the results from her first blood test showed that her levels of ferritin, testosterone, and cortisol were out of range—and all of these biomarkers can impact physical performance. She also discovered something a little more unexpected: high cholesterol.

Click here to learn how InsideTracker can provide you with personalized diet and exercise recommendations to fit your unique needs!

“High cholesterol runs in my family,” Snyder said. “But I didn’t know that I had it until I got my blood tested.” Faced with this new information, she took InsideTracker’s nutrition recommendations very seriously, even making a list of all the recommended foods and taping them to her refrigerator so she wouldn’t forget to buy them at the grocery store.

Because the information that Snyder learned from her first blood analysis proved to be so useful, she scheduled a follow-up test with the InsideTracker Ultimate Plan, as it measures more biomarkers and provides a little more information about certain markers that she wanted to optimize.

“I love the InsideTracker graphs on the dashboard that help you monitor your progress,” she said. “The blog is also helpful because it gives you more in-depth scientific information and also helps you see the connection between certain biomarkers that I hadn’t known about before,” she continued.

Snyder soon discovered that adhering to the recommendations (with a little persistence!) paid off. Her hormone and cholesterol levels improved vastly, which shows that even simple changes in diet can make a large difference in impacting overall health. In addition to adhering to the InsideTracker recommendations, Snyder stopped taking the birth control pill, which made a significant difference in improving her levels of two hormones, testosterone and cortisol. Snyder reported that after completing two Performance and two Ultimate tests, she’s found that her recovery time has improved and she’s feeling stronger in her workouts. “It’s very encouraging to see that my numbers are improving and I’m feeling better!”

So, how does a professional athlete like Suzie Snyder rate the InsideTracker program? “I would definitely recommend InsideTracker, even if you have a good knowledge base of nutrition and health because you never know where your body is at until you get tested.” Lesson learned: even if you’re exercising and eating healthfully, there is always room for improvement with help from InsideTracker!

By Kalyn Weber

Introduction

Do you take a multivitamin? Chances are, you probably do! In fact, if you’re like me, you began taking a multivitamin almost as soon as you could chew solids. I have fond memories of chomping my Flintstones vitamin with my waffles and milk every morning throughout my childhood years. Sound familiar? According a recent study, over half of Americans take some form of a multi-vitamin/mineral on a regular basis. For some of us, we continue to take multivitamins out of habit. Others are new to this emerging health trend. Whatever the reason may be, one thing is for certain: the multivitamin/mineral is a major contender in the supplement industry. As a nation, we spend $12.4 billion on these little capsules each year. But does taking a multivitamin make us healthier? Here are some facts for you to consider. Spoiler alert: those little pills may not be as healthy as you think! 

Overview of multivitamins 

Americans have been taking multivitamins since the 1940s. Today’s “multivitamins” are actually a blend of both vitamins and minerals. That’s why researchers and scientists often refer to these supplements as MVMs – which stands for multivitamin/mineral. The distinction is not especially important except that it is worth noting most multivitamins contain a mixture of both vitamins and minerals. Vitamins, like C and D, are organic compounds produced by plants and animals. Minerals, like calcium and iron, are found in the soil and water and are later absorbed by plants. 

Water- vs. fat-soluble vitamins 

All vitamins can be separated into two distinct categories: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins, like vitamin C and B vitamins, are easily absorbed and excreted by the body. Because they are water-soluble, your body takes what it needs of the vitamin and gets rid of the rest by excretion through the urine. (This is what people are talking about when they say that taking a multivitamin is just “paying to have expensive pee”). The risk of toxicity for these vitamins is therefore very low.

Vitamins A, D, E, K are all fat-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins are broken down by bile acids in your body. Unlike their water-soluble relatives, fat-soluble nutrients are not easily excreted from your body. The body uses what it needs at that time and stores the rest in fat for future use. Because fat-soluble nutrients can accumulate in your tissue, large doses of these vitamins can be toxic and lead to health problems.

To avoid toxicities, i.e. poisoning yourself, it is recommended you supplement only with vitamins/minerals you are deficient in and avoid consuming above the dietary reference intake (DRI) for a nutrient. Companies like InsideTracker can help you do this.

Click here to learn more about how InsideTracker can help you determine if and what supplementation is right for you.

Does taking a multivitamin/mineral make you healthier?

What you are probably still wondering is, are multivitamins good for you? The answer is not so simple. Most experts say that taking a multivitamin is not necessary for people who eat a healthy and complete diet. That is a pretty big caveat! How many of us base our daily diets on the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans? Are you confident that you are getting most of your essential nutrients every day?

If not, logic would suggest that a daily MVM is good way to ensure your body has a constant source of the essential nutrients it needs to survive. But the science seems to show that taking a multivitamin doesn’t actually do much for our overall health. A 2013 meta-analysis concluded that MVM supplementation has no effect on all-cause mortality. In other words, people who take a multivitamin have the same risk of dying as those who do not. A systematic review from the same year takes this a step further, suggesting that vitamin and mineral supplementation does little to prevent two of the major diseases in this country: cancer and heart disease. Other studies have had similar findings.

What are the risks?

There’s relatively little risk associated with taking a MVM. If you are taking your MVM with other supplements or fortified foods on a daily basis, you do run the risk of consuming too much of a nutrient. Toxicity and other side effects are concerns with fat-soluble vitamins, like A and D, and certain minerals, like iron. Other risks are specific to certain sub-populations. For example: individuals who smoke or used to smoke may want to avoid taking a MVM containing vitamin K, as vitamin K has been shown to increase a smoker’s risk for developing lung cancer.

What are the benefits?

For most Americans, there doesn’t seem to be any real benefit to taking a multivitamin. Some healthy people still take a MVM for the alleged “insurance” value. Your doctor may also recommend you take a MVM if you are on a restricted diet or are clinically deficient in multiple nutrients. In general, supplements are often recommended for specific populations that either (a) have specific needs for a given nutrient or (b) are more likely to be clinically deficient in a nutrient. For example, older adults, people with dark skin, and people who get insufficient exposure to sunlight are often recommended to consume extra vitamin D from vitamin D-fortified foods and/or supplements.

Eat food first, then supplement!

Most experts agree that it is better to get these nutrients from whole foods, where vitamins and minerals are in their most biologically available form – primed for absorption and use! Eat a healthy diet that contains a variety of fruits and vegetables. Chances are, you’ll meet your recommended daily intake for most vitamins and minerals. Don’t forget, much of our food supply contains fortified products! Our salt contains iodine; our milk contains Vitamin D; our flour is enriched and fortified with iron, folic acid, vitamin B-12, vitamin A, and zinc. That means you are probably consuming the nutrients you need just from eating food!

If you’re concerned about getting too much or too little of a specific nutrient, you can still find out if you need to take a supplement. The easiest way to do this is to get a blood test. InsideTracker can help you; in addition to measuring your blood levels of key biomarkers, InsideTracker will give you recommendations for simple changes to your nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, and supplements to help you reach your optimal levels.

Click here to learn more about testing your nutrition status with InsideTracker today.