The Lorisian Essential Health

Description

How it works

Testing is carried out in our fully-accredited laboratory, who will assess client’s Liver health with a simple home-to-laboratory blood test

Vitamin D-

Vitamin D is needed by the body for both physical and mental health, but is best known for making sure that bones and muscles (including your heart) are strong and growing properly. It also helps regulate the immune system.

Vitamin D deficiency is related to conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. The development or worsening of mental health conditions, such as depression and low mood has also been linked to inadequate levels of vitamin D.

You may be at an increased risk of developing vitamin D deficiency if you:

• are not exposed to much sunlight, for example if you are housebound, work indoors most of the day or cover up your skin for cultural or other reasons
• are over 65, as older skin doesn’t produce vitamin D from sunlight as well as in younger people
• have darker skin as the pigment in the skin reduces the amount of sunlight that can be absorbed

Vitamin B12-

Vitamin B12 has many roles in your body. It plays a really important role in red blood cell production and helps your nervous system to function properly. Vitamin B12 may benefit your body in impressive ways, such as by boosting your energy, improving your memory and helping prevent heart disease.

A number of factors can contribute to vitamin B12 deficiency, these include:

• vegan and vegetarian diets some medications
• pernicious anaemia; a condition which limits vitamin B12 absorption
• suffering from coeliac disease or Crohn’s disease
• if you are over 50 years; because you might not produce sufficient stomach acid for the absorption of vitamin B12

Folate

Folate is one of the B-vitamins and it has many functions in the body. It is vital for the formation of red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body. Your body also needs folate to make DNA and other genetic material.

Your body can’t build up a store of folate so you can become deficient in a matter of weeks.

So, it’s important to continuously get enough from your diet or from supplements.

You might be at an increased risk of folate deficiency if you:

• drink excessive amounts of alcohol have coeliac or Crohn’s disease take certain medications
• have a genetic disorder that prevents you from using folate effectively

Iron Deficiency

The Essential Health Check measures:

Iron is an essential element for blood function. Your body needs iron to make haemoglobin that transports oxygen around the body. When there isn’t enough iron in your bloodstream, your body can’t make enough healthy oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

As well as iron the Essential Health Check also measures ferritin, total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and transferrin saturation.

Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in the body. The result helps show how much iron your body is storing. If your body is storing too much or too little iron this requires follow up testing from your GP.

The Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) is a measure of
the amount of the protein transferrin in your blood that is readily available to bind to iron. Transferrin is a protein that transports iron around the body. If levels are high this can indicate iron deficiency.

Transferrin Saturation shows how much iron is bound to transferrin and is able to be transported around the body. If levels are low this can indicate iron deficiency.

Cholesterol

High levels of cholesterol contribute to:

heart disease

stroke,

atherosclerosis in other blood vessels, such as left-sided chest pain, pressure, or fullness

dizziness

unsteady gait

slurred speech

pain in the lower legs.

Knowing your levels is important to reducing these symptoms

Liver Function

The liver is responsible for functions vital to life. The liver primarily processes nutrients from food, makes bile, removes toxins from the body and builds proteins. It breaks down fat and produces cholesterol. It converts glucose into glycogen. It creates immune factors necessary to fight infection.

What we measure:

Albumin; a protein that is made in your liver. It helps to transport nutrients and hormones, as well as helps to grow and repair tissues in your body.

Globulin; a group of proteins made in your liver. Globulins play an important role in liver function, blood clotting and fighting infections.

Total protein; your albumin and globulin levels combined.

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT); a protein enzyme that is only found in your liver, so it’s a good indicator of your liver function. A high ALT level can be a sign of liver damage as the ALT protein is released into the bloodstream from the damaged liver cells.

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP); your liver is one of the main sources of ALP, but some is also made in your bones, intestines, pancreas, and kidneys.

Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT); a protein enzyme found mainly in the liver. A high GGT can indicate damage to the liver or bile ducts.

Total bilirubin; a yellow pigment. High bilirubin levels can be a sign that your liver is damaged. Sometimes high levels can be caused by Gilbert’s syndrome which is a harmless inherited disorder.

Alcohol, poor nutrition and diet, lack of exercise, being overweight and hepatitis are common causes that may impact liver function.

Knowing your levels can assist in better functioning of your body, to improving small issues before they become major.