The ZRT Laboratory Blog

SARS-CoV-2 has been circulating in the global population for over a year. According to Worldometer, at the time of this writing on March 2, 2021, 115 million people have been infected with the virus, 2.5 million have died, and 90 million have survived the infection to go on to have possible immunity. The immune response to the virus can range from asymptomatic to severe illness and death and has aroused fear and uncertainty around the world. For those who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and survived, some experience prolonged symptoms beyond recovery from the acute illness. Long COVID presents with ongoing symptoms of fatigue, post-exertional malaise (PEM), sleep issues, headaches, brain fog, cognitive issues, depression, anxiety, musculoskeletal pain, respiratory distress, and muscle weakness that extends far beyond initial recovery.…

Tags: Covid19, Brain Health, Neurotransmitters

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Many children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) struggle with fitting in and according to some experts, may receive as many as 20,000 negative messages by age 10 than their neurotypical peers. Little wonder then that many struggle with self-esteem and the belief that they are somehow broken.…

Tags: ADD and ADHD, Mental Health, Brain Health

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The fact that we produce vitamin D in our skin in the presence of sunlight signifies how necessary it is to our health. Even though it seems easy enough to get, according to recent data published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in 24% of Americans, 37% of Canadians and 40% of Europeans [1]. Data from 2012 indicate that 50% of the world’s population are vitamin D insufficient. A deeper look reveals that vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency vary by age, sex, ethnicity and geographic location, with reduced time spent outdoors and insufficient consumption of vitamin D-rich foods having the greatest impact on suboptimal levels [2]. The medical community is certainly testing more than it did in the past, naturally picking up on more deficiencies, and providing us with the opportunity to address this key biomarker of good health. This blog discusses sources of vitamin D, contributors to vitamin D deficiency, and its role in chronic and acute disease, especially its association with comorbidities that predict an increased risk of complications and poor outcomes to COVID-19.…

Tags: Covid19, Vitamin D, Immune System

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The balance of hormones is essential for all aspects of human health and the same plays true for athletes. Whether you are a beginner working on getting into shape and losing weight, or a seasoned veteran with many competitions under your belt, understanding your hormones and how they change with intense exercise is essential to getting as much as possible out of your training. ZRT Laboratory is launching 2 new kits that will enable athletes to track their hormones and help them better understand the changes happening to their body.…

Tags: Fitness, Athletes, Blood Spot Testing, Saliva Testing

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In the final part of this 3-part blog series on important nutrients in the fight against viral illness following on from part 1 discussing quercetin and part 2 discussing zinc, we will look at the role of vitamin C, which has been used to prevent and treat viral infections since Linus Pauling, PhD endorsed its benefits decades ago.…

Tags: Covid19, Immune System, Vitamin C

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Following on from part 1 of this 3-part blog series discussing 3 important nutrients that can enhance our immune function against viral infection as well as regulate the inflammatory response to COVID-19, this second part of the series discusses the essential mineral zinc.…

Tags: Covid19

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The use of natural and alternative therapies for the prevention and treatment of viral infections focuses on key nutrients that inhibit viral entry, reduce viral replication and balance the inflammatory reaction to infection.…

Tags: Covid19

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If one were to create a word cloud of our clinical consulting calls in 2020, the word “phosphatidylserine” would likely float to the center in a large, bold, brightly colored font. After a year spent coping with a global pandemic, record high unemployment, social distancing, and remote learning for students, accompanied by not only an extreme wildfire season but also a contentious presidential election in the U.S., people are stressed – and it shows.…

Tags: Cortisol, Stress, Mental Health, PMS and PMDD

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We are ancient biological beings living in a modern world where food and light are readily available all hours of the day and night; however, the daily pattern of light and dark that is the circadian rhythm still governs our behavior and physiology.…

Tags: Cortisol, Melatonin, Sleep

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Last weekend I went whitewater rafting. A particularly turbulent patch of the rapids caught me off guard, when I tumbled off the raft into the water. It all happened so quickly. We hit a big rock, the raft turned vertical and I fell into the river. I was swept under and spat back out, my body tossed around like a tiny paper boat. I was gasping for air with the whitewater waves rising in front of me, crashing over…

Tags: Cortisol, Neurotransmitters, Brain Health, Mental Health, Heart Health, Stress

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