As a laboratory that tests for hormone imbalances and exposure to environmental hazards such as heavy metals and BPA, we are acutely aware of the need to be responsible caretakers of the environment. We try to do our part in minimizing unnecessary waste products that can ultimately find their way into the food we eat, the water we drink and air we breathe. This blog looks at some of the ways we…
Tags: ZRT Laboratory
Selenium is a trace essential element that is incorporated into selenoproteins. There are at least 25 known selenoproteins in the human body, their primary roles being antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase and thyroid deiodinases that convert thyroxine (T4) to active thyroid hormone (T3). Deficiencies in selenium can be detrimental to health, while selenium excess can be just as…
Tags: Selenium, Elements Testing
Single nucleotide variations (SNVs – formerly single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs) are the most common genetic variations in individuals. Research shows that some SNVs can help predict an individual’s risk of developing certain diseases, such as breast cancer. Although future studies are necessary to further characterize the involvement of SNVs in the etiology of breast cancer, this blog will…
Tags: Breast Cancer, Estrogen, Estrogen Metabolism
The American Heart Association has designated the month of February as American Heart Month to raise awareness about heart disease and the healthy choices we can make to prevent it. Every year, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease. And while some risk factors are out of our control, such as family history, genetics, and aging, most of the risk factors for developing heart or cardiovascular…
During the cold, rainy month of January, at least where we live in Portland, Oregon, it’s fitting to address thyroid health. As Goldilocks said of her porridge, this one’s too cold, this one’s too hot, and this one’s just right. If your body isn’t making the right amount of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), you’re likely to find yourself on either side of “just right”.…
Tags: Thyroid Health, Selenium
When getting to the root of health issues by accurate laboratory testing of hormones and other analytes, it’s important to distinguish theories from facts and make sure that our interpretation of the science is valid and corresponds with what is seen clinically. This month, as the weather and the time of year put us in the middle of winter, let’s take a critical look at a hormone sometimes…
Theories abound on the origins of most major diseases, and many share one factor in common: inflammation. The biological consequences of inflammation are at the root of virtually every human malady from the common cold to cancer, allergies to arthritis, and headaches to heart disease. Yet inflammation is a natural, self-protective response of the body with the best of intentions. Inflammatory chemicals…
Tags: Alzheimer's, Brain Health
We are heading into the new year with a goal to strengthen our understanding of hormones, neurotransmitters, and heavy metals and the influence they have on our overall health and wellness. As we welcome 2019, we would like to take a moment to look back at our most popular blog posts from last year. Serotonin, or rather its deficiency, frequently…
Tags: Depression, Neurotransmitters, Stress, Mental Health, Heavy Metals, Sleep
We step into 2019 with open minds ready to make new discoveries to improve our overall health and wellness. But first, we would like to take a moment to look back at our most popular blogs of 2018 for patients. Vitamin D: What Level is Normal vs Optimal? If you have ever had your level of Vitamin D tested, depending on which lab you used, your report showing whether your level is low, normal, or…
Tags: Vitamin D, Sleep, PTSD, Testosterone
The Alzheimer’s Association states that “the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s is increasing age”, leading many to presume that a diagnosis is inescapable. Sadly, it is not only the uninformed expressing this cynicism; even highly-educated medical professionals have slumped in defeat. Of the leading causes of death in America, Alzheimer’s Disease stands alone as the only malady largely…
Tags: Alzheimer's, Brain Health, Heavy Metals
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