Assessing a patient’s nutritional status has always been a fundamental part of the medical record, but most of the time is not explored in an in-depth way In Functional Medicine
Vitamins are essential to the body as they are responsible for carrying out important biochemical pathways. Vitamins also play a significant factor in aging, medications, genetics, and can metabolize differently depending on gender. There are thirteen vitamins the body depends on. These vitamins are not able to be produced by our body so we must obtain them from our diet.Â
The fat-soluble vitamins we require are vitamins A, D, E, and K. The water-soluble vitamins we require are vitamins C and B (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12).Â
DNA methylation is a very important factor in our biochemical pathways. Methylation uses a process of donating methyl groups to a substrate. These methyl group substrates contain DNA and RNA, chemicals, neurotransmitters, hormones, and immune cells. A few examples of methylation include: regulating gene expression, biotransformation, myelination which is the production of the protective coating that surrounds our nerves), building neurotransmitters, immune cells, processing hormones, and DNA/RNA synthesis.
One of the most important nutrients in the body is Co-Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10). CoQ10 is involved in the electron transport chain as well as playing a role in endothelial function. As of late, the medical literature has shown that statin medications like Lipitor, Crestor, and Zecor shut down the production of CoQ10. CoQ10 is needed for many biochemical reactions throughout the body. However, one of the most important factors to realize is that when CoQ10 is depleted in the body we have adverse reactions like the LDL cholesterol becoming oxidized. This event unleashes further destruction to the body and results in the LDL cholesterol drilling holes in the arterial wall, causing extreme inflammation. Inflammation is directly linked to chronic health conditions as well as an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke.
Detailed lab testing is becoming more and more essential as integrative medicine is on the rise. Detailed lab testing goes more in-depth than the traditional…