Health Check

[Adam H]

That's really interesting, I will have to have a think about doing it myself, my diet is already annoyingly restrictive and I think I've got a good handle on what my body doesn't like

I always thought I had a good handle on what my body didnt like, I mentioned at the start of the thread I used to take supplements for yeast management and pro-biotics to help as well. Years of trying different things etc.

So far I've got rid of all my old habits for supplements. I'm now only doing this :

1. Vit D spray ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JNG8KBS/?tag=acorn06-21 )
2. B-12 Spray ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B074N32T2Q/?tag=acorn06-21 )
3. Multi-Vit Spray ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JNG89AU/?tag=acorn06-21 )
4. Pro-biotics, but now only 2 or 3 times a week if i feel the need. ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B071Y1DHLY/?tag=acorn06-21 )
5. I also use these pads on my feet 3 times a week at night ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01K49YC5A/?tag=acorn06-21 ) Originally i brought them to see if they helped with tinnitus, but they actually help me sleep.
6. Swithced to A2 Milk ( https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/287259076 )
7. Plus obviously now watching my diet according to what im supposedly intolerant to.

All a bit namby pamby but after 20 years of feeling crappy im game for trying anything now lol, the above formula so far I feel better than I have since being a teenager.

So far out of everything, I think the Vid D was a big thing for me as it's made a noticeable difference but overall I'm glad I done both thriva and intolerance labs for the hints they've given so i can keep testing what works for me. I don't think anyone will be the same, it's all about putting in the effort to see what works for you

 

[Adam H]

Ironically just got an email from Intolerance labs with a discount code for family and friends. Feel free to use anyone for £10 off : FAMILY10

https://intolerance-lab.myshopify.com/

 

[dragon]

Slightly off topic, Joe Rogan was interviewed by Aubrey Marcus, they own Onnit the supplement company. Aubrey is BIG on health, I highly recommend his book 'Own The Day' can get it on Audible & Amazon. He mentioned that allergy/intolerance tests that test the skin can be a poor test as your skin won't have the same bacteria/etc as your gut. Lots of great info on all round health, mental, physical, etc ..

 

[dee]

@Adam H

How do the pads work ? The theory... not how do they attach to your foot obviously

 

[Adam H]

@dee , they just stick on the sole of your feet, I put them on about 15 mins before I goto sleep because if you walk around with them they normally unstick. So last thing you do before shutting your eyes and in the morning take them off, give your feet a wipe as it produces black gunk.

If you get sweaty feet in the night and it comes unstuck you can just put on some ankle socks at night and it keeps it stuck.

Apparently they draw toxins out of your blood, some people they work, some they don't. For me I sleep 10x better and strangely I don't get that gammy dry feeling in my mouth in the morning when using them. Wake up feeling like I've actually had a decent sleep. I do it 2 - 3 times a week, if I don't do it for a week I can tell the difference. My other half thinks they are nonsense, but my parents and grandparents see the same benifit as I do.

 

[keys]

Whether you feel fine or not, bodyweight is a reliable indicator of many health risks. This link to a BBC page offers some broad info, and a neat BMI (body mass index) meter.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-48088391

 

[hal]

Ironically just got an email from Intolerance labs with a discount code for family and friends. Feel free to use anyone for £10 off : FAMILY10

https://intolerance-lab.myshopify.com/

I did read about testing hair for food intolerances awhile back and it appears to be complete pseudo science.

 

[Murray]

Been a while since this thread, how we all doing? did any of you do a follow up test and how were the results compared to the first?

 

[Adam H]

Been a while since this thread, how we all doing? did any of you do a follow up test and how were the results compared to the first?

I'm considering doing a follow up test next month to see if my changes have made any difference. I feel they have, but will be interesting to see the results for sure.

 

[Murray]

This week I started taking omega 3 in the form of algae oil

Been vegetarian for 10+ years so had no oily fish source

Reading about it there are 3 types of omega 3, ALA found in plants and then EPA and DHA in fish and algae

You need DHA and EPA; luckily your body can use ALA and turn it into either but only at a small percent, depending where you read, anywhere from 1-15%

The only thing I could find in my diet that was decent in ALA was navy beans and broccoli which I eat maybe twice a week so I would guess I'm probably quite deficient

Symptoms of deficiency are pretty vague common stuff

• poor concentration
• depression/anxiety
• trouble sleeping
• fatigue
• joint pain/inflammation
• low immunity
• dry eyes

I would say of those my eyes are often feel a little dry, my concentration isn't the best, my energy levels are a million times better since I started taking vitamin D but I hear about how some people live their lives and I certainly don't have their energy levels lol

Can't find anywhere that says a length of time you might notice a difference, I will give them 3 months taking them everyday and see if I notice any positive change

 

[Murray]

Another little health update for you all

I just had my second thriva blood test; I've started to feel a bit more tired past couple months so I thought something might be up and now was a good time and I was correct

My active b12 is 23 nmol/l which is pretty deficient

b12 comes from animal products, meat, dairy, eggs. I'm vegetarian so no meat and don't really eat eggs

It's funny because in the past year I've switched to a low fodmap diet which has helped my bloating problem and general fatigue tremendously

But on the other hand, because I've stopped eating wheat/flour etc I had to give up pizza and linda mccartney slices so I gone from probably eating cheese 4-5 times a week to pretty much no dairy in general other than very occasionally so it's not surprising my b12 has dropped

Fix one problem and create another!

I do take a vegan multivitamin with 2.5ug of b12 which is 100% of rda so I thought I should be getting enough despite no dairy but how much my stomach is actually absorbing of that who knows ~ obviously not enough

b12 deficiency can cause neurological issues, some really quite scary stuff, thankfully I don't seem to be suffering from anything like that currently but I will call the doctor Monday and see what they say; I'm sure I will have to be retested and maybe given injections if it's severe enough

I've bought a b12 oral spray in the meantime which is 1200ug per four sprays (vs 2.5ug in the multivitamin), which is a healthy dose for boosting things

On the bright side though everything else looked ok, my vitamin D is now 135 nmol/l which is about a prime amount

I've hopefully caught this deficiency early enough; it's probably lucky I know from vitamin D what a deficiency feels like with the fatigue

I actually don't feel too bad generally, probably 80/100 energy I should have, whereas with low vitamin D I felt 10/100 energy

 

[newguy]

Thanks for the health update. Could it be that the pill form isn't very bioavailable in pill form, hence why some people use the oral spray option? I only ask because look at the % of RDA on this one! https://uk.iherb.com/pr/Jarrow-Form...0-mcg-400-mcg-Lemon-Flavor-100-Lozenges/69333 41,670%!

 

[Murray]

Thanks for the health update. Could it be that the pill form isn't very bioavailable in pill form, hence why some people use the oral spray option?

I've been reading a lot of articles past couple days so this is a mash of them and I might get some things wrong

The common reason people have low b12 isn't diet but because their stomach doesn't work properly to absorb it, so taking tablets isn't a good option for them

The best treatment for b12 deficiency is injections because they will inject you with 1000 and it's going straight into your blood so you will get 1000

In pill form, if you take a 1000 pill your body might only absorb 100

The spray I have is 300 per spray and to use four sprays totally 1200, but reading studies only 10% enters your blood stream so you will probably get a total dose of 120 + you will swallow the rest so potentially another 100 I guess, so of a 1200 spray dose maybe you're lucky to get 200 absorbed

A tablet and spray of the same amount, the spray will give you 2.6x the dose, which I guess makes sense with the absorption+ swallow

On the good side of things b12 isn't toxic so you can take as much as you like really, you will just pee out what you don't use, but high doses can have temporary side effects like headache, nausea, diarrhoea

I've taken the spray the last 3 days and I have to say I'm having some side effects, nothing too severe but def made me feel slightly nauseated

 

[Murray]

@Murray, how do you rate Thriva?

Very good all around, a little expensive depending how many things you get tested for but if it's your first time you can find a lot of discounts

For this test I ordered it one day, came the next, completed it that day and sent it back and got my results the following evening, so a very fast turn around

They give you results like this and the Dr comments on anything irregular

But really it's up to you to google your results and find out what they mean

Dr K von Bussmann seems a bit too relaxed for my liking about my active b12 lol which is actually, by everything I've read quite dangerous to be low in

 

[Murray]

Interesting. I've just had a look on their website and I'm wondering (and forgive me if this is totally obvious in some way) but what are the benefits of going through Thriva, if I can go to the my GP and get the same blood tests done there? It appears they test for much the same things.

You certainly can if you want to and find that easier, strangely enough for b12 it's turned out far better I went private

You have two tests for b12 in your blood, total and active

The NHS test for total b12, not active

If you have 200+ b12 total in your blood the NHS will say you don't have a deficiency

Of the total b12 in your blood though, only 10-30% is the active form your body needs

So if the NHS test you and you have a result of 200 they would say you don't have a deficiency, but your active b12 could be 10% at 20 and you do actually have a severe deficiency which should be treated

My result was 23 active but overall I could have 230, so it might be the NHS wont help me anyway until I have more severe symptoms, that's how silly it is

Apparently if your b12 is low the next best test to do to confirm is it a Methylmalonic Acid test, if I call the doctor Monday and they don't particularly help me I guess I will have to do that privately, which is fairly expensive @ £100

I'd rather spend a little money than have nerve damage though :| and take my oral supplement in the meantime

 

[Adam H]

I'm going to do another test soon, however I have stopped taking all vitamins and suppliements for a few months now and feel great. Mainly down to intollerance and food diary keeping, The doc has given me some super strong 180 gm Antihistamines, it's seems that my original assumption that i was allergic to something maybe right and as a result of this allergy, it was possible draining me of everything I needed to stay healthy and keep energy up. ( this is my theory not conclusive to evidence ).

Since taking the Antihistamines I've not felt irritated, my concentration is better than it ever has been and my energy is what id class as normal. Turns out photato, tomato and red peppers are my nemisis ( Google nightshade group, apparently they are all in a group of foods under that name which largely goes undetected as no one expects to have an intollerance to photato ). On top of that Chocolate and any kind of caffine i have issues with but I've always known that.

It's just that over the counter Antihistamines never done anything for me, these ones ive got now seem to be doing the job. Will be interesting to see if my thriva results show better Vit D now though, if it does then my allergy must have been effecting Vit D levels and how my guts dealt with yeast as thats been fine since too.

 

[newguy]

I've been reading a lot of articles past couple days so this is a mash of them and I might get some things wrong

The common reason people have low b12 isn't diet but because their stomach doesn't work properly to absorb it, so taking tablets isn't a good option for them

The best treatment for b12 deficiency is injections because they will inject you with 1000 and it's going straight into your blood so you will get 1000

In pill form, if you take a 1000 pill your body might only absorb 100

The spray I have is 300 per spray and to use four sprays totally 1200, but reading studies only 10% enters your blood stream so you will probably get a total dose of 120 + you will swallow the rest so potentially another 100 I guess, so of a 1200 spray dose maybe you're lucky to get 200 absorbed

A tablet and spray of the same amount, the spray will give you 2.6x the dose, which I guess makes sense with the absorption+ swallow

On the good side of things b12 isn't toxic so you can take as much as you like really, you will just pee out what you don't use, but high doses can have temporary side effects like headache, nausea, diarrhoea

I've taken the spray the last 3 days and I have to say I'm having some side effects, nothing too severe but def made me feel slightly nauseated

Many thanks for the info. I guess this explains why the tablets were so far above the RDA. I had heard of people having B12 injections but it seems a little overkill in its approach, so the spray / drops approach is maybe the way to go then!

Right now I take Vitamin D, Magnesium etc as people commonly have deficiencies in those, though possibly I should have the blood test you guys did to be sure of that.

Resveratrol also looks interesting for health (rather than lifespan). And NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) and nicotinamide riboside is possibly useful for longevity but there may be some downsides to taking it too. Levels of NAD+ apparently decreases over time, and nmn raises it. Another way to boost NAD+ levels is to take quercetin, parsley etc. Both exercising and intermittent fasting boost levels too.

I've tried various supplements over the years for this and that but healthwise my medichecks and 23andme info is pretty okay on the whole. I do have absolutely horrendous genes for age related macular degeneration though, something I'd have had no idea about prior, and now take Lutein and Zeaxanthin as there's at least some logic behind doing so. AMD issues in the population will hopefully be solved by stem cell treatments down the line.

 

[newguy]

I'm afraid to do a 23andme test to be honest. Did you encounter anything that particularly scared you?

The only stand out from the 23andme info specifically, was the potential or even likely future macular degeneration. That's certainly a downer, but at the same time there are at least some steps I can take that might help, and possible advances down the pipeline in that area. It's better to know something than not I feel.

Lots of the conditions and diseases it highlights are rare and so there's nothing to be too scared of. The exceptions to that are Parkinsons risk, alzheimers and so on, though most people will already have a decent idea if that based on their own family history.

You can download the raw genetic data after and submit it to sites like https://promethease.com/ which then gives you a very detailed breakdown of individual genes and so on, and potentially what that means. There's so much info there that its better to view it 'in the round', as some genetic information may contradict other genes. It's more trends to look for really. There are little pieces of info that can have potentially significant meaning though. I have a specific gene that means I process protein slowly. I wouldn't have known this and so that could've potentially, say, have had implications for my kidney health. Conversely I have a gene that is strongly associated with metabolising certain drugs especially fast. This can have as consequences as certain medicines and treatments being less effective. A whole new area is opening up about whether factors like this should in future factor into more bespoke treatments based on genetic profiles.

It doesn't only highlight negatives though when plugged into promethease. You may find that you have genes associated with longevity, lower risk of this condition or that.

There's currently a half price voucher that you can apply for the '23andme health and ancentry' kit. Also of note, is that at least when I completed the test I wasn't obliged to use my real name, so if there are concerns about a future where medical or insurance companies use your dna data against you, it would be harder to do so.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B019D9HEGG/?tag=acorn06-21
(the tag automatically appears, i'm not posting an affiliate link or anything, just a link to the page in question!)

 

[Murray]

@Katch! I was thinking more about just visiting the doctor vs private

Last November I went to the doctor complaining of severe fatigue and he booked me some basic tests, I asked to be tested for vitamin D because I thought I probably don't nearly get enough sun, the doctor only added it on my suggestion

All my results came back normal, red and white bloods cells etc

My vitamin D (as said earlier in this thread) was 14 nmol which is a severe deficiency

If I hadn't have asked for it to be tested, with my other results being fine, would they have bothered with further testing? you would hope so but who knows

Also despite telling him I was vegetarian I'm 99% sure they didn't check my b12 level, they rely on analysing red blood cell size for that as an indication of b12 deficiency instead of a direct test, but if you take folate b9 (which I do in a multivitamin), that will make your red blood cells normal and mask the deficiency

The only reason I tested for b9+b12 in the thriva test was because I knew my vitamin D was normal now and thought my iron, b9 or b12 could be low which is common in vegetarians and a likely reason for fatigue

Even if I didn't personally know, at least Thriva directly suggest testing things when you say you're on a vegetarian /vegan diet and don't rely on red blood cell count/size

Thriva suggest it because they make extra money per test

Doctor doesn't suggest it because it costs extra money per test

And the cherry on top of the cake is as said above, the NHS don't even do the best type of test for b12 deficiency

Basically you can't trust the NHS not to under-test and fob you off

Maybe you can't trust Thriva not to suggest things and over-test but that's a far better option when health is involved

 

[newguy]

@Katch! I was thinking more about just visiting the doctor vs private

Last November I went to the doctor complaining of severe fatigue and he booked me some basic tests, I asked to be tested for vitamin D because I thought I probably don't nearly get enough sun, the doctor only added it on my suggestion

All my results came back normal, red and white bloods cells etc

My vitamin D (as said earlier in this thread) was 14 nmol which is a severe deficiency

If I hadn't have asked for it to be tested, with my other results being fine, would they have bothered with further testing? you would hope so but who knows

Also despite telling him I was vegetarian I'm 99% sure they didn't check my b12 level, they rely on analysing red blood cell size for that as an indication of b12 deficiency instead of a direct test, but if you take folate b9 (which I do in a multivitamin), that will make your red blood cells normal and mask the deficiency

The only reason I tested for b9+b12 in the thriva test was because I knew my vitamin D was normal now and thought my iron, b9 or b12 could be low which is common in vegetarians and a likely reason for fatigue

Even if I didn't personally know, at least Thriva directly suggest testing things when you say you're on a vegetarian /vegan diet and don't rely on red blood cell count/size

Thriva suggest it because they make extra money per test

Doctor doesn't suggest it because it costs extra money per test

And the cherry on top of the cake is as said above, the NHS don't even do the best type of test for b12 deficiency

Basically you can't trust the NHS not to under-test and fob you off

Maybe you can't trust Thriva not to suggest things and over-test but that's a far better option when health is involved

Making a few changes here and there really seem to have transformed you. We're lucky to live in an age where these tests are now affordable and we're more able to take control of our health. Many people no doubt never even get around discovering why they feel a certain way, and just accept it as part of their life which is unfortunate if it turns out to be something that's relatively easily remedied.