The Cardio ION Nutritional Test
Finally something new and exciting to talk about. Well it’s not actually new but its new to New York State. There is a company in Georgia that has been in business for over 20 years doing nutritional analysis and finally they have gotten clearance to do business in New York and that’s big news because this analysis could be fundamental to figuring out what’s wrong with you.
I do a lot of blood work … its one of the most important ways to access what’s wrong with you. We doctors check your thyroid, your Vitamin D, your liver and kidney function, your cholesterol etc. … but we have never before had the option to check your health at the cellular level. Never before could we check your amino acid levels, your toxins like aluminum, cadmium, mercury, lead, your omega 3’s, omega 6’s, oxidative stress, cell membrane components etc. all in one test.
Think of it this way. Your cells, the cells that make up your body —wherein all the chemical processes that keep you alive take place— are swimming in a pool of nutrients and chemicals. The question is … are your cells swimming in Skaneateles lake or are they swimming in Onondaga lake? Now for the first time we can actually measure these chemicals.
Your doctor knows about essential amino acids. Your doctor certainly knows about vitamins. Your doctor knows about chemical processes like the Krebs cycle. We all studied these pathways and processes. What we have not done is actually measure these nutrients in your body. We can now. We know the chemical components of these pathways. We know the composition of the cell walls and the mitochondria … but we have never before been able to see if your components are the right ones and the right amount. We can now. We can compare your own unique “recipe” with the gold standard “recipe” and the great thing is that we can adjust your recipe with changes of diet and use of selected supplements tailored to your specific deficiencies to approach the gold standard and when your recipe approaches the gold standard your health improves.
It’s really like a chemistry class. There are millions of chemical reactions taking place in your body continuously. Every chemist knows it is critical to have the right amount of the right ingredients to get a good product. Just ask Mr. White in Breaking Bad. Finally your doctor can order a test that tells us if you have the right amount of the right substrates for building health in your body.
How many people with chronic fatigue, malaise, or other chronic illness have been to doctor after doctor and found nothing actionable. “It’s your genes” or “it’s depression” or “its all in your head” are common rationale for not finding the cause of your illness. What if the real cause for your illness is some deficiency? Why not measure the measurable things and find out?
There are two issues with this testing which is called Cardio-Ion test and its offered by Genova Diagnostics in California. The first issue is that it’s not a cheap test. -But neither is an MRI or a Cat Scan. The cost varies depending on your insurance and deductible etc. With no insurance the cost is around $500 dollars. As of 3/19/2019 there were only 5 doctors ordering this test in New York. As I said it’s been around for over 20 years but only available in NYS since 2018. As one of the five current doctors ordering the test in New York I am still trying to get a firm price for my patients but you don’t have to come to me or one of the other doctors. Your own doctor can sign up to order the test. There is no charge to open an account or onerous paperwork to do so it’s not that hard for your health care provider to get set up to do this test.
The second issue is that the test is so specific, so detailed, that it will take your doctor some real effort to learn how to interpret it. The 11 page report measures the standard items like total cholesterol triglycerides etc. but also measures ferritin fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, insulin, testosterone, magnesium, homocysteine coenzyme Q10, 2 different measures of your vitamin E, limiting amino acids, branched-chain amino acids, essential amino acids, neurotransmitters and precursors, urea cycle and ammonia detoxification, aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, zinc, copper, selenium, lipid peroxidase, DNA oxidative stress markers, polyunsaturated omega-3, omega-6, monounsaturated fats, saturated fats, and nutrient markers. It also measures cell-regulation markers, toxicants and detoxification and compounds related to bacterial or yeast/fungal origin. How’s that for a list!!?! So your doctor understands all these components but has never had to review them in this way so be patient with them. I was introduced to this test by Dr. Sheri Rogers and I actually pay her to help me interpret the results. Once I have done enough tests I will be qualified on my own but I have been impressed with how much information you can extract from this test. Dr. Rogers —like Dr. Gundry— believes that food, the right food, is critical to your health and they both believe that supplements are necessary to achieve the right “recipe” -(in part because we live in such a processed, inorganic world). These two experts from vastly different experiences and very different geographical locations both believe that only through lab tests can we really know the correctness of your “recipe” so to speak.
Do your own research. It’s your health and wellness after all. I think this testing will become standard practice as more and more doctors become familiar with it. The more exact science we can bring to bear on your health the better.
Until next month … get well and stay well.
