Verisana Keto Inflammation Test
Many of us start a keto diet either because we want to lose weight or are sick and want to get healthy.
One of the reasons that a ketogenic diet has a positive impact on so many diseases we experience today is that it reduces the inflammation in our bodies.
Now, we all know inflammation has its place and is a positive process when for instance you burn your hand and the inflammation process kicks in to heal the injury.
However the problem we have is that when chronic inflammation kicks in, mostly because of lifestyle, long term damage can be done to many organs.
Now you can either assume that inflammation is one of the drivers of the extra body fat and unease in your body or you can perform tests to measure the level of inflammation.
In this article we have a look at the benefits of measuring inflammation levels and then we take a closer look at the Verisana Lab Keto testing kit.
Benefits of Inflammation Testing
The benefits of measuring inflammation levels when you start a keto diet is that:
- 1You confirm whether your body is inflamed or not and you get an understanding of just how inflamed your body is.
- 2You create a base with which you can compare subsequent readings or measurements. In this way you can clearly see whether the dietary changes you make are effective.
- 3You’ll get an understanding of the underlying cause of whatever symptoms you are experiencing.
Now you don’t need these tests to tell if you are suffering from chronic inflammation. Inflammation is considered to be a major contributor to many diseases.
So, if you suffer from joint pain, are overweight, are pre-diabetic or diabetic or have inflammatory bowel disease just to name a few, your body is most probably inflamed.
If you just want to start out a ketogenic diet, then start here with our checklists.
But…
If like me, you are a big fan of numbers and data when you need certainty and want a way to measure results. Then you’ll want to read on…
Now before you start any diet or make major lifestyle changes, you should discuss it with your personal physician.
The objective here is to give you an understanding of what to expect should you order the Verisana Lab Keto Inflammation Test.
This is a promotional article by Verisana Lab.
Please bear in mind that if you order a lab test from any link on this page, Essential Keto may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The Verisana Lab Keto Inflammation Test
Verisana has put together a package with 5 inflammation tests that you can order from their lab.
These tests are based on 5 scientifically validated markers that they believe will give you all the information you need to know how inflamed your body is.
With this knowledge you can then take proactive steps to reclaim your health and well-being.
What markers will be measured
The 5 tests that they propose are a combination of blood and stool tests. These are the markers that they measure:
1 – Alpha-1-antitrypsin
These proteins are produced by the liver and cells of the gut. Their main purpose is to protect lung cells.
Normally there should be very few of these proteins in your gastrointestinal tract. When the levels are high, it is an indication of abnormal intestinal permeability.
So when it is elevated, it indicates a tissue injury, necrosis, infection or inflammation.
2 – C-reactive protein (CRP)
This protein is released into the blood by the liver in response to any kind of inflammation.
Its level rises and falls rapidly as inflammation gets worse or are brought under control. It is therefore a useful marker to monitor disease activity.
When CRP remains high, it is an indication of chronic systemic inflammation and this would warrant further investigations and a complete clinical evaluation.
3 – Secretory IgA (sIgA)
This test assess the immunological activity in the gut.
This immune protein coats the intestinal lining and therefore protect us against potential pathogens that we may ingest through our food.
Here we don’t want the level to be too low as that will mean that our first line of defense is vulnerable.
A low level can be as a result of damage to the intestinal wall, inflammatory diseases, allergies or food intolerances.
4 – Calprotectin
This antimicrobial protein is released by cells of the innate immune system.
It is a sensitive marker of acute and chronic intestinal inflammatory conditions and is present in proportion to the severity the inflammation present.
5 – Lysozyme
This enzyme is part of the intestinal mucosal barrier.
Levels will be high if inflammation associated with the overgrowth of pathogens such as yeast or harmful bacteria is present.
What exactly do they do
Firstly they provide you with a kit, so that you can take the required samples.
You’ll get very precise instructions on how to take the tests, store the samples and return them to the Lab.
Once they receive the samples, they run the tests and will provide you with the results, a normal range for each marker and an illustration of where your results fit within this range.
What Verisana doesn’t do
They provide you with the results you need, but do not interpret or discuss the results with you.
For medical or health advice, you’ll have to contact your health care provider.
When to collect the samples
That will depend on the specific procedure, but with this specific kit, it is important to post the samples on Mondays as the samples should not be sitting at the post office overnight.
Who are these Keto Kits for
Geeks who like numbers!
Just kidding…
But,
If you want to know for sure and don’t like to guess then these results will give you a specific answer as to how inflamed your body is.
If you like to measure progress, then it is useful to have a starting point against which you can measure.
This way you can clearly see the impact of your diet changes on your inflammation markers.
How much does it cost
At the time of publishing the price for the comprehensive keto inflammatory test kit is $219.95 including taxes and shipping.
You may be asking yourself, why not just get this done at any lab, well here are some of the reasons you’d want to consider working with Verisana…
Why use the Verisana Lab
- It is easy to take the samples yourself in the privacy of your own home.
- It is customizable – Order exactly what you need.
- High quality lab results done in a laboratory that has been working directly with consumers since 2011. As you’d expect all their procedures comply with regulatory requirements and all tests are run by qualified and educated lab professionals.
- Easy to understand, reasonable and transparent pricing. You’ll know exactly how much you’ll pay before you book. No unexpected bills down the line.
What about other lab work
Verisana prides themselves as an analytical laboratory that services both medical specialists as well as end consumers who take control of their own health.
They therefore offer a wide range of lab tests needed for preventative health care.
… and yes if you believe in identifying the root cause of an illness rather than just treating symptoms, you’ll want to check out the various tests they offer.
Another marker that is a good way to measure results when following a keto diet is Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). It indicates the average glucose levels in your blood over the last three months.
You’ll want to measure this marker when you start a keto diet and then again 3 months later. You can read more about it here at The Diet Doctor.
I spoke to the folks at Verisana Laboratory and they said that they can measure this marker. Just ask them.
In Conclusion
If you are serious about improving your health, you have to reduce chronic inflammation in your body.
When you do that, you will feel the change!
If you want to go on more than what you feel and measure and monitor the improvements, then having a reliable lab available will give you peace of mind that you are on the right track.
If you have any questions or comments, please let us know in the comments below.