Thyroid Function (TSH)
The standard first test of thyroid function; rises when thyroid hormone (and often iodine) runs low.
22 June 2026
Evidence-based nutrition, in plain English — every entry sourced from clinical research.
Every entry in this collection — sourced, checked and written to be read.
The standard first test of thyroid function; rises when thyroid hormone (and often iodine) runs low.
The share of EPA + DHA in red blood cells; a validated long-term omega-3 status marker, optimal around 8%.
Glycated haemoglobin: your average blood sugar over ~3 months; responds to sustained higher-fibre, lower-refined-carb eating.
The “good” cholesterol that clears cholesterol from arteries; raised by monounsaturated fat, oily fish and activity.
The earliest, most sensitive marker of iron stores; responds to dietary iron and the vitamin C that aids absorption.
A readout of B-vitamin status; folate, B12 and B6 bring it down. Raised levels track vascular and cognitive risk.
The blood fat most responsive to diet — driven up by sugar, refined starch and alcohol, lowered by oily fish.
The “bad” cholesterol that drives artery plaque; strongly diet-responsive through soluble fibre and unsaturated fats.
The blood form of vitamin D and the marker of your vitamin D status; below ~50 nmol/L is insufficient.
Arterial pressure, strongly diet-responsive through dietary nitrate, potassium and sodium balance.
Baseline blood sugar after an overnight fast — the first-line screen for prediabetes and diabetes.
Elevated urinary oxalate raises the risk of calcium-oxalate kidney stones, the most common stone type.