Amy Nett: Next question from Nick. Nick says, “I listened to the Revolution Health Radio podcast “Could copper-zinc imbalance be making you sick?” Chris mentions using the SpectraCell micronutrient test in the case of high copper to check for other nutrient imbalances that may be precluding copper removal. I’ve been utilizing SpectraCell’s micronutrient testing more frequently and I’m wondering if using its findings for B-vitamin deficiency is prudent. For example, I have a patient and who has results of folate fully functional deficiency, B12 and B6 borderline deficiencies, need to run a CBC, but I’m thinking of testing gastrin and IF to rule out pernicious anemia. Patient has asphyxic episodes, and mainstream medicine has been unable to provide any answers over 10 years. Sound approach or jumping to conclusions?”
I took a quick look at that RHR, the Revolution Health Radio podcast that you mentioned, because I just didn’t remember it and it looks like even though on the website it says it was last updated February 2019, I think that one was actually recorded about four or five years ago. Looking at the content briefly in that, I’m not really sure it’s up to date in terms of being consistent with how we’re practicing at this time. I know it’s tricky when you’re listening to podcasts, and it’s not always even clear when they were recorded. I think that one is pretty old. I’m not running SpectraCell micronutrient testing. I don’t think Chris is either. I think what we’re all running right now is the Genova ION profile to do more of the micronutrient testing.
Sorry. Let me just check the chats. I’m not the best multitasker. I think what we can do is look into that podcast a little bit more and maybe update it so it’s a little bit more current. But again, I would say that if you want to do micronutrient testing, really, we’re favoring the Genova ION panel. For copper and zinc balance specifically, we’re using a lot more just serum and red blood cell testing, which again you can just do that through LabCorp or Quest. But what we’re really looking at is repeat measurements of zinc and copper and looking at those ratios. That’s specific for the zinc and copper, but you’re saying more generally can you use the SpectraCell micronutrient testing. Again, I would say in our clinic we’ve moved away from that test and have favored the Geneva ION profile.
In terms of your question about the patient who has the folate and B12 kind of borderline, I don’t know—Spectracell, if you want to stick with that, I think, use the LabCorp and Quest B12. Folate, use the serum levels, do an RBC folate, look at homocysteine, look at the methylmalonic acid. We have so many different metrics there, and then you could also use the urine organic acid testing, so that you can look into … Again, I think urine methylmalonic acid is sometimes more reliable than serum methylmalonic acid, and the urine organic acid test is also going to give you the formiminoglutamate to help you figure out whether or not folate is adequate. Right now, I would favor using blood work from LabCorp or Quest, urine organic acids testing and for micronutrient testing really favoring Genova’s—oh sorry, it’s the NutrEval, sorry. The ION profile, I believe, is more in the way of amino acids. I think it has some organic acids, has some measures of oxidative stress, so sorry about that. The NutrEval is the Genova version of micronutrient testing, and I think that’s what we’ve been moving towards, so NutrEval, but we do use the ION profile for looking for amino acids, etc.
Hopefully, that gives you a little more information on what we’re doing in terms of micronutrient testing, zinc and copper status, B vitamins sufficiency. And then you also asked the question, “Should you test gastrin and intrinsic factor autoantibodies?” I don’t know. I might just run another CBC, B12, run those basic labs and see if you really think that there is insufficiency before running the autoantibodies.