NTP Functional Nutrition & Lab Testing Flashcards

Which functional lab test is used to assess overall thyroid health beyond standard TSH, including conversion of T4 to T3?

Answer: Full thyroid panel: TSH, free T4, free T3, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies

A full thyroid panel assesses production, conversion, and autoimmune activity, giving a more complete picture than TSH alone.

In functional nutrition, elevated fasting insulin with normal fasting glucose is an early indicator of what condition?

Answer: Insulin resistance

Elevated fasting insulin with normal glucose indicates the pancreas is working harder than normal to maintain glucose levels, a hallmark of early insulin resistance.

Which marker in a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) specifically reflects liver synthetic function?

Answer: Albumin

Albumin is produced by the liver, and low serum albumin levels indicate impaired liver synthetic capacity or malnutrition.

A functional nutrition client with elevated RBC (red blood cell) magnesium but low serum magnesium most likely indicates what?

Answer: Cellular magnesium depletion with compensatory retention

Low serum magnesium with preserved RBC magnesium can indicate early depletion where the body is drawing from intracellular stores to maintain serum levels.

Which test is considered the gold standard for assessing iron stores in the body?

Answer: Ferritin

Ferritin is a storage protein for iron, and its serum level directly reflects total body iron stores, making it the most reliable marker.

In functional nutrition labs, an elevated fasting triglyceride-to-HDL ratio is associated with which metabolic pattern?

Answer: Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome

A high triglyceride-to-HDL ratio is a well-validated surrogate marker of insulin resistance and small dense LDL particle pattern.