The Top 10 Key Biomarkers for Metabolic Health: A Natural Functional Medicine Approach to Optimal Wellness
In natural functional medicine, we don’t just focus on preventing disease; we aim for optimal health. One key area of focus is cellular and metabolic health which plays a crucial role in energy levels, weight management, and overall vitality.
I wanted to provide this guide so that you have the ability to assess your metabolic health with the labs you probably have on hand. Here at my clinic we run all of these top 10 biomarkers plus a handful of other key add ons. We then provide our patients with a Functional Health Report that helps them understand how the dots are connected.
The body works as a whole and when one area/system is not functioning well it can overtime create an issue in another area. The body is always trying to be in homeostasis/ balance (think of it like setting your thermostat to 72 degrees). So take a look at labs through an optimal/proactive lens and see where you have opportunities to make shifts or adjustments before you have major problems.
Top 10 Key Biomarkers for Metabolic Health
Here are the top 10 key biomarkers to assess your metabolic health and their optimal ranges, so you can thrive, not just survive.
1. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
What It Measures: HbA1c is a marker of long-term blood sugar control, giving insights into average blood glucose levels over the past three months.
Functional Medicine Optimal Range: 5.0-5.4%
Why It’s Important: Even slight elevations in HbA1c can indicate insulin resistance or metabolic stress, both of which impact your energy and weight. When A1c is high hemoglobin gets glycated and glucose sticks to the cells. We call it sticky blood and rusty pipes. Functional medicine aims to keep HbA1c well within this range to prevent chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular issues.
2. Fasting Glucose
What It Measures: The amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood after an overnight fast.
Functional Medicine Optimal Range: 80-90 mg/dL
Why It’s Important: Elevated fasting glucose can indicate insulin resistance and a higher risk for metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Functional medicine prioritizes maintaining glucose levels in the lower end of the optimal range for balanced energy and long-term metabolic health.
3. Fasting Insulin
What It Measures: This measures how much insulin your body is producing while in a fasting state.
Functional Medicine Optimal Range: 2-5 µIU/mL
Why It’s Important: Elevated fasting insulin is an early indicator of insulin resistance, which can lead to weight gain, fatigue, and metabolic syndrome. When insulin ranges are high it competes with Nitric Oxide inside the cell. This is why when you become insulin resistant your energy drops.
Most conventional labs do not test for Insulin and the range is very wide, so here is how to figure out if you are Insulin Resistant. Your total Triglyceride / HDL should be less than 1. If not then it is time to make some changes.
Functional medicine practitioners look for low fasting insulin levels to ensure your cells are responding to insulin efficiently.
4. Triglycerides
What It Measures: Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood, often used to assess lipid metabolism and cardiovascular risk.
Functional Medicine Optimal Range: <70 mg/dL
Why It’s Important: High triglycerides can be a sign of poor metabolic health and are linked to insulin resistance, inflammation, and fatty liver disease. When we consume more sugar and carbohydrates than our liver mitochondria can handle, the excess glucose is converted into triglycerides and shipped out into the bloodstream to be stored in tissues and muscles. Triglycerides are a sign of your cells being unable to handle the amount of glucose and carbohydrates coming in.
Functional medicine seeks to optimize triglyceride levels to promote heart health and metabolic flexibility.
5. HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein)
What It Measures: The level of “good” cholesterol in your blood. HDL helps transport cholesterol to the liver to be recycled into bile acids to help prevent oxidation and prevents artery-clogging plaque.
Functional Medicine Optimal Range: >70 mg/dL
Why It’s Important: Higher levels of HDL are protective against heart disease and support healthy fat metabolism. In functional medicine, we aim for higher HDL levels to optimize cardiovascular health and metabolic function.
6. High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)
What It Measures: hs-CRP measures the level of inflammation in the body.
Functional Medicine Optimal Range: <0.5 mg/L
Why It’s Important: Inflammation is at the root of many chronic diseases, including those related to metabolic dysfunction. hs-CRP also provides clues that there is possible infection causing the inflammation in the mouth the digestive tract or the endothelium and warrants further testing. It is also a classic cardiac marker.
7. Waist-to-Hip Ratio
What It Measures: This simple measurement compares the circumference of your waist to your hips, giving insight into fat distribution and metabolic risk.
Functional Medicine Optimal Ratio: For women: <0.8 | For men: <0.9
Why It’s Important: Excess fat around the waist is a key marker of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. The body is having a hard time clearing the excess Glucose so it parks it as fat rather than have glucose in the blood stream. A lower waist-to-hip ratio suggests healthier fat distribution and lower risk for metabolic diseases.
8. Blood Pressure
What It Measures: The force of your blood against the walls of your arteries.
Functional Medicine Optimal Range: 120/80 mmHg
Why It’s Important: High blood pressure is a key indicator of metabolic dysfunction and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage.
Blood pressure is directly related to insulin resistance. Interestingly, one of the many functions of insulin is to stimulate nitric oxide, which is the chemical that dilates vessels and is released from cells of the blood vessel wall. In insulin resistant bodies, this process is impaired, leading to less dilation of vessels. Blood pressure is also an indicator of stress both physical and emotional.
Functional medicine focuses on maintaining optimal blood pressure to prevent these conditions and ensure overall cardiovascular and metabolic health.
9. Vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D)
What It Measures: Vitamin D levels in your blood, which influence immune function, inflammation, and metabolic health.
Functional Medicine Optimal Range: 50-80 ng/mL
Why It’s Important: Vitamin D is a hormone-like vitamin that affects glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and inflammation. Optimizing vitamin D is crucial for a healthy immune system and metabolic health.
10. Total T3 (Triiodothyronine)
What It Measures: Total T3 is the active thyroid hormone that helps regulate metabolism. This marker indicates how well T4 is being converted to T3 in the Liver, Gut and peripheral tissues. Note High stress (Cortisol) can also impair the conversion.
Functional Medicine Optimal Range: 3.2-4.4 pg/mL
Why It’s Important: Thyroid health is crucial for metabolism and energy levels. Low T3 can lead to symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, and difficulty losing weight, even if TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) levels are normal.
The Top 10 Key Biomarkers for Metabolic Health
What can you do if your Metabolic Health is not Optimal?
A Natural Functional Medicine Approach to Optimal Wellness
First it is never too late to improve mitochondrial function through comprehensive dietary and lifestyle strategies. They include unprocessed food, quality sleep, regular movement, increased lean muscle mass, stress management, avoidance of synthetic toxins and chemicals. All the things we have talked about in past newsletters.
You will also benefit from learning how to keep your blood sugar stable. This means eating meals rich in whole foods, filled with omega-3 fats, antioxidants, protein, probiotics and fiber, and minimizing refined sugars and refined grains.
You can also walk after meals, make sure to not eat too much too late at night.
Conclusion:
My hope is that these biomarkers get you started on your health journey, give valuable insight into your metabolic health and allow you to take a proactive approach to your well-being. Natural Functional medicine doesn’t just settle for normal ranges; it looks for opportunities that support vibrant health and longevity.
If you’re looking to fine-tune your metabolic health, make an appointment to come see me so I can help you get there!
Have a healthy week
Dr Pia
