PUFA testing?

asdfjkl

Hello,

This is my first time posting on this forum so please forgive if I have fumbled on any house rules. I did look for my topic but didn't find anything that matched.

There seem to be some relatively simple "at home" type tests out there that can be used for checking the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., EPA and DHA) in red blood cells. Some are done through a finger prick while other tests are able to be ordered online, out of pocket (no doctor or insurance) and taken to a nearby participating lab.

While these tests are typically used to justify adding fish oils and the like through diet or supplementing, I would think these tests could also be used "off-label" to show when the numbers are "high" (in the RP world).

Has anyone ever done a test like this on your own and, if so, have you found it to be a reliable way to check in on efforts to keep PUFAs low? Are there other, better ways to check? What is the ideal range for these types of tests (through the metabolic/Peat lens)?

Thank you.

Peatly

Good question – been thinking about this lately as I too would like to know my pufa status. I came across this article when I was looking. The article explains some of challenges of testing and what to look for.

Metabolic indices of polyunsaturated fatty acids: current evidence, research controversies, and clinical utility

asdfjkl

@Peatly Thank you!

Ray Peat Fanboy

@asdfjkl said in PUFA testing?:

Hello,

This is my first time posting on this forum so please forgive if I have fumbled on any house rules. I did look for my topic but didn't find anything that matched.

There seem to be some relatively simple "at home" type tests out there that can be used for checking the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., EPA and DHA) in red blood cells. Some are done through a finger prick while other tests are able to be ordered online, out of pocket (no doctor or insurance) and taken to a nearby participating lab.

While these tests are typically used to justify adding fish oils and the like through diet or supplementing, I would think these tests could also be used "off-label" to show when the numbers are "high" (in the RP world).

Has anyone ever done a test like this on your own and, if so, have you found it to be a reliable way to check in on efforts to keep PUFAs low? Are there other, better ways to check? What is the ideal range for these types of tests (through the metabolic/Peat lens)?

Thank you.

Hello,

Haidut said he got a test for ESR (a marker of inflammation ) . The lower the score of ESR the more likely to have PUFA deficiency.