People use nootropics for a variety of reasons. Some are looking for a little extra focus to help them get ahead at work. Some are trying to reduce anxiety and stress. Others might be searching for something to improve their mood or increase motivation. And for all these things, there are nootropics that can make a big difference.
There's no question that nootropics work. Certain nootropics may work better for some people than others. But in general, they work. The question is, why do they work? Are they giving you the boost that you think they are? Or are they masking the symptoms of an underlying problem?
If nootropics interest you because you want to simply improve performance, that's one thing. But if you're interested in them because you have trouble staying focused, find that you're often in a bad mood, have a lot of anxiety, poor memory, or are dealing with other issues, there might be an underlying cause.
These things can be the result of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, hormone imbalances, and other problems within the body. Figuring out what's causing your brain fog, anxiety, depression, lack of motivation, or memory issues can often be as simple as going to your local lab and getting some blood drawn. Fortunately, getting blood work has never been easier or more affordable.
That's what this post is all about. We're going to look at what blood work can tell us about our brain health, what test(s) to order, what the results mean, and more. But first, let's take a look at how the whole process works.
Getting blood work done privately
If you're like most people, the only blood work you regularly get done is a lipid panel (to check cholesterol) as part of your yearly physical. Your doctor orders the test, you get your blood drawn, she lets you know if anything is wrong within a few days, and your insurance company handles the bill.
Unless you ask your doctor to order other tests, this is usually the only blood work most people get done. Even when you do ask, many doctors give their patients a hard time about ordering additional tests. And when they do agree, getting additional tests done through your doctor can be very expensive.
Fortunately, now you can order your own blood tests without having to go see your doctor. Companies like Health Labs make it easy and affordable for anyone to order the tests they want. You simply go to their website, order the test(s) that you want, go to a local lab to get your blood drawn, and get your results online within a few days.
I've done this several times myself and the whole process is incredibly easy. And it's much cheaper than I would've expected. When you get blood work through your doctor, the price is dramatically inflated by your insurance company. But when you get it done through a company like Health Labs, the cost is much lower.
Now that private testing is easy and affordable, you can take control of your own healthcare. And it is private. Of course you can share the results with your doctor if you want to, but you don't have to. The only challenging thing about the whole process is deciding what test(s) to order. But after reading this post, you should have a good idea about which tests are right for you.
What test(s) to order
The first thing you need to do is ask yourself why you're using nootropics or at least thinking about using them. Are you trying to increase focus and improve memory because you often have severe brain fog? Are you trying to improve your mood because you're often sad? Are you trying to reduce anxiety because you're a nervous wreck and can't get anything done?
Once you have your answer, you can move on to the next question: What are the potential underlying causes? Let's say, for example, that you've been using ashwagandha and l-theanine to reduce anxiety. What could help to explain why you're so anxious to begin with? Anxiety is a potential symptom of several micronutrient deficiencies including magnesium, vitamin D, zinc, iron, and some B vitamins. It can also be caused by hormone imbalances and other conditions.
Now, take a look at your diet. Are you getting plenty of the nutrients mentioned above? If you think you might not be getting enough of one or more of them, order a test to see if you've developed a deficiency. If you eat a well-balanced diet, you know it's unlikely that a deficiency is the problem. But you can order a hormone panel to find out if that is the cause.
The example I used wasn't random. It's a true story – my true story. For years, I had bad anxiety and tried a number of things for it including ashwagandha and l-theanine. My diet was good and I had been taking a daily multivitamin, so I knew that a nutritional deficiency was unlikely. I decided to order a hormone panel through Health Labs and found out that certain hormone levels were low. Then, I took the results to my doctor and got prescribed something to balance my hormones. Ever since, my anxiety has been gone.
To figure out what might be causing the problems you're trying to solve with nootropics, you'll need to do some research. If you're using nootropics to improve your mood because you always feel a bit down, for example, you might want to do a Google search for “deficiencies that can cause depression,” “blood tests and depression,” and other similar phrases.
Below are some common reasons why people use nootropics and blood tests that might shed some light onto their causes. This is not an all-inclusive list but it should help you get started.
Blood work for brain health
Here are some common reasons why people use nootropics, the goal they're trying to accomplish by using them, and blood tests that can help to determine the underlying cause.
Reason #1: Sadness, depression, bad mood, low energy
Goal: Improve mood, increase energy levels
Tests: Vitamin D, folate (folic acid), vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, zinc, iodine, selenium, testosterone (men), estrogen (women), thyroid
Reason #2: Anxiety, worry, excessive stress
Goal: Relax, reduce anxiety and stress
Tests: Magnesium, vitamin D, zinc, iron, some B vitamins, hormones
Reason #3: Trouble focusing, brain fog
Goal: Increased focus
Tests: Vitamin D, folate, several B vitamins, iron, zinc, hormones, thyroid
Reason #4: Memory problems, difficulty remembering things
Goal: Improved memory
Tests: Vitamins B1, B3, B6, B9, & B12 (especially B1 and B12), vitamin D
You probably noticed that some tests are recommended for multiple reasons. That's because certain deficiencies or chemical imbalances can result in a variety of problems. Take vitamin D, for example. Your body needs it for proper immune function, to build bone, hormone synthesis, and for brain health. If you are deficient, it can cause problems with your immune system, your bones, your hormones, and your brain. And those brain problems can result in depression, anxiety, low energy, difficulty remembering things, and an inability to focus.
What to do with your results
So, you ordered a few blood tests, went to the lab, got your blood drawn, and just got the results. Now what? Now it's time to put those results to good use!
If your blood work shows that you are deficient in one or more vitamins and/or minerals, you may want to start supplementing with those substances. Maybe you decided to check your vitamin D levels because you're often anxious, in a bad mood, and don't get a lot of sun. You get the results and find out that your vitamin D levels are low.
A good course of action would be to buy some vitamin D and start supplementing with it. Then, after you've been taking it for a while, see if your mood and anxiety improves. If they do improve, you can reasonably assume that low vitamin D was the cause. If they don't, you may want to order another test to see if supplementing brought your levels up. If it did, you can assume that the cause of your anxiety and depression is something other than vitamin D deficiency.
Once you get your results back from Health Labs, they have experts who can help you to understand exactly what they mean if you're not sure. Or you could bring them to your doctor so the two of you can go over them together, but you don't have to. That's one of the great things about ordering tests yourself. The results are yours and you can decide who does and doesn't get to see them.
Although it's not related to nootropics, Health Labs also offers other types of testing including STD (sexually-transmitted disease) tests. If you want to get tested for STDs but don't want the results to be a part of your permanent medical records, using a private company like Health Labs is a great option. Their prices are very reasonable and you get your results quickly and discreetly.
Conclusion
Blood tests have been an important part of medicine for a long time. They help doctors to diagnose and treat illnesses. Now, anyone cause order blood work to get a better idea of what's wrong with them. It's never been easier or more affordable.
Over the past few years, private testing companies have been getting more and more popular. They put power into the average person's hands, giving them control of their own medical records. Companies like Health Labs lets the consumer check for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, hormone imbalances, STDs, and other medical problems.
Genetic testing is also becoming popular. Companies like 23andMe let you test your genetics to learn about your ancestry and about how your genetics affect your health. We'll be publishing a detailed post about using genetic tests to improve how nootropics work in the future.
To learn more about getting blood work, go check out Health Labs and all the tests they have to offer. I've used them several times myself and have had nothing but positive experiences with them. They have a wide variety of tests, very reasonable prices, easy-to-follow instructions, and fast results. I've also used Personal Labs and they've been great as well. Both companies are great with similar products and prices.
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