The Value of Testing

What’s wrong with me? … a rhetorical question—please don’t answer, even if you think you know.

For the past year or so, I've felt that something is not quite right. I've been complaining of low energy, poor concentration, memory problems, and leg cramps, among other things. My quest to discover the cause of my less than stellar health has taken me in many directions. I've looked at mineral deficiencies, vitamin deficiencies, heavy metal toxicity, and even yeast overgrowth—all of which can display many of the same symptoms. Trying to clean out my body and balance my vitamin and mineral levels has often felt like a wild goose chase. The supplements I take every day would fill my mother’s old button box and be nearly as colorful! There have been improvements here and there, but things are still not quite right.

Finally, I have decided to seek the advice of a medical doctor—but not just any medical doctor. I wanted one who understands and appreciates the value of natural healing. It was my chiropractor who referred me  to a “wellness” practitioner I will call Dr. B, a young physician who is just starting her own practice. Dr. B is board certified in Family Medicine and Integrative Holistic Medicine. I made the appointment and went in to see her.

So far we've spent roughly two hours (over two appointments) discussing my state of health (an amount of time roughly equal to the actual face-time spent with all the other doctors I've seen over the past ten years or so). At the initial visit, Dr. B recommended that we actually do a blood test to see where my levels are with vitamins, minerals, and metal toxins...since those are the things I've been concerned about. What a novel idea! And last week I got the results.

To my surprise, my body is not reeking with heavy metal toxins, as I feared it was—in spite of my many mercury-laden fillings, though I did show a surprisingly high level of cadmium.  Surprising because cadmium toxicity is typically connected with smokers, and I've never smoked or spent a lot of time around smokers. My toxic load can be managed by a mild detox supplement that will help my body clear the unwanted metals gently over a few months. 

But the other surprise was that I am deficient in potassium.

  Dr. B:  Did you start on a multi-vitamin as I recommended?

  Me:  Yes! (smile)

  Dr. B:  How much potassium is in it?

  Me:  3 mg.

  Dr. B: That’s pathetic (paraphrased).

 (There’s more potassium than that in one bite of banana. Why do they bother?)

Let’s talk about potassium. This little mineral is critical to cell health. Potassium is one of the four electrolytes—it has electrical properties when dissolved in the blood, and is essential for conducting nerve impulses. Potassium assists in proper muscle contraction (hence the cramping when there’s not enough of it). It’s important for energy metabolism and regulates the transfer of nutrients through the cell membranes. In addition, potassium, in conjunction with sodium, helps to maintain fluid balance in the cells—potassium maintains fluid inside the cell walls while sodium controls fluid levels outside the cell walls.

Some of the symptoms of potassium deficiency are muscle cramps, fatigue, mental confusion, abnormally dry skin, bowel problems (both diarrhea and constipation), high cholesterol levels, low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and in extreme cases, heart attack.

So how did I get deficient in potassium? Probably by following a Candida-killing diet devoid of fruit. (This is what happens when we get our doctoring off the internet.) The good news is that correcting the deficiency is as simple as adding foods rich in potassium back into the diet.

The moral of the blog-post story is this: when it comes to health, don’t mess around. It’s tempting to think we know what we’re doing because we researched the topics thoroughly…and by thoroughly, I mean at least two whole articles off the web. My next lab test (coming up later this week) will screen for Candida yeast overgrowth. Do I really have a problem with it or have I mis-attributed my symptoms? I will find out, and when I do, my doctor and I will discuss a treatment plan that will tackle the problem effectively. In the meantime, I have reverted to a more balanced diet that includes fruit and other potassium-rich natural foods. 

And did I mention that dark chocolate is an excellent source of potassium?  (Sigh.) I’m feeling better already.