Cardiovascular blood test!

borebage53

Knife & Fork pending
Just had a phone call from my GP. I’m getting a blood test on Thursday morning as part of my cardiovascular review. Am I safe to assume this is just routine?
 
They just said a blood test. That’s as much as I know till I get there!
ask them, because it tests you for the possibility of having blood clots or strokes.

It may well be a D-Dimer test l don't know as I've recently found out about them and I've brought some in case anyone in the family need testing due to the poisoned jabs.
 
ask them, because it tests you for the possibility of having blood clots or strokes.

It may well be a D-Dimer test l don't know as I've recently found out about them and I've brought some in case anyone in the family need testing due to the poisoned jabs.
I’ll ask when it gets done. Will probably be one of the practice nurses that does it!
 
Possibly an LTC. A long term condition test.

Basically a review of your current treatment, medication etc. Box ticking exercise.

Ask them to check your vitamin D levels if it is not on the list, you do nor want low vit D going into winter. If you already take vitamin D supplements you do not need to bother, you will probably be ok.
 
Possibly an LTC. A long term condition test.

Basically a review of your current treatment, medication etc. Box ticking exercise.

Ask them to check your vitamin D levels if it is not on the list, you do nor want low vit D going into winter. If you already take vitamin D supplements you do not need to bother, you will probably be ok.
Thankyou. I will ask them about Vitamin D levels and look at supplements if needed!
 
Possibly an LTC. A long term condition test.

Basically a review of your current treatment, medication etc. Box ticking exercise.

Ask them to check your vitamin D levels if it is not on the list, you do nor want low vit D going into winter. If you already take vitamin D supplements you do not need to bother, you will probably be ok.
on that issue, we all need to take around 10,000 itu of D3 everyday plus K2 with it so most of it doesn't just go through you, that apples to all who live in the northern hemisphere. 2 tablets normally.
 
on that issue, we all need to take around 10,000 itu of D3 everyday plus K2 with it so most of it doesn't just go through you, that apples to all who live in the northern hemisphere. 2 tablets normally.
It is variable, depending on the individual, but increasing our vit D levels is generally a very good thing. Some people, mainly those who spend a lot of time outdoors, have good levels but most do not. Illness and some medical procedures can reduce vit D levels quite alarmingly.

This is important as good vit D levels are essential to the function of our immune system and will increase our body's effectiveness at combating infections, everything from the common to cold to covid.

If you are over 50 and not taking vit D already, I strongly suggest that you do.
 
Turned out to be a routine blood test for my GP review and to check my medication. Not d-dimer nor will it show up any possible Vitamin D deficiency. The Nurse will phone me the results in 2 weeks time. I will take the good advice pointed out on here though and be getting Vitamin D supplements. Thankyou for all your kind advice Lads!
 
1. Salmon

Salmon is a popular fatty fish and great source of vitamin D.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Composition Database, one 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of farmed Atlantic salmon contains 526 IU of vitamin D, or 66% of the DV (5Trusted Source).

Whether the salmon is wild or farmed can make a big difference.

On average, wild-caught salmon packs 988 IU of vitamin D per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving, or 124% of the DV. Some studies have found even higher levels in wild salmon — up to 1,300 IU per serving (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).

However, farmed salmon contains only 25% of that amount. Still, one serving of farmed salmon provides about 250 IU of vitamin D, or 32% of the DV (6Trusted Source).

Summary

Wild salmon contains about 988 IU of vitamin D per serving, while farmed salmon contains 250 IU, on average. That’s 124% and 32% of the DV, respectively.

2. Herring and sardines

Herring is a fish eaten around the world. It can be served raw, canned, smoked, or pickled.

This small fish is also one of the best sources of vitamin D.

Fresh Atlantic herring provides 216 IU per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving, which is 27% of the DV (8Trusted Source).

If fresh fish isn’t your thing, pickled herring is also a good source of vitamin D, providing 112 IU per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving, or 14% of the DV.

However, pickled herring also contains a high amount of sodium, which some people consume too much of (9Trusted Source).

Canned sardines are a good source of vitamin D as well — one can (3.8 ounces) contains 177 IU, or 22% of the DV (10Trusted Source).

Other types of fatty fish are also good vitamin D sources. Halibut and mackerel provide 384 IU and 360 IU per half a fillet, respectively (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).

Summary

Herring contains 216 IU of vitamin D per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving. Pickled herring, sardines, and other fatty fish, such as halibut and mackerel, are also good sources.



3. Cod liver oil

Cod liver oil is a popular supplement. If you don’t like fish, taking cod liver oil can be key to obtaining certain nutrients that are unavailable in other sources.

It’s an excellent source of vitamin D — at about 448 IU per teaspoon (4.9 ml), it clocks in at a massive 56% of the DV. It has been used for many years to prevent and treat deficiency in children (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

Cod liver oil is likewise a fantastic source of vitamin A, with 150% of the DV in just one teaspoon (4.9 ml). However, vitamin A can be toxic in high amounts.

Therefore, be cautious with cod liver oil, making sure to not take too much.

In addition, cod liver oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which many people are deficient in.

Summary

Cod liver oil contains 448 IU of vitamin D per teaspoon (4.9 ml), or 56% of the DV. It is also high in other nutrients, such as vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids.

4. Canned tuna

Many people enjoy canned tuna because of its flavor and easy storage methods.

It’s also usually cheaper than buying fresh fish.

Canned light tuna packs up to 268 IU of vitamin D in a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving, which is 34% of the DV.

It’s also a good source of niacin and vitamin K (15Trusted Source).

Unfortunately, canned tuna contains methylmercury, a toxin found in many types of fish. If it builds up in your body, it can cause serious health problems (16Trusted Source).

However, some types of fish pose less risk than others. For instance, light tuna is typically a better choice than white tuna — it’s considered safe to eat up to 6 ounces (170 grams) per week (17Trusted Source).

Summary

Canned tuna contains 268 IU of vitamin D per serving. Choose light tuna and eat 6 ounces (170 grams) or less per week to prevent methylmercury buildup.

5. Egg yolks

People who don’t eat fish should know that seafood is not the only source of vitamin D. Whole eggs are another good source, as well as a wonderfully nutritious food.

While most of the protein in an egg is found in the white, the fat, vitamins, and minerals are found mostly in the yolk.

One typical egg yolk contains 37 IU of vitamin D, or 5% of the DV (7Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).

Vitamin D levels in egg yolk depend on sun exposure and the vitamin D content of chicken feed. When given the same feed, pasture-raised chickens that roam outside in the sunlight produce eggs with levels 3–4 times higher (25Trusted Source).

Additionally, eggs from chickens given vitamin-D-enriched feed may have up to 6,000 IU of vitamin D per yolk. That’s a whopping 7 times the DV (26Trusted Source).

Choosing eggs either from chickens raised outside or marketed as high in vitamin D can be a great way to meet your daily requirements.

Summary

Eggs from commercially raised hens contain only about 37 IU of vitamin D per yolk. However, eggs from hens raised outside or fed vitamin-D-enriched feed contain much higher levels.

6. Mushrooms

Excluding fortified foods, mushrooms are the only good plant source of vitamin D.

Like humans, mushrooms can synthesize this vitamin when exposed to UV light (27Trusted Source).

However, mushrooms produce vitamin D2, whereas animals produce vitamin D3.

Though vitamin D2 helps raise blood levels of vitamin D, it may not be as effective as vitamin D3 (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).

Nonetheless, wild mushrooms are excellent sources of vitamin D2. In fact, some varieties pack up to 2,300 IU per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving — nearly three times the DV (30).

On the other hand, commercially grown mushrooms are often grown in the dark and contain very little D2.

However, certain brands are treated with ultraviolet (UV light). These mushrooms can provide 130–450 IU of vitamin D2 per 3.5 ounces (100 grams) (31).

Summary

Mushrooms can synthesize vitamin D2 when exposed to UV light. Only wild mushrooms or mushrooms treated with UV light are good sources of vitamin D.

7. Fortified foods

Natural sources of vitamin D are limited, especially if you’re vegetarian or don’t like fish.

Fortunately, some food products that don’t naturally contain vitamin D are fortified with this nutrient.

Cow’s milk

Cow’s milk, the most commonly consumed type of milk, is naturally a good source of many nutrients, including calcium, phosphorous, and riboflavin (32Trusted Source).

In several countries, cow’s milk is fortified with vitamin D. It usually contains about 115–130 IU per cup (237 ml), or about 15–22% of the DV (7Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source).

Soy milk

Because vitamin D is found almost exclusively in animal products, vegetarians and vegans are at a particularly high risk of not getting enough (34Trusted Source).

For this reason, plant-based milk substitutes like soy milk are often fortified with this nutrient and other vitamins and minerals usually found in cow’s milk.

One cup (237 ml) typically contains 107–117 IU of vitamin D, or 13–15% of the DV (35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source).

Orange juice

Around 75% of people worldwide are lactose intolerant, and another 2–3% have a milk allergy (37Trusted Source, 38Trusted Source).

For this reason, some countries fortify orange juice with vitamin D and other nutrients, such as calcium (39Trusted Source).

One cup (237 ml) of fortified orange juice with breakfast can start your day off with up to 100 IU of vitamin D, or 12% of the DV (40Trusted Source).

Cereal and oatmeal

Certain cereals and instant oatmeal are also fortified with vitamin D.

Half a cup (78 grams) of these foods can provide 54–136 IU, or up to 17% of the DV (41Trusted Source, 42Trusted Source).

Though fortified cereals and oatmeal provide less vitamin D than many natural sources, they can still be a good way to boost your intake.

Summary

Foods such as cow’s milk, soy milk, orange juice, cereals, and oatmeal are sometimes fortified with vitamin D. These contain 54-136 IU per serving.

Vitamin D and calcium

Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium, which plays a key role in maintaining bone strength and skeletal integrity (43Trusted Source).

Getting enough of both vitamin D and calcium is crucial to maintaining bone health and protecting against disorders like osteoporosis, a condition that is characterized by weak, brittle bones (44Trusted Source).

Children and adults aged 1–70 need approximately 600 IU of vitamin D per day, and it can come from a combination of food sources and sunlight. Meanwhile, adults over 70 should aim for at least 800 IU (20 mcg) of vitamin D per day (45Trusted Source).

The daily value (DV), a rating system used on the labels of packaged food, is 800 IU per day.

Calcium needs also vary by age. Children aged 1–8 require about 2,500 mg of calcium daily, and those ages 9–18 need approximately 3,000 mg daily.

Adults ages 19–50 generally require about 2,500 mg daily, which decreases to 2,000 mg daily for those over age 50 (46Trusted Source).

Summary

Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium. This makes getting enough of both vitamin D and calcium crucial to maintaining bone health and preventing osteoporosis.

The bottom line

Spending time in the sun is a good way to get your daily dose of vitamin D. However, sufficient sun exposure is difficult for many people to achieve.

Getting enough from your diet alone may be difficult, but not impossible.

The foods listed in this article are some of the top sources of vitamin D available.

Eating plenty of these vitamin-D-rich foods is a great way to make sure you get enough of this important nutrient.
 
Grapefruit and Cranberry are amazing at thinning your blood, and obviously green stuff will thicken your blood, spinach and cabbage and stuff. But a massive thing for healthy blood is drinking enough good water everyday.
 
Cheers Lads, I'll pass on the fish if you don't mind but take heed of most of the rest of it!
About 5 years ago I developed throat cancer, curable but the treatment was a bitch.

After settling down and stabilising nicely, Mrs AFC, a high end nurse practitioner decided that we needed to take a little more care of ourselves. We didn't want to get silly and obsessed so we started a simple regime, that after a bit of refinement has settled down to this.

Every morning we take a decent vitamin C plus zinc tablet and 2000-3000 iu tablet of vitamin D3. Thats it, nice and simple. Plenty of other options we could take but the above covers most of the bases for most people.

We rarely if ever get colds, or flu type illnesses, our routine blood tests are always fine and my heart issues apart, we are in good shape, highly recommended as a base starting point.
 
Cheers Lads, I'll pass on the fish if you don't mind but take heed of most of the rest of it!
couple of points C, only eat wild salmon and if you take D3 vitamins always take K2 with it as it will stop most of it going straight through your system, it'll bind the D3. The rule of thumb, as l was told by a holistic dietician l see is that the fish that are more or less the shape fish that kids draw are the ones to eat.

oh yeh, don't buy anything from Holland and Barrett its shit. A new good cheap source for vitamins is a company called British Supplements, Cytoplan are also quality or Health Ranger. Organic.
 
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couple of points C, only eat wild salmon and if you take D3 vitamins always take K2 with it as it will stop most of it going straight through your system, it'll bind the D3. The rule of thumb, as l was told by a holistic dietician l see is that the fish that are more or less the shape fish that kids draw are the ones to eat.

oh yeh, don't buy anything from Holland and Barrett its shit. A new good cheap source for vitamins is a company called British Supplements, Cytoplan are also quality or Health Ranger. Organic.
Good points bnet.

Sometimes when preaching to the unconverted I find it best to keep it simple. Yes, I could do better than my simple regime but it is easy to take and the routine straightforward. My various health issues depress my vit d levels so it is important that I keep an eye on that, recent tests show me to have decent levels while Mrs AFC, on the same dosage, is very good indeed.

I am not, and never have been much of a fish eater, a little more now we live where we do, but for me the supplements are essential. Overall that simple regime is pretty effective, I brush off most everyday infections with relative ease, even the 'rather nasty' cold that so many seem to be complaining about gave me no more than a runny nose for 2 days.

It may not be perfect, but it does help, a lot!
 
Good points bnet.

Sometimes when preaching to the unconverted I find it best to keep it simple. Yes, I could do better than my simple regime but it is easy to take and the routine straightforward. My various health issues depress my vit d levels so it is important that I keep an eye on that, recent tests show me to have decent levels while Mrs AFC, on the same dosage, is very good indeed.

I am not, and never have been much of a fish eater, a little more now we live where we do, but for me the supplements are essential. Overall that simple regime is pretty effective, I brush off most everyday infections with relative ease, even the 'rather nasty' cold that so many seem to be complaining about gave me no more than a runny nose for 2 days.

It may not be perfect, but it does help, a lot!
I can see you're on top things AFC. I'm sure you know how the two states that our bodies are always in and the effect, so for the benefit of others who may not I'll mention it.

When we are young, we're strong and we get over all sorts easily. The thing is a lot don't realise is that are bodies are in one of two states, the first being "rest and relaxation" which is the best condition to be in at all times.
The immune system, of which much much powerful than the medical profession will allow you to belief , will work at its best and keep you in good health. The second is "fight or flight" (stress). What happens is our bodies in this state the blood rushes to our limbs, it leaves our organs and stops the immune system working, as we have to escape or fight these Tigers to survive ! lf you immune system is not working because of this, any health issues will thrive. The saying "stress will kill you" is seriously true and this is why.

The pharmicutcle industries enemy is the immune system, thats why they do every thing bar encourage you to bolster it, and give you their poisoned patented drugs

Regarding booze, if you drink when you are ill what happens is alcohol being a poison, the body will give this preference and the immune system will stop working immediately on the illness and attack the alcohol. So by drinking while ill you are leaving the illness to run wild unopposed.
I've spent my life under stress as I've always got a buzz of of the adrenaline buzz, its been hard to beat this lifetime addiction to adrenaline, and l lapse into it from time to time.
 
I can see you're on top things AFC. I'm sure you know how the two states that our bodies are always in and the effect, so for the benefit of others who may not I'll mention it.

When we are young, we're strong and we get over all sorts easily. The thing is a lot don't realise is that are bodies are in one of two states, the first being "rest and relaxation" which is the best condition to be in at all times.
The immune system, of which much much powerful than the medical profession will allow you to belief , will work at its best and keep you in good health. The second is "fight or flight" (stress). What happens is our bodies in this state the blood rushes to our limbs, it leaves our organs and stops the immune system working, as we have to escape or fight these Tigers to survive ! lf you immune system is not working because of this, any health issues will thrive. The saying "stress will kill you" is seriously true and this is why.

The pharmicutcle industries enemy is the immune system, thats why they do every thing bar encourage you to bolster it, and give you their poisoned patented drugs

Regarding booze, if you drink when you are ill what happens is alcohol being a poison, the body will give this preference and the immune system will stop working immediately on the illness and attack the alcohol. So by drinking while ill you are leaving the illness to run wild unopposed.
I've spent my life under stress as I've always got a buzz of of the adrenaline buzz, its been hard to beat this lifetime addiction to adrenaline, and l lapse into it from time to time.
Morning bnet.

I am scientifically and mathematically trained as an engineer, I am also very 'linear' in my thinking, multitasking is a no-no.

I am very much in tune with what you say on these issues, but as a practical man I try and work some of these things into the real world of everyday life, hence the simple regime of immunity support mentioned earlier.

Regarding alcohol, I am a regular (most days) but modest user these days, beer or wine mostly with meals. Contracting 2 serious illnesses in less than 5 years is something of a bugger, maybe it is 'lifestyle' catching up on me, the 'style' was a bit excessive at times but that said, my only regret was that it was not, at times, excessive enough... 😎

Ok, time to 'pay my way', I'm off to the gym.
 
I’ve developed a serious interest in managing the immune system recently having developed some mild psoriatic arthritis.

I take fish oil and omega 3 foods every day and also green tea as a result to boost the system.

Also been reading about gut health and take both kefir yoghurt and cider vinegar with the mother and had a meeting with a nutritionist and am going through the process of isolating and cutting out inflammatory parts of the diet. Dairy, Caffeine, Booze, Sugars and Gluten. One at a time to try and isolate what to cut back on in the event of a flair up.

I can’t cup my hand to have a wank but my knowledge has gone through the roof!

Interested in your further thoughts. Some one has also mentioned stress as a potential trigger and it’s coincided with a difficult bit of work that I’ve binned off as a result.
 
I‘m doing one at a time over 5 months.

This month it’s been dairy and little impact, next month booze and see what happens. Will have a bit of dairy again but not that bothered about it.

I also have days when I can do what I like. I save them for when we go to a friends for dinner as I don’t want them having to compromise what they want to eat.
 
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