Most lab results lie, unless you know how to read between the lines, accounting for context, cofactors, and the body’s adaptive responses.

In this episode, Tracy Harrison breaks down how even the most routine labs can mislead if practitioners don’t account for timing, stress, hydration, or recent supplement use. She introduces the concept of “lab-draw hygiene” and explains why educating patients on when and how to get tested is just as important as the tests themselves.

From biotin skewing thyroid panels to iron panels that contradict hemoglobin levels, Tracy offers strategies to avoid common clinical missteps. She warns against defaulting to medications like statins or iron supplements without fully understanding what the data reveals or conceals, and calls for routine use of expanded thyroid panels and insulin markers to catch hidden dysfunction early.

This episode is a reminder that lab values don’t exist in a vacuum, and truly impactful care requires asking the right questions before interpreting the numbers.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

00:33 What Is Lab-Draw Hygiene?

03:26 How Stress and Fasting Habits Skew Results

07:12 Supplements That Interfere with Labs

08:06 Biotin and Thyroid Panel Accuracy

13:08 When Iron Supplementation Backfires

17:05 LDL, Statins, and Missed Thyroid Clues

23:24 The Link Between Vitamin D and Magnesium

28:22 Medications That Disrupt Nutrient Absorption

32:39 Why “Low” Lab Values Aren’t Always Good

41:00 Insulin Resistance Hidden in “Normal” Glucose

54:04 What to Include in an Annual Lab Panel

Links

Take SAFM’s 10 CME course - the Essential Gut Deep Dive: https://schoolafm.com/gut-course

Get weekly Clinical Tips in your inbox: https://schoolafm.com/clinical-tips 

Learn more about SAFM’s practitioner training: https://schoolafm.com/our-program

Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@safmchannel

Access daily quick tips on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AppliedFunctionalMedicine/ 

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm