The Tale of the Tape
I just got the results of my blood work-up for this year. It's fairly standard in the industry for chemists to receive regular blood work-ups, in order to spot any health problems associated with incidental exposure of chemicals. The numbers just seem to reinforce what I already know; veganism works really, really well with my body:[1]
Blood Pressure: 121/62
Resting Pulse: 50 bpm
Total Cholesterol: 121
HDL 34
LDL 79
Triglycerides: 40
Total Cholesterol/HDL ratio: 3.56
Fasting Glucose: 82
Everything was in normal range, except my "Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration" is a little high, but that's not uncommon in people who engage in high oxygen demand activities (like dodging cars on your bicycle in downtown traffic :D ). My HDL is a little low, but that's mainly b/c my total cholesterol is so low. The Total/HDL is excellent (below 4.9 is optimal)
Interestingly, all the nutrients vegans are suppose to worry about, my levels are in the higher side of the range like my B12 was 814, (range 180-914)
Calcium 9.6 (range 8.5 -10.5), Creatinine 1.20 (range 0.60 -1.30). High creatinine levels are found in people who perform intense muscular activity (like martial arts :D )
Iron is normal, 98, but on the low side of the range (80-160), but given my red blood cell volume and my hemoglobin markers are all good, it correlates with what researchers already discovered; that vegans seem to adapt such that more iron is bound in hemoglobin and less is free in the blood.
My Cholesterol has dropped significantly since becoming vegan:
1997 - 160 (omnivore)
2000 - 147 (vegetarian)
2001 - 142 (vegetarian)
2002 - 133 (vegan)
2006 - 121 (vegan).
Considering my family's history of heart disease, I think I'm doing a pretty good job at controlling the variables I have control over. I can't control my genetics, but I can offset my "genetic predisposition" with my lifestyle. Now, if I could only cut down on my drunkenness. That's my one "death spot", my one vulnerability.
jv
[1] Interestingly, becoming vegan was a 100% strictly moral decision for me, but it seems to have had profound repercussions on my health.
Blood Pressure: 121/62
Resting Pulse: 50 bpm
Total Cholesterol: 121
HDL 34
LDL 79
Triglycerides: 40
Total Cholesterol/HDL ratio: 3.56
Fasting Glucose: 82
Everything was in normal range, except my "Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration" is a little high, but that's not uncommon in people who engage in high oxygen demand activities (like dodging cars on your bicycle in downtown traffic :D ). My HDL is a little low, but that's mainly b/c my total cholesterol is so low. The Total/HDL is excellent (below 4.9 is optimal)
Interestingly, all the nutrients vegans are suppose to worry about, my levels are in the higher side of the range like my B12 was 814, (range 180-914)
Calcium 9.6 (range 8.5 -10.5), Creatinine 1.20 (range 0.60 -1.30). High creatinine levels are found in people who perform intense muscular activity (like martial arts :D )
Iron is normal, 98, but on the low side of the range (80-160), but given my red blood cell volume and my hemoglobin markers are all good, it correlates with what researchers already discovered; that vegans seem to adapt such that more iron is bound in hemoglobin and less is free in the blood.
My Cholesterol has dropped significantly since becoming vegan:
1997 - 160 (omnivore)
2000 - 147 (vegetarian)
2001 - 142 (vegetarian)
2002 - 133 (vegan)
2006 - 121 (vegan).
Considering my family's history of heart disease, I think I'm doing a pretty good job at controlling the variables I have control over. I can't control my genetics, but I can offset my "genetic predisposition" with my lifestyle. Now, if I could only cut down on my drunkenness. That's my one "death spot", my one vulnerability.
jv
[1] Interestingly, becoming vegan was a 100% strictly moral decision for me, but it seems to have had profound repercussions on my health.