

332. Beyond Functional Medicine & Advanced Health Metrics You MUST Know!
16 snips Aug 22, 2025
Lucas talks with Jake Carter, a functional health strategist and educator who founded the Institute of Health. They delve into how conventional blood tests can mislead patients and discuss critical blood markers to monitor. Jake explains the impact of stress on hormones and why TSH testing isn’t enough for thyroid health. The duo covers the importance of reducing exposure to endocrine disruptors and Jake shares insights into male fertility and effective supplements. They wrap up with recommendations for foundational health and actionable public health changes.
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Normal Isn't Optimal
- Conventional lab ranges reflect population averages, not optimal health, so many 'normal' results mask dysfunction.
- Jake Carter argues functional ranges and pattern recognition reveal earlier, actionable problems.
Monitor White Blood Cells Yearly
- Check your white blood cell count annually and aim for 5.0–6.5 as an optimal window.
- Investigate low WBC by testing zinc, alkaline phosphatase, and stress/recovery factors before assuming nothing's wrong.
Stress Reprioritizes Reproduction
- Chronic stress shifts biology toward survival, reducing LH/FSH and impairing sex hormone production.
- Stress also raises inflammation and aromatase activity, converting testosterone to estrogen.