Your Bloodwork Can Help Tell Us How You Should Eat

Your Bloodwork Can Help Tell Us How You Should Eat: Using Nutrition to Target Specific Biomarkers

Most people approach nutrition by asking

“What is the healthiest diet?”

Should I eat Mediterranean?
Low-carb?
Ketogenic?
Plant-based?
Gluten-free?
Low-FODMAP?

But at Cell Health Clinic, we believe there is a more useful question:

What is happening inside your body—and which nutritional strategy is most appropriate for changing it?

Because different dietary patterns can influence very different biological systems.

They can change:

• blood sugar and insulin regulation

• triglycerides and cholesterol

• systemic inflammation

• intestinal permeability

• gut bacteria

• short-chain fatty acid production

• microbial metabolites

• immune activity

• and ultimately, cellular function

This is why nutrition becomes much more powerful when we stop thinking only in terms of “good foods” and “bad foods” and start thinking in terms of biomarkers, physiology and individual response.

• Food Is Information

• Every meal creates a biological response.

• The carbohydrates you eat affect glucose and insulin.

• The types of fats you consume influence cell membranes, lipid metabolism and inflammatory signalling.

• Dietary fibre feeds certain populations of intestinal bacteria.

Those bacteria, in turn, produce compounds such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that interact with the intestinal lining, immune system and metabolism.

Polyphenols found in colourful plants, herbs, berries, tea and extra-virgin olive oil can also interact with our microbiome and influence microbial metabolism.

This creates an important chain of events:

Food → Gut Microbiome → Microbial Metabolites → Cellular Signalling → Biomarkers → Health

A major systematic review examining 80 controlled dietary intervention trials found that different dietary patterns were associated with different changes in gut microorganisms and biological markers. Mediterranean, Japanese, Korean, high-fibre, plant-rich and other whole-food dietary patterns tended to favour SCFA- or lactic-acid-producing organisms or reduce opportunistic organisms, while Western, animal-based, ketogenic, gluten-free and low-FODMAP interventions were associated in some studies with reductions in certain SCFA-producing bacteria. Importantly, the results varied considerably between studies—which reinforces why nutrition should be individualized rather than prescribed according to a single dietary philosophy.

Biomarker #1: Inflammation

Inflammation isn't inherently bad. It is part of normal immune defence and tissue repair.

The problem is persistent, low-grade inflammation.

Depending on the individual and clinical context, we may look at markers such as:

CRP, inflammatory cytokines, metabolic markers and other indicators of inflammatory burden.

When inflammatory patterns are elevated, one nutritional strategy we may consider is a Mediterranean-style eating pattern.

This generally emphasizes:

• vegetables and fruit

• legumes

• nuts and seeds

• minimally processed whole foods

• extra-virgin olive oil

• fish and seafood

• herbs and spices

• fibre-rich carbohydrates

• fewer ultra-processed foods and refined sugars

Research consistently associates greater adherence to Mediterranean-style eating with healthier microbiome characteristics and lower inflammatory markers such as CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α.

Part of this relationship may involve the gut microbiome.

Certain intestinal bacteria ferment dietary fibres and produce short-chain fatty acids, particularly butyrate.

Butyrate isn't simply a waste product made by bacteria.

It is an important metabolic signalling molecule and a major fuel source for cells lining the colon. SCFAs can influence intestinal barrier integrity, immune regulation, inflammatory signalling and glucose metabolism.

So when we are trying to address inflammation, we aren't simply asking:

“Which foods are anti-inflammatory?”

We're asking:

“How can we change the biological environment that is contributing to inflammation?”

Biomarker #2: Blood Sugar and Insulin

Someone can have “normal” glucose while metabolic dysfunction is already developing.

That's why looking at the larger metabolic picture can be helpful.

Depending on the situation, this might include:

• fasting glucose

• HbA1c

• fasting insulin

• triglycerides

• HDL cholesterol

• waist circumference

• and other metabolic indicators

Nutrition can then be adjusted according to what those markers suggest.

• For one person, that may mean reducing refined carbohydrates and sugar.

• For another, improving meal composition.

• For another, increasing fibre.

• For another, improving protein distribution.

• For another, temporarily reducing total carbohydrate intake.

And for many people, it means replacing an ultra-processed Western dietary pattern with predominantly whole foods.

Mediterranean-style dietary interventions have demonstrated improvements across several cardiometabolic measures, including insulin resistance, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, body weight and inflammatory markers.

The goal isn't necessarily to make everyone “low-carb.”

The goal is to restore metabolic flexibility and improve the biomarkers telling us how effectively the body is handling energy.

Biomarker #3: Triglycerides and Lipid Metabolism

Elevated triglycerides can provide another important clue.

They may be influenced by factors including:

• excess refined carbohydrate intake

• excessive caloric intake

• alcohol

• insulin resistance

• poor metabolic flexibility

• genetics

• activity levels

• and overall dietary composition

In this situation, reducing refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods while improving fat quality, protein intake, fibre and overall energy balance may produce a very different response than simply adopting a generic “low-fat diet.”

This illustrates an important principle:

A nutritional intervention should have a target.

We should know what we are trying to change.

And whenever possible, we should measure whether it actually changed.

Biomarker #4: Gut Inflammation and Digestive Symptoms

Now imagine someone with:

• bloating

• abdominal discomfort

• excessive gas

• altered bowel habits

• food reactions

• or symptoms consistent with IBS.

Giving that person enormous amounts of fermentable fibre simply because “fibre is healthy” may actually make them feel worse.

This is where a temporary strategy such as a low-FODMAP diet can sometimes be useful.

FODMAP stands for:

Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols.

These carbohydrates can be rapidly fermented by intestinal microorganisms and may trigger symptoms in susceptible individuals.

A low-FODMAP strategy can therefore be valuable in selected cases.

But there is an important distinction:

A therapeutic diet isn't necessarily a forever diet.

Research suggests that low-FODMAP diets can also reduce certain beneficial SCFA-producing organisms and metabolites. Some studies have observed reductions in organisms such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Bifidobacterium species.

That doesn't make low-FODMAP “bad.”

It means it has a specific therapeutic purpose.

We may use restriction to calm symptoms and then work toward carefully expanding dietary diversity as tolerated.

The long-term objective is generally not to eliminate as many foods as possible.

It is to build a gastrointestinal ecosystem capable of tolerating a greater diversity of nourishing foods.

Biomarker #5: Intestinal Barrier Function

The intestinal lining is one of the body's most important interfaces with the outside world.

When we evaluate digestive health, we're interested not only in which organisms are present but also in how the intestinal environment is functioning.

Dietary patterns rich in diverse fibres and plant compounds may support organisms that produce SCFAs.

SCFAs—particularly butyrate—help support the cells of the colon and participate in maintaining intestinal barrier function and regulating immune responses.

This creates another powerful connection:

Feed the microbes → microbes produce metabolites → metabolites communicate with our cells.

In other words, when you eat, you aren't only feeding yourself.

You are feeding an ecosystem.

Biomarker #6: Microbial Diversity and SCFA Production

One of the most fascinating developments in nutritional science is recognizing that we aren't eating for one organism.

We're eating for ourselves and trillions of microorganisms living with us.

Plant diversity can therefore matter.

Different fibres and polyphenols provide substrates for different microorganisms.

Foods might include:

• leafy greens

• cruciferous vegetables

• onions and garlic

• berries

• legumes

• nuts

• seeds

• herbs

• spices

• whole grains when tolerated

• colourful vegetables

• fermented foods when appropriate

Mediterranean-style diets are particularly interesting because they combine several microbiome-supporting components: diverse plant fibres, polyphenols, fermented foods and unsaturated fats.

Systematic reviews have associated Mediterranean diet adherence with changes in microbial diversity and increases in organisms involved in fibre fermentation and SCFA production.

Extra-virgin olive oil may add another dimension. Its polyphenols can interact with intestinal microorganisms and may influence microbial metabolism, intestinal barrier signalling and inflammatory pathways, although human evidence is still evolving.

What About Ketogenic Diets?

Ketogenic diets demonstrate perfectly why we shouldn't label dietary strategies simply as “good” or “bad.”

Ketogenic diets can have legitimate therapeutic applications and can dramatically change glucose and insulin physiology.

But carbohydrate restriction also dramatically changes the substrates reaching intestinal microorganisms.

The systematic review of dietary intervention trials found ketogenic interventions were associated with reductions in some SCFA-producing bacterial populations.

Does that mean ketogenic diets should never be used?

No.

It means we need to ask:

Why are we using it?

What biomarker or clinical outcome are we targeting?

How long should we use it?

What are we monitoring while someone is following it?

And:

What is our long-term strategy?

That is a much more sophisticated approach than arguing whether keto is “healthy” or “unhealthy.”

What About Gluten-Free Diets?

The same principle applies to gluten-free diets.

For someone with celiac disease, gluten avoidance is medically necessary.

There may also be situations where a clinician recommends a gluten-free intervention for a specific reason.

But “gluten-free” does not automatically mean healthier.

Removing whole grains and other fibre-containing foods without appropriate substitutions can reduce dietary diversity and potentially alter the microbiome. Controlled dietary studies have reported reductions in some SCFA-producing organisms during gluten-free interventions.

Again:

The question isn't whether gluten-free is good or bad.

The question is whether it is appropriate for this individual, for this reason, at this point in time.

The Western Diet: The Pattern We Usually Want to Move Away From

At the other end of the spectrum is the typical Western dietary pattern.

It tends to contain more:

• refined carbohydrates

• added sugars

• ultra-processed foods

• saturated fats

• processed meats

• food additives

and less:

• fibre

• vegetables

• legumes

• whole plant foods

• polyphenols

Controlled dietary research has associated Western dietary patterns with reductions in some SCFA-producing bacteria and increases in opportunistic organisms such as Bilophila, Gemella and Citrobacter.

Recent research comparing Mediterranean and Western dietary patterns also associates Western eating patterns with poorer microbial diversity, impaired intestinal barrier function and greater chronic low-grade inflammatory activity.

This is one reason we often focus less on finding the latest “superfood” and more on changing the overall biological environment created by someone's diet.

Different Biomarkers. Different Strategies.

This brings us back to one of the most important principles of personalized nutrition.

Two people can walk into our clinic eating exactly the same diet.

One may have:

• excellent glucose regulation

• healthy triglycerides

• low inflammatory markers

• good digestion

• excellent energy.

The other may show:

• insulin resistance

• elevated triglycerides

• inflammatory patterns

• digestive symptoms

• poor energy.

Should they automatically receive the same nutrition plan?

Probably not.

Their physiology is giving us different information.

That is why at Cell Health Clinic, we believe nutritional recommendations become far more meaningful when they are connected to objective testing and measurable outcomes.

Test. Target. Intervene. Retest.

Rather than asking everyone to follow the same diet, a more personalized model looks like this:

1. TEST

Identify relevant biomarkers and physiological patterns.

↓

2. TARGET

Determine which systems appear to need the greatest support.

Inflammation?

Blood sugar regulation?

Lipid metabolism?

Gut function?

Nutrient status?

Cellular health?

↓

3. INTERVENE

Choose nutritional strategies specifically designed around those targets.

↓

4. RETEST

Measure again.

Did fasting insulin improve?

Did triglycerides fall?

Did inflammatory markers change?

Did digestive function improve?

Did the person actually feel better?

↓

5. PERSONALIZE AGAIN

Nutrition isn't static.

As physiology changes, the strategy can change too.

The Goal Isn't to Put a Name on Your Diet

We don't necessarily want someone walking around saying:

“I'm keto.”

“I'm low-FODMAP.”

“I'm gluten-free.”

“I'm plant-based.”

Those are dietary strategies—not identities.

Instead, imagine being able to say:

“I understand what my body needs because we've measured it.”

That is a fundamentally different relationship with nutrition.

The emerging science of the microbiome makes this even more important. A comprehensive review of controlled dietary interventions concluded that different dietary strategies produce different microbial and biomarker responses—and that considerable individual and study-to-study variability exists.

There may never be one perfect human diet.

But we are becoming increasingly capable of identifying which nutritional environment helps a particular person move toward better metabolic, inflammatory and cellular health.

And that is where personalized nutrition becomes incredibly exciting.

Your Biomarkers Tell a Story. Let's Learn How to Read It.

If you've been trying different diets but still don't understand why your energy, inflammation, digestion, blood sugar or other health markers aren't where you'd like them to be, it may be time to stop guessing.

At Cell Health Clinic, our approach uses testing alongside personalized nutrition to help identify patterns in your physiology and build a nutritional strategy around you.

Because the goal isn't simply to eat a “healthy diet.”

The goal is to create measurable improvements in the biological environment in which your cells live.

Test. Understand. Personalize. Retest.

That's nutrition with a purpose.

This article is for educational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Therapeutic diets and interpretation of laboratory biomarkers should be individualized with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

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