Here is an issue that plagues the Indian food and healthcare scene: inconsistent lab results.
I’ve personally encountered results from DEXA scans, blood work and food testing that made absolutely no sense. It just didn’t jive with past data or with science. In the case of the DEXA scan, it threw up an absurdly high body fat percentage for a colleague. In case of blood work, clients required multiple re-tests before they could make sense of what was happening.
In the case below, the Whole Truth did a commendable job dealing with lab tests that seemed to indicate their whey was contaminated with heavy metal content.
They quickly tested their control samples at two different and well-regarded labs and tried to put the consumer at ease.
But the consumer will still wonder: did the lab I gave it to get it wrong? Why should I trust their results.
This a problem. Trust in test results is crucial. Especially with protein isolates coming under intense scrutiny in the last two years.
There are too many reasons why lab results could be tainted or misleading. Here are a few:
1. How a sample is handled from source to the lab.
2. How the sample is handled in the lab.
3. Lab technician competence
4. Calibration of the machines used in the lab.
5. Maintenance of the chemicals, testing materials, lab facility and other equipment.
6. Internal processes for handling and tabulation of results.
The above is a gross oversimplification. But you get the idea. There are many ways lab results can get screwed up.
This can happen even in labs that are rated highly by government agencies and quality control agencies for producing consistent, dependable results from robust internal processes.
Does the lab have rules for technicians to maintain sterile conditions. It could be as simple as changing their gloves. Or keeping the surfaces clean.
It could be calibrating machines regularly with a control sample (overseen by the company selling said machines).
We depend on these tests to ensure our food is hygienic and contains only what it is supposed to.
The test results from labs are objective truth that inform us if our efforts to eat better, exercise and intervene medically are paying off.
There are many parties are involved in positive medical outcomes: trainers, medical doctors, nurses, therapists, chefs, food companies. Accountability will require that we have results that are reliable, consistent and comparable. If this breaks down, the system breaks down.
I’ve personally encountered results from DEXA scans, blood work and food testing that made absolutely no sense. It just didn’t jive with past data or with science. In the case of the DEXA scan, it threw up an absurdly high body fat percentage for a colleague. In case of blood work, clients required multiple re-tests before they could make sense of what was happening.
In the case below, the Whole Truth did a commendable job dealing with lab tests that seemed to indicate their whey was contaminated with heavy metal content.
They quickly tested their control samples at two different and well-regarded labs and tried to put the consumer at ease.
But the consumer will still wonder: did the lab I gave it to get it wrong? Why should I trust their results.
This a problem. Trust in test results is crucial. Especially with protein isolates coming under intense scrutiny in the last two years.
There are too many reasons why lab results could be tainted or misleading. Here are a few:
1. How a sample is handled from source to the lab.
2. How the sample is handled in the lab.
3. Lab technician competence
4. Calibration of the machines used in the lab.
5. Maintenance of the chemicals, testing materials, lab facility and other equipment.
6. Internal processes for handling and tabulation of results.
The above is a gross oversimplification. But you get the idea. There are many ways lab results can get screwed up.
This can happen even in labs that are rated highly by government agencies and quality control agencies for producing consistent, dependable results from robust internal processes.
Does the lab have rules for technicians to maintain sterile conditions. It could be as simple as changing their gloves. Or keeping the surfaces clean.
It could be calibrating machines regularly with a control sample (overseen by the company selling said machines).
We depend on these tests to ensure our food is hygienic and contains only what it is supposed to.
The test results from labs are objective truth that inform us if our efforts to eat better, exercise and intervene medically are paying off.
There are many parties are involved in positive medical outcomes: trainers, medical doctors, nurses, therapists, chefs, food companies. Accountability will require that we have results that are reliable, consistent and comparable. If this breaks down, the system breaks down.