Pyruvic acid has a critical role to play in the linking of amino acids and carbohydrates to the body’s acid cycles. By itself, it cannot be used as a factor to determine the status of an individual’s metabolism. When compared to a person’s level of lactic acidosis, however, a determination can be made if there is a respiratory chain disorder present.
The issue with mitochondiral RCDs is that they can involve multiple systems of the body simultaneously. This makes them remarkably difficult to track down based on symptoms alone. The pyruvic acid blood test can determine if the lactic ratio indicates that there is an issue with glucose processing that may need to be addressed.
What Do My Test Results Mean?
Fasting can directly affect the results of this blood test. Most patients are required to fast for a minimum of 4 hours to prevent false positive or negative results.
When testing is accurate, the results may be low, normal or high. Most people who have this test ordered for them will end up with a normal result, characterized by it falling within the 0.7-1.4 mg/dL range. Some laboratories may have a normal range that is slightly outside of these figures.
When there is a low lactic to pyruvic acid ratio, then this indicates that a genetic disorder is preventing an individual’s metabolism from doing the job it is supposed to do. To control this issue, a specific nutritional plan may be implemented to prevent acid buildup levels in the future.
Sometimes the pyruvic acid levels are very high when this blood test is analyzed. This usually happens when someone has been severely ill for some time. It can also be an indication that the blood sample was not handled properly. When this occurs, the blood test is typically ordered a second time.
If the pyruvic acid levels are high, but not extremely high to indicate illness or mishandling, then it may also indicate a lifestyle issue. When there are too many carbohydrates for the digestive system to handle, then there are too many sugars that are being processed in the body. This builds up acid levels as the sugars remain unprocessed. Over time, this can even enter organs or even the brain to start causing inflammation.
Why Is Normalizing This Process Important?
Whether it is because of an inherited condition or it is because of lifestyle choices, the combination of pyruvic acid and fatty acids helps the body’s cells to release their energy. That’s how the metabolism connection works. Without this form of energy, people feel tired and lethargic. They may feel like their thinking has become dulled or they may lack the desire to do the things they used to do.
At the heart of this issue is the creation of ATP. Adenosine Triphosphate is the energy that the cells used to process oxygen and release energy. Without this process working, a person would eventually die because no oxygen was being received due to no energy being released. Oxidation may even occur when the traffic jam of pyruvic acid begins to build up.
What happens when the traffic jam gets too big? Free radicals are created. These free radicals can then wreck havoc all over the body.
How Can I Solve This Problem?
Pyruvic acid on the outside is sometimes used to cure acne. When it’s on the inside in amounts that are too low or high, bad things happen. Those who are suffering from diabetic acidosis actually need to increase their acid levels to prevent oxidation from occurring in the brain. Unlike lifestyle issues that can create oxidation which can immediately change, low results simply need more to properly process energy.
Pyruvic acid is similar to the acid that develops in those who have PKU, but the health issue is not quite the same. The build-up cycle is much slower than phenylalanine tends to be so there is less of a risk of organ damage. If left untreated, however, abnormal lactic to pyruvic acid levels can become harmful to health as well.
If your blood test results have come back as abnormal, then speak with your doctor about the medical significance of what it means to your unique medical history. Sometimes exercise and dietary changes can help dramatically. For those who need more pyruvic acid, certain nutritional changes may also be recommended. An abnormal test is usually an early indicator that something is wrong. By fixing it right away, future health problems may be avoided.