Fasting for Blood Work

Blood work needs to have the bloodstream as clean as possible to get an accurate reading. Sip the smallest amounts of water possible just to wet your mouth and nothing else.

For an operation you cannot even drink any liquids for hours before the operation. I was turned away from an operation on my foot for drinking 1/2 glass of water, 2 hours earlier.

As far as a blood test determining triglyceride levels is concerned, for 12 to 14 hours before the test, only water (no coffee!) is permitted. Overnight fasting is essential for an accurate measurement of blood triglycerides! In addition, alcohol should not be consumed for the 24 hours just before the test.

You are also not supposed to take any vitamin supplements 24 hours prior to your fasting blood work. If you are currently on antihistamines, antibiotics or cortisone treatment only, you need to call the lab or your doctor for more information on how to proceed.

Anything taken in, other than water, during that time can elevate the blood triglycerides as they change dramatically in response to meals. Without the proper fasting, they can easily be high enough to prompt your doctor to prescribe drugs.

By Tom Coghill of Fasting.ws Articles  may be copied or reproduced as long as the back links to fasting.ws are intact and the author’s name is included.