AA/EPA Ratio Profile - Plasma

This unique test measures the ratio of arachidonic acid (AA) to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in plasma. This ratio of the principle omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is a measure of the body's eicosanoid balance. Balancing the eicosanoids in the body is an excellent way for managing heart disease and other chronic and inflammatory processes.

Recently, a great deal of interest has been paid to the ratio of the fatty acids arachidonic acid (AA) to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). According to Dr. Barry Sears, author of Toxic Fat: When Good Fat Turns Bad, a lower AA/EPA ratio indicates a better balance of "good" and "bad" eicosanoids in your body. An AA/EPA ratio of less than 3 but not less than 1.5 is considered to be ideal. It is no longer considered "well" to have a ratio greater than 10. Anything exceeding 15 means a high level of inflammation in the blood (Toxic Fat Syndrome) and requires immediate dietary attention.

AA/EPA Ratio features:

• True quantitative analysis of fatty acids
• Included with the 0041 Fatty Acids - Plasma profile and 0241 Bloodspot Fatty Acid profile

Test name(s)

0240 - AA/EPA Ratio

Description

This unique test measures the ratio of Arachidonic Acid (AA) to Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) in plasma or serum. This ratio of the principle omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is a measure of the body’s eicosanoid balance. Balancing the eicosanoids in the body is an excellent way for managing heart disease and other chronic and inflammatory processes.

Method

GC/MS

Turnaround time

12-14 days, 10 days average

Analytes

Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)
Arachidonic Acid (AA)
AA/EPA Ratio

Specimen Collection Instructions

• Amino-Acids-and-Fatty-Acids-KI.pdf

Sample Reports Example of how test results will be reported, including reference ranges and graphs indicating high and low percentiles of each analyte.

• AA-EPA-SR.pdf

If you do not have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, download it here.

Books

• Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine - Your evidence-based resource for the biochemical basis of chronic illness. A must-have desk reference for laboratory testing associated with nutritional and metabolic medicine.

Presentations

• IFM: The New Paradigm of Medicine - This PowerPoint presentation was developed by the Institute for Functional Medicine. It provides a concise explanation of the new paradigm of medicine that focuses on underlying causes of disease and treatment from that level rather treating symptoms alone, the approach often taken by modern medicine.

References

• AA/EPA References