Nutritionist Discloses Critical Tests Every Indian Needs To Take Before It's Too Late
Regular checkups have become the key to maintaining good health – agree? Nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary emphasizes that early testing not only helps prevent diseases from reaching dangerous stages but also saves you from significant hospital expenses in the long run. In a video shared on Instagram, she talks about three essential health tests every Indian should take. According to her, spending a little on these tests now can help you avoid major health complications – and costly treatments – later.
Tests Indians must take for better health
1. Vitamin D test
In the caption, Rashi writes, “Over 70–90% of Indians are low in Vitamin D, and women are more prone to this deficiency. Vitamin D isn't just a vitamin. It acts more like a hormone and plays a huge role in your immunity, fertility, mood, and even weight loss.”
In the video, she adds, “80% of Indians walk around with weak bones, low energy, brain fog, being stressed, or just ageing, whereas it's actually a Vitamin D deficiency.” The nutritionist also warns, “If you're popping Metformin, Statins and Tacits every day, which so many of you are doing, the bad news is that these will also deplete your D3 levels further. In fact, 50% faster than usual.”
Optimal Vitamin D level: Between 60–70 ng/ml
When to take Vitamin D supplements:
“Don't just pop it any time,” Rashi says. “Take it in the morning along with fat first. The best way to have it. Avoid it at night, unless of course, you want to stay awake because it can wreck your sleep, interfere with Melatonin a bit.”
2. HbA1c & fasting insulin
Rashi Chowdhary warns that “50% of Indians have something called as silent diabetes.” Showing an image of a neck with dark patches, she explains other signs:
“Dark patches on your neck, reaching for something sweet and having snacks even when you're full or immediately after meals, wanting to take afternoon naps and of course weight gain. If this sounds familiar, it's time to check your numbers guys.”
In the caption, the nutritionist shares a staggering fact: “India now has 130 million people with diabetes. Just 6-7 years ago, that number was 70 million. And prediabetes doesn't show obvious symptoms, you could have it and not know it till it flips to Type 2. Testing early is literally your best shot at stopping it.”
Optimal HbA1c level: Less than 5.3
Optimal fasting insulin level: Less than 5 mlU/L
What to do?
“If your levels are off, this is a sign that you need to tweak your rice, roti, millet, evening chai and biscuits - all of that needs to change,” the nutritionist advises.
3. Fatty liver screening
Pointing to an image of a rounded belly, Rashi says, “You think that this is just fat but most often this is a sign of fatty liver. Understand, it's the visceral fat that's building up around your organs, especially around your liver.”
She explains that even people who aren't overweight can have fatty liver. “If your belly is hard, round and sticks out, even if you're not overweight, that's a classic sign. And if you're seeing fat build up even around your neck, then it's time to check your liver enzymes before it turns into something worse.”
In her caption, the nutritionist adds, “India is now the NAFLD capital of the world. Even people who are not overweight are being diagnosed. If you have PCOS, insulin resistance, or diabetes, chances are you already have it or you're at high risk.”
What to do?
Rashi Chowdhary says, “Check your ALT, AST, Albumin levels, and if all of these are higher, it's going to indicate inflammation. You can even do a simple ultrasound then, a healthy liver will show that the fat is less than 5%. Between 6 and 33% is grade one fatty liver, grade 2 means 34-66% of fat, and anything over 66 is grade 3 which means serious damage has happened and it's something you can just brush off.”
She concludes, “Doing these four tests will actually save yourself from a while lot of struggle later on.”
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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