To take a blood test, it is sometimes imperative to be on an empty stomach. But why is it necessary to not eat or drink anything, except plain water, in the 8 to 12 hours preceding a sample?
Quite simply so as not to distort the results. Indeed, when we absorb food or drink sugary drinks, or even coffee, the blood circulating in the body will temporarily take charge of different micronutrients – proteins, carbohydrates (sugar). or lipids (fats) – from the digestion of ingested food.
On the other hand, you should know that the presence of chylomicrons, lipoproteins that form during digestion, will give the blood a milky appearance which can prevent certain dosage techniques, specifies the Drouot laboratory.
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Among the most common examinations that require a period of fasting there are in particular blood sugar (sugar level), lipid abnormality assessment (cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), calcium level (to control blood calcium level ), serum iron, or folic acid (vitamin B9).
