F2-Isoprostane – A Remarkable Marker Indeed!

In functional medicine, it is not just the condition or the diagnosis that we are concerned with but also the process that drives the condition. That process may be things like nutritional deficiencies, inflammation, or oxidative stress. F2-Isoprostane is, hands down, one of the most reliable markers of oxidative stress. It also gives highly meaningful clinically relevant information.

If F2-Isoprostane is high, your fats are being oxidized. When you oxidize a fat, it can not get incorporated into the tissue like it should. This has many implications. Think of the DHA that is being taken, in hopes of incorporating into the CNS to improve focus and concentration. If F2-Isoprostane is high, it tells you there is an environment that oxidizes fats which will prevent them from being utilized like they should. High F2-Isoprostane is also associated with greater levels of oxidized lipids and is even found in the plaque that lines arteries. F2-Isoprostane is highly reliable and reproducible and will not fluctuate because of changes in diet or behavior. F2-Isoprostane will show long-term oxidative stress rather than be affected by acute bursts of oxidative stress.

When F2-Isoprostane is high, there is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, neurologic conditions and even cancers. It tells you that fat tissue, such as the CNS, myelin sheath of the peripheral nervous system, and lipids are at risk from being damaged. It also decreases membrane fluidity and can block hormones from binding to appropriate receptors.

F2-Isoprostane is a foundational marker of oxidative stress, and it shows if the process of oxidative stress is one of the core things driving chronic disease.

– Dr. Cheryl Burdette, ND.