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Essential Reading

Metabolic Markers
The 'normal' ranges for cholesterol and other blood tests are far from optimal. We asked eight leading metabolic health experts what you should really aim for.

The 2026 Levels Guide to understanding your cholesterol panel and blood tests

The Levels Team · 29 min
Ultimate Guide
Cut sugar? Cold plunge? Zone 2? You can do plenty of things to improve your health, but where to start? Here's our subjective mega-guide to some of the most common interventions for people at all stages of their health journey

The 2026 Levels Guide to Metabolic Health Interventions

The Levels Team · 25 min
Levels Recommends
Nutrition advice is complex and individualized, but here’s our best synthesis of five years of Levels guidance.

The Levels Dietary Guidelines

The Levels Team · 13 min
Special Features
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Metabolic Basics
New to metabolic health? Start here
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Biomarker Guides
124 markers — what they mean, how to improve
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Heart Health Playbook
A practical guide to lowering cholesterol
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Blood Sugar Playbook
Proven strategies for improved glucose
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Levels Videos

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GLUCOSE METABOLISM: HbA1c, Insulin Resistance & Better Energy | Dr. Ben Bikman & Mike Haney

GLUCOSE METABOLISM: HbA1c, Insulin Resistance & Better Energy | Dr. Ben Bikman & Mike Haney

BRAIN HEALTH: Insulin Resistance, Biomarkers & Alzheimer's Risk | Dr. David Perlmutter & Mike Haney

BRAIN HEALTH: Insulin Resistance, Biomarkers & Alzheimer's Risk | Dr. David Perlmutter & Mike Haney

LONGEVITY Biomarkers for HEALTHY AGING and Well-Being | Dr. Matt Kaeberlein & Mike Haney

LONGEVITY Biomarkers for HEALTHY AGING and Well-Being | Dr. Matt Kaeberlein & Mike Haney

THYROID Test Results EXPLAINED and How the Gland Shapes Health | Dr. Angela Mazza & Mike Haney

THYROID Test Results EXPLAINED and How the Gland Shapes Health | Dr. Angela Mazza & Mike Haney

How Stelo's BIOSENSOR Makes Blood Sugar Tracking Accessible & Tackles the Metabolic Health Crisis

How Stelo's BIOSENSOR Makes Blood Sugar Tracking Accessible & Tackles the Metabolic Health Crisis

KIDNEY FUNCTION Explained: Tests, Risks, and Habits That Protect Your Health | Dr. Richard Johnson

KIDNEY FUNCTION Explained: Tests, Risks, and Habits That Protect Your Health | Dr. Richard Johnson

GUT HEALTH Explained: Why Your Gut Microbiome Controls More Than You Think | Dr. Will Bulsiewicz

GUT HEALTH Explained: Why Your Gut Microbiome Controls More Than You Think | Dr. Will Bulsiewicz

Key BLOOD TEST Results Explained that Tell You About Your PANCREAS Health | Dr. Robert Lustig

Key BLOOD TEST Results Explained that Tell You About Your PANCREAS Health | Dr. Robert Lustig

WOMEN'S HORMONES Blood Test Results Explained: Menopause & Fertility | Dr. Natalie Crawford

WOMEN'S HORMONES Blood Test Results Explained: Menopause & Fertility | Dr. Natalie Crawford

MICRONUTRIENT Blood Test Results Explained: What They Tell You About Your HEALTH | Dr. Joel Fuhrman

MICRONUTRIENT Blood Test Results Explained: What They Tell You About Your HEALTH | Dr. Joel Fuhrman

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Expert Q&A
A GLP-1 receptor agonist injection pen and box beside a healthy salad and water, illustrating GLP-1 medications for obesity and weight management.

Who should actually take a GLP-1? An obesity expert's honest take

The Levels Team · 11 min
Expert Q&A
A runner on a coastal road at sunrise, illustrating endurance exercise and how the body fuels athletic performance.

5 Insights that challenge what you think about carbs and exercise

The Levels Team · 12 min
Expert Q&A
Hands at a desk wearing a smartwatch showing heart rate and EKG waveform, beside a notebook titled Questions for my doctor and a laptop with a chat-style interface.

An expert's take on using AI for health

The Levels Team · 11 min
Expert Q&A
Dumbbells beside a plate with grilled chicken and vegetables on a light blue background, illustrating resistance training and whole-food protein.

5 Things an expert wants you to know about protein and muscle

The Levels Team · 13 min

Nutrition|275 articles

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Foods high in saturated fat including butter, red meat, pork, ground beef, sausages, milk, cheese, and cream.

How to reduce saturated fat in your diet

Sharon Liao · 11 min
Expert Q&A
Why no diet wins—contrasting healthy eating patterns: low-carb/keto style meal vs plant-forward whole foods

No diet wins: 5 Key insights from 40 years of nutrition research

The Levels Team · 12 min
Ultimate Guide
Increasingly used in packaged foods, this fat is beneficial compared to other seed oils, yet also has drawbacks.

Is high-oleic sunflower oil healthy?

Stephanie Eckelkamp · 10 min
Recipe Roundup
Nine satisfying recipes that keep your energy steady and your appetite in check with at least 20 grams of protein.

9 high-protein, low-sugar breakfasts

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The Explainer

Why you should reduce sugar and refined carbs—and the smart way to do it

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How to think about calories and when they matter

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Are “zero sugar” sodas healthier?

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Expert Q&A
Paper art of a red-and-blue heart model beside a cross-section of yellow and orange dots representing lipoprotein particles, on a light blue background.

6 Things you need to know about your cholesterol panel

The Levels Team · 12 min
Expert Perspective
Semi-transparent illustration of a human figure in motion with the skeleton and digestive tract highlighted in warm amber; glowing particles trace a path from the gut along the leg bones, representing the gut-bone axis.

The gut-bone axis: How the microbiome influences bone health

Mark Charbonneau, PhD · 11 min
Expert Q&A
A conceptual clay model of a cross-sectioned artery showing yellow plaque deposits narrowing the vessel. Red beads representing blood cells flow through the channel, surrounded by scattered white pills, a stethoscope, and an EKG heart rate graph.

The heart health test you haven't heard of—but should be getting

The Levels Team · 12 min
Expert Q&A
How investigative journalist Gary Taubes learned to spot bad science in nutrition, why that matters for your health decisions, and how to think more like a careful scientist yourself.

Why bad science keeps misleading us about nutrition—and what to do instead

The Levels Team · 5 min
Ultimate Guide

The 2026 Levels Guide to testosterone replacement therapy

Dan Wagener · 12 min
Expert Q&A

5 Surprising truths about your immune system

The Levels Team · 8 min
Expert Q&A

A longevity expert's reality check: What actually works (and what doesn't)

The Levels Team · 8 min
Ultimate Guide

The 2026 Levels Guide to Thyroid Health

Nicola Bridges · 10 min

Biomarkers|39 articles

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Metabolic Markers
Two labeled blood collection tubes for amylase and lipase tests on a light blue background.

The 2026 Levels Guide to blood tests for pancreatic health

Stephanie Eckelkamp, MS, RDN, LDN · 19 min
Metabolic Markers
A gloved hand holds a labeled blood collection tube marked ALT test against a light blue background.

The 2026 Levels Guide to blood tests for liver health

Stephanie Eckelkamp, MS, RDN, LDN · 15 min
Ask the Expert
Monitoring your biomarkers helps you spot red flags early, and the ideal frequency of these tests varies from person to person.

How often should you get blood testing?

Anjali Dsouza, MD · 8 min
Metabolic Markers
Blood testing and micronutrient status illustration representing vitamin deficiency testing and metabolic health

How to interpret blood tests for 7 common vitamin deficiencies

Stephanie Eckelkamp · 18 min
Metabolic Markers

4 Biomarkers you can improve with lifestyle changes

Julie Stewart · 10 min
Expert Q&A

Beyond "normal": 6 Things basic blood tests might be telling you

The Levels Team · 6 min
Metabolic Markers

The 2026 Levels Guide to kidney blood tests

Stephanie Eckelkamp, MS, RDN, LDN · 10 min
Metabolic Markers

The 2026 Levels Guide to blood iron tests

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Why keeping weight off is so hard—metabolic adaptation, exercise, and weight management

Why keeping weight off is so hard—and what actually helps

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Ultimate Guide
Now used by millions, GLP-1 agonist drugs like Wegovy are also being studied for everything from weight loss to gambling addiction. Here’s what we know now.

What the latest research says about GLP-1s in 2025

Julie Stewart · 8 min
The Explainer
Scale

What can weight tell you about your metabolic health?

Leslie Goldman, MPH · 10 min
Research Highlight
A small randomized clinical trial measures the value of seeing real-time glucose to improve diet and body composition

New research shows that CGM data aids weight loss

Jennifer Chesak · 5 min
You Asked

Can meal tracking help you lose weight?

Monique Brouillette · 5 min
The Explainer

Using a CGM for weight loss

Joy Manning, RD · 8 min
The Explainer

Why is it harder for women to lose weight?

Gretchen Lidicker · 7 min
Expert Q&A

How do weight-loss medications like Ozempic affect metabolic health?

The Levels Team · 14 min

Exercise|40 articles

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Expert Q&A
A man runs along a tree-lined park path wearing athletic gear, with a circular sensor on his upper arm and a fitness tracker on his wrist.

Why you can't exercise your way to weight loss

The Levels Team · 10 min
Research Highlight
A sweeping review asks whether we slow down because muscles run low on glycogen, or because the brain is protecting itself from falling blood sugar.

New research questions why carbs improve exercise performance

The Levels Team · 10 min
Expert Q&A
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon discusses why building muscle is essential for health and longevity, resistance training, and getting enough protein.

Why your workout isn’t working for you and what to do instead

The Levels Team · 17 min
Ultimate Guide
Exercise is one of the most critical things you can do to improve your metabolic health—here are all the ways it helps.

The 2026 Levels Guide to exercise and metabolic health

Greg Presto · 15 min
Ask The Expert

How can CGM help improve exercise performance?

Dominic D'Agostino, PhD · 6 min
Expert Q&A

A low-carb diet may boost exercise performance and health

The Levels Team · 23 min
Ultimate Guide

Why building muscle matters for metabolic health

Greg Presto · 12 min
Ultimate Guide

What effect does fasted exercise have on metabolism?

Emily DiNuzzo · 8 min

Sleep|7 articles

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Expert Advice
Most “sleep studies” conducted in a lab struggle to diagnose sleep problems beyond apnea. Here’s how to better measure sleep issues, and how to address them.

How do you effectively diagnose sleep issues?

Jennifer Chesak · 10 min
Research Highlight
Researchers found that brain waves during sleep may help regulate blood sugar , possibly explaining why poor sleep increases diabetes risk

New research shows brain waves may impact glucose during sleep

Yael Cooperman, MD · 6 min
Ultimate Guide
Poor or limited sleep can drive metabolic dysfunction and make healthy weight management more difficult through multiple mechanisms.

The relationship between sleep and weight loss

Jennifer Cook · 10 min
Ultimate Guide
The hormone most closely associated with sleep also seems to impact glucose and insulin. Here’s what we know.

How does melatonin affect metabolic health?

Ashley Welch · 7 min
Ultimate Guide

How circadian rhythm impacts metabolic health

Naomi Barr · 11 min
Research Highlight

New research shows a connection between sleep quality and glucose control

Kristen Fischer · 3 min
The Explainer

Why do my glucose levels go low during sleep?

The Levels Team · 3 min

Women's Health|19 articles

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Ultimate Guide
Estrogen replacement therapy and metabolic health

The 2026 Levels Guide to hormone replacement therapy

Jennifer Chesak · 12 min
Expert Q&A
Womens Hormones

How to read women’s hormone labs like a functional medicine clinician

The Levels Team · 7 min
Expert Q&A
Womens Hormones

5 Key insights about hormones every woman should know

The Levels Team · 7 min
The Explainer
Post-menopausal women have an increased risk of cardiometabolic disease. Here’s how a CGM can help you focus on metabolic health.

How continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can help during menopause

The Levels Team · 9 min
The Explainer

Using continuous glucose monitoring in people with PCOS

Jennifer Chesak · 6 min
The Explainer

Is intermittent fasting good for women?

Gretchen Lidicker · 9 min
The Explainer

Can blood sugar impact hot flashes?

Jennifer Chesak · 5 min
Ultimate Guide

How blood sugar can impact menopause symptoms

Jennifer Chesak · 8 min

Mental Health|24 articles

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Expert Q&A
Neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter has spent 30 years challenging how medicine approaches brain disease. His takeaway: Alzheimer's has no single, primary cause, but it is largely preventable through lifestyle choices

6 Key insights about preventing Alzheimer's

The Levels Team · 8 min
Expert Q&A
Dr. Dom D'Agostino, Dr. Iain Campbell, and Dr. Bret Scher discuss the therapeutic application of the keto diet and the future of metabolic psychiatry.

How the keto diet may ease depression in bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions

The Levels Team · 17 min
Research Highlight
A new study suggests that fructose and uric acid may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s, thanks to an evolutionary adaptation hijacked by the modern diet.

Is fructose behind Alzheimer’s disease?

Jennifer Chesak · 6 min
Research Highlight
A new paper investigates the connection between feelings of loneliness and physical and mental health effects, and offers strategies to address both.

Can being lonely impact your metabolic health?

Stephanie Weng · 4 min
Expert Q&A

Does food affect mental health?

The Levels Team · 20 min
Email Newsletter

How to stay mentally and metabolically healthy during time off

Casey Means, MD · 7 min
Metabolic Research Roundup

New research reveals more ways metabolic health impacts cognitive decline

Pratibha Anand · 7 min
Ultimate Guide

The connection between stroke and metabolic health

Emma Betuel · 12 min

All Articles

Expert Q&A
Most cases of low testosterone stem from reversible lifestyle factors, not just aging—when Dr. Jesse Mills reaches for the prescription pad and why.

Testosterone replacement: 5 expert insights

The Levels Team · 8 min
Metabolic Markers
Your results may not tell the whole story. Discover what affects the accuracy of readings, and how to discuss your numbers with your doctor.

How reliable are blood marker tests?

Dan Wagener · 8 min
Metabolic Markers
Combined, these markers give a fuller picture of your heart disease risk than standard blood work does.

The 2026 Levels Guide to cardiac health tests

Dan Wagener · 10 min
Expert Q&A
5 Surprising metabolic insights from Ben Bikman

5 Surprising metabolic insights from Ben Bikman

The Levels Team · 8 min
Expert Advice
These tests can reveal hidden aspects of your health, allowing you and your provider to create a personalized preventive plan.

How to talk to your doctor about expanded lab panels

Gretchen Lidicker · 10 min
Metabolic Markers
Take a deep dive into the chemical messengers that underpin men’s sexual functioning, bone and muscle health, and more (spoiler: there’s more than testosterone).

The 2026 Levels Guide to male hormone testing

Dan Wagener · 12 min
Metabolic Markers
These markers show whether your immune system is balanced—or if dysfunction is quietly raising your risk of infection, autoimmune disease, and metabolic problems.

What blood tests reveal about your immune system

Jessica Sebor · 12 min
Expert Q&A
We all get blood tests, whether at our annual physical or from another company, but do we know what they mean? Here, Dr. Anjali Dsouza shares five insights to help you make sense of your results.

5 Things you need to know about blood testing

The Levels Team · 8 min
Ultimate Guide
This approach to medical care seeks to treat the underlying causes of illness, but may be difficult to find or afford. Here’s what you need to know about functional medicine providers.

Is a functional medicine provider right for you, and how to find one

Nicola Bridges · 12 min
Expert Q&A
What 15 years of treating thyroid patients has taught Dr. Angela Mazza about the misconceptions that delay proper care

Six thyroid myths debunked by a practicing endocrinologist

The Levels Team · 8 min
Expert Q&A
Blood tests can reveal crucial information about kidney function, but most people don't understand what their numbers mean. Nephrologist Dr. Richard Johnson explains what to watch for and how lifestyle choices affect this vital organ.

6 Things you need to know about kidney health

The Levels Team · 8 min
Metabolic Markers
We expect elevated markers after illnesses and injuries. At other times, they can indicate chronic inflammation that could increase your risk of serious conditions.

How to interpret blood tests for inflammation

Nicola Bridges · 12 min

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