Plus, air purifiers and a new low for alcohol.
Women deserve more than 19 data points.
Most standard lab panels test just 19 biomarkers. To understand women’s health and longevity, we need more—100+.
Why? Women age differently. Hormones shift. Metabolism changes. Bone loss accelerates. Autoimmune risk rises. Nutrient reserves deplete. Yet most lab panels haven’t caught up.
The conventional medical system I trained in (at Columbia and Mount Sinai) was reactive. I was taught to “wait until the wheels fall off” before testing and warned that “over-testing” was the problem.
Meanwhile:
- Heart disease, dementia, diabetes, even cancer are often detectable years before symptoms show up
- 90% of people don’t receive essential preventive testing
- Proactive testing saves money (and lives)
When I started Parsley Health 9 years ago, we flipped that script and created the comprehensive lab testing panel—with over 100 biomarkers—that you now see others offering.
After 50,000+ patients and hundreds of thousands of labs (80% from women), here’s what we’ve learned—and how to apply it to your own health strategy.
🤓 What to know: Female longevity depends on testing smarter.
Standard labs often miss or under-test the systems that matter most to women’s long-term health.
🌀 Hormonal balance → Hormonal imbalances contribute to PCOS, infertility, perimenopause symptoms, and bone loss.
- Standard panels: rarely test hormones unless you’re TTC.
- Comprehensive testing: maps your full hormonal rhythm (including estradiol, progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, LH, FSH) and cycle health.
🦋Thyroid health → Women are 5–8x more likely to develop thyroid disease—especially around pregnancy or menopause.
- Standard: TSH only.
- Comprehensive: Full thyroid panel (includes Free T3, T4, Reverse T3, TPO antibodies—not just TSH) to catch subclinical shifts.
🔥 Gut inflammation + sensitivities → 70% of the immune system lives in the gut. Imbalances here drive bloating, fatigue, mood swings, and even autoimmunity.
- Standard: Not tested.
- Comprehensive: Checks calprotectin, zonulin, food antibodies, and more.
🛡️Autoimmune markers → Women are 3x more likely to develop autoimmune conditions, often triggered by hormonal changes.
- Standard: Only tests after major symptoms appear.
- Comprehensive: Includes ANA, CRP, ESR to catch immune activation early.
🍩 Blood sugar & metabolic flexibility → Metabolic syndrome affects 40% of women (and over half of women 60+).
- Standard: Fasting glucose and A1C.
- Comprehensive: Adds fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, leptin, advanced lipids.
🌱 Nutrient status → 40–60% of women are low in vitamin D and 1 in 5 has iron deficiency.
- Standard: Vitamin D maybe; iron if you’re lucky.
- Comprehensive: Includes vitamin D, ferritin, magnesium, B12, folate.
❤️ Heart health → Heart disease is highly preventable yet it’s the #1 killer of women.
- Standard: Total cholesterol and LDL.
- Comprehensive: Adds ApoB, hs-CRP, lipoprotein(a), calcium score recs.
☣️ Toxins + heavy metals → Everyday exposures—like mercury, lead, plastics, and pesticides—can disrupt hormones and accelerate aging.
- Standard: Not tested.
- Comprehensive: Includes heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, detox support markers.
Why “normal” isn’t optimal
Today’s lab reference ranges are designed to catch disease, not optimize health. Here’s what that looks like in real life:
Vitamin D
- Normal: Anything ≥30 ng/mL
- Optimal: Women feel and function best between 50–70 ng/mL, with stronger immunity, better mood, and more resilient bones.
TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)
- Normal: <4.5.
- Optimal: Many women start noticing fatigue, hair loss, weight shifts, or mood changes once TSH rises above 2.5.
Ferritin (iron storage)
- Normal: ≥12 µg/L keeps you out of anemia.
- Optimal: Most women need 40–100 µg/L to support steady energy, focus, and exercise recovery.
💪 What to do: Test 2x per year.
Tracking for the sake of tracking is not the point. Your numbers should inform a personalized health care plan.
Here’s how labs can translate into simple actions with major impacts:
Thyroid off? → Replete iron, zinc, Vit D, selenium (and/or use targeted meds) to restore energy and metabolism.
Sex hormones imbalanced? → Support with fiber + muscle-building, plus hormone therapy when appropriate to support perimenopause symptoms or fertility.
Heart health risks? → Track ApoB every 6 months; add a calcium score around age 50 to catch earliest signs of disease.
Prediabetes? → Fasting insulin reveals risk before A1C spikes; reverse an elevated A1C in as little as 90 days
Nutrients low? → Correcting Vitamin D and magnesium (two of the most common female deficiencies) pays off big for mood, bones, and immunity.
Toxins high? → Elevated mercury (often from fish) can drive fatigue and cognitive decline; catching it early means you can detox safely.
✨Now for my really exciting news! ✨
Starting this week, Parsley Longevity Labs are officially available nation-wide to everyone!
Each test comes with clear, personalized guidance from a Parsley clinician (we’re the only service offering labs this detailed paired with actual patient care from board-certified providers), including your own Functional Health Score and Aging Velocity metrics (how fast you’re aging vs. your peers) so you know exactly where to focus.
These labs are designed for women who:
- Want to feel strong in midlife
- Feel “off” but get told they’re “normal”
- Want to track progress + longevity
- Are navigating perimenopause, menopause, or fertility
- Want to prevent bone loss, heart disease, metabolic syndrome
- Want to feel in control of their health
- Want to be strong for years to come
Our outcomes show 85% of patients improve or resolve symptoms within their first year. Let’s do this together 💪Use code TKTK for TK off your Parsley Longevity Labs.
⚡Quick Hits
🌬️ Air purifiers for better cardiovascular health
Adding a HEPA air purifier to your bedroom or living room may help your heart. A new study found that using air filters at home cut indoor pollution nearly in half. That translated to a small but meaningful improvement for people with high blood pressure. Cleaner air, calmer body.
My favorite purifier here!
🍷Drinking just hit a 90-year low
Alcohol-use is plummeting and women’s drinking dropped 11 points in one year, according to new data. Given alcohol is now linked to 100,000+ cancer cases annually, this isn’t just a trend—it’s a health revolution.
Studies show people consistently underestimate their alcohol intake—I track mine with Whoop.
🧠 One workout, big brain boost
Just one aerobic workout can give your brain a lift. In a new study, older adults saw a 42% jump in BDNF (a protein that supports memory and brain health) after a single exercise session. Motivation to move today!
💛 The Momgevity Files
The other night, I was in my kids’ room doing bedtime with my 5- and 3-year-olds when my 8-year-old wandered in and, out of nowhere, said:
“Mommy, when I’m really old, you’ll be gone.”
He got quiet and sad. I told him that when he’s old and I’m no longer here physically, I’ll still be with him in spirit. That if he ever needed advice, because we know each other so well, he’d be able to imagine exactly what I’d say.
My 5-year-old overheard and immediately started sobbing—it was clearly her first realization that Mommy and Daddy won’t live forever. My 3-year-old didn’t quite understand, but came over anyway. Suddenly all of us were crying and hugging in a little pile of love.
I reassured them that Mommy isn’t going anywhere for a very long time and that I’m working hard to live as long and as healthfully as possible.
It’s easy to poke fun at the “longevity movement”—biohackers chasing 150 years, endless supplements, mountains of gadgets and experimental protocols. But for me (and for so many women I know), longevity isn’t about proving we can hit some big number.
It’s about something deeper and more heart-centered: wanting to be here for our kids.
Behavioral science shows that finding your why is the most powerful motivator for change.
For me, it’s clear: I want to be around to enjoy my life with my children for as long as possible.
And when you reframe longevity that way, the routines, the investments, the so-called “obsessions” don’t feel ridiculous.
They feel essential.
Stay strong, stay curious, and breathe,
Robin