MCHC In Blood Test, What is it?

MCHC stands for mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. This is a measurable factor in your blood.

Put simply the test measures your?hemoglobin levels in your red blood cells and looks at the average amount of hemoglobin per red cell.

So MCHC = the amount of hemoglobin present in each red blood cell.

And what do your MCHC levels mean?

An MCHC blood test could be ordered for someone who has signs of fatigue or weakness, when there is an infection, is bleeding or bruising easily or when there is noticeable inflammation.

The MCHC test is most commonly used to evaluate for anemia. It is often accompanied by an?MCV?(Mean Corpuscular Volume) test as well since both of these tests can provide?indications of potential blood issues.

If you are concerned about anemia you can get these tests done individually or together. A thorough and effective?way to test for anemia is to get a complete anemia panel, which includes both of these tests.

We’ve?made a post about testing for anemia, which you can find here.

What do High MCHC Test Results Mean in a Blood Test?

If your levels are high (above 34 pg) then your results could be considered unusually high.

With such results, there’s a likelihood that you could have macrocytic anemia. It’s the most frequent reason for MCH results?that are this high. It’s a blood disorder that happens when your body isn’t producing enough red blood cells. Another facet of the condition is that red blood cells that are made are often too large.

A deficiency in folic acid could also lead to high results. Additionally, liver disease, hereditary spherocytes, and vitamin B12 deficiency can sometimes be responsible, too.

Burn victims also show elevated mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, which is a temporary situation and will self-regulate as healing continues.

What do Low MCHC Test Results Mean in a Blood Test?

If your MCHC levels are below 28% (average level is around 33%), then your doctor may consider them?too low.

Levels this low can be due to blood loss over time, too little iron in the body or hypochromic anemia.

Hypochromic anemia often means the red blood cells do not have enough hemoglobin to function correctly.

Further investigation should be carried out if this is the case.

You may have a problem absorbing iron, a case of internal bleeding or gastrointestinal tract tumors or a specific condition.

How to improve your MCHC levels

Before trying to fix your?hemoglobin levels you should get?testing to find out what reason(s) is causing your?condition.

• If the cause is a systematic condition like bone marrow defects, cancer, kidney problems then you’ll need to get specialized treatment.
• If it’s being caused by certain types of drugs, then you might want to?look for alternative medications.
• If it’s due to nutritional deficiencies then you should eat more mineral rich food and/or create a supplement regiment.?The most common nutritional deficiencies related tomean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration?levels are iron, folate, vitamin C and Vitamin B12.

Find the best available supplement options below:

(Note: we’ve only linked to products that have been formulated for high bioavailability, meaning your body will absorb the nutrients correctly and you won’t just pee them out.)

Iron:

Solgar Gentle Iron 25 mg (Iron Bisglycinate)?

Does Not Contain: Sugar, salt, starch, corn, yeast, wheat, soy, dairy products, preservatives, artificial flavors or colors.

What does bisglycinate mean? It means that the iron has been bound to a particular amino acid molecule which allows the iron to be easily?absorbed by your digestive tract.

Folate:

Solgar Folate 800 mcg – 100 Tablets

While many doctors will recommend folic acid to improve MCHC results, it has recently been discovered that folate (which is derived from natural sources) is far superior to it’s chemically created cousin, folic acid. In fact, folic acid has been found to be cancer causing.

This form of folate is readily absorbed and does well to maintain hemoglobin levels.

Vitamin C:

Viva Labs Non-GMO Vitamin C with bioflavinoids and Rose Hips (for better absorption)

• Features Quali?-C – Most vitamin C supplements today are sourced from genetically modified corn, hindering the benefits of this vital nutrient. Viva Labs’ formula features 1,000mg of vitamin C, derived from non-GMO cornfields in the green hills of Scotland.
• Synergistic Formula – citrus bioflavonoids and rose hips enhance the bioavailability of vitamin C offering superior absorption and efficacy. Studies have shown that these compounds increased the absorption rate of vitamin C by 35%.

Vitamin B-12:

Seeking Health Hydroxo B-12 2,000 mcg lozenges

Hydroxo B12 Lozenge by Seeking Health uses 2,000 mcg of hydroxocobalamin Vitamin B12 in an easy-to-deliver lozenge. Hydroxocobalamin is a preferred form of B12 (the best and least available form) which?provides greater absorption and availability.

This brand might be the only manufacturer in the US to sell this highly recommended form of b12.

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Do you need your MCHC levels tested? Are you concerned about anemia?

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Chances are you’ve already been tested for your MCHC levels, and that’s a step in the right direction.

If you haven’t already had your levels checked it’s probably a good idea to ask your doctor for the tests to be done.

If you don’t want to test through a doctor, you can order tests online and a lab will mail you the results. We work with an online lab test vendor True Health Labs. They offer cheap tests and a free phone or skype call to talk to you about your results.?The CBC test?(Complete Blood Count) is a very common blood test that looks for for both the MCHC and MCV markers. You can find it here at True Health Labs

You can also test for the presence of anemia in your system. The Full Anemia Panel from True Health Labs will give you extensive results and a strong indication about your potential for anemia. It combines the CBC test with additional analysis specifically tailored towards anemia.