"Not being sick yet isn't the same as being healthy."
Constant fatigue. Brain fog. Symptoms that come and go without explanation. And lab work that keeps coming back "normal." For most people, standard testing is designed to answer one question: is there disease yet? But what if the more useful question is where your health is heading? In this episode of The Resiliency Method® The Truth About Healing Podcast, Dr. Erika Schultz sits down with Dr. Darren Schmidt, DC, founder of the Nutritional Healing Center of Ann Arbor, to explore the MVX Plus blood test. This affordable panel measures cellular health and predicts five-year mortality risk long before symptoms become a diagnosis.
A Test Built on More Than 300,000 People
The MVX Plus came out of more than a decade of NIH research on over 30,000 people and was later validated through a UK Biobank study of 270,000 participants. Researchers tracked blood markers over time and identified six that best predicted mortality:
- GlycA, reflecting inflammation and infection
- Small HDL particle count, reflecting toxicity
- Citrate, reflecting mitochondrial function
- Three branched-chain amino acids (valine, leucine, and isoleucine), tied to diet and digestion
These combine into three composite scores: the Metabolic Vulnerability Index (MVX), the Inflammation Vulnerability Index (IVX), and the Metabolic Malnutrition Index (MMX).
The Nutrient Behind Four of the Six Markers
This is the episode's clinical turning point. Dr. Schmidt shares his own health crisis: a nearly fatal, undiagnosed gas leak in his home. His recovery accelerated when he discovered high-dose thiamine (B1) in the forms of benfotiamine and TTFD. Four of the six MVX Plus markers are directly tied to B1 status, which makes thiamine one of the most overlooked and under-tested nutrients in chronic illness care.
"A high score isn't a verdict. It's a starting point."
The Toxic Burden Behind the Numbers
Dr. Erika and Dr. Schmidt explore what drives these markers in the first place. Mold, parasites, heavy metals, and microplastics all contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction, and studies now show microplastics present in nearly all tested placentas. They also reference NHANES data showing that just six toxins, out of 42 studied, account for the greatest chronic disease burden. Dr. Schmidt's Seven Step Blueprint to Optimal Health addresses this in sequence: diet, mitochondrial support, detox preparation, gut healing, pathogen clearing, metal and chemical detoxification, and cellular repair.
Testing Is Direction, Not Treatment
This episode is a reminder that a lab result is a map, not a protocol. The MVX Plus can show where the body is struggling and whether it's improving over time, but real healing still requires individualized, sequenced care. The better question isn't "How do I get rid of this symptom?" It's "What does my body need to get healthier?"
Ready to Find Out What Your Body Actually Needs? Explore here:
https://www.drerikaonline.com/practitioner-longevity-program
Want to start offering MVX Plus testing in your practice? Learn More Here: https://www.drerikaonline.com/mvx-testing
Listen here:
