Have you ever been to a medical lab for a blood test and they required you to be in a fasting state? Well, there are a lot of blood tests that require a patient not to eat something for a certain period before giving a blood sample. In this regard, patients get confused about what to eat or drink and what to avoid.
The common question is, what would I do if I ate a mint before blood test?
Well, the tests that require you to be in a fasting state need you not to consume any nutrients. This is very simple as you can consume only those foods that have zero calories. Mint has almost zero calories but menthol in it can somehow affect the results of blood tests. So, it is important to ask your lab technician about eating mint or anything before a blood test.
In this article, you will get to know about the tests for which you have to give the blood samples without eating anything. Also, here is the explanation of how food intake can affect the results of your blood test.
You don’t need to require fasting for every blood test. For some tests such as to check the presence of a bacterial infection, it is not necessary to be in a fasting state.
Table of Content
Why Do Some Blood Tests Require Fasting?
Fasting means when no significant nutrient including carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, fats, or sugar is taken. However, you can only drink water or can eat zero-calorie food.
This is necessary to make sure nothing can affect the results of your blood test. The intake of food can increase the level of certain substances in blood or plasma.
For example, if the doctor needs to check the blood sugar level, and you eat anything before giving a blood sample, it will raise your blood sugar level. Hence, the doctor will not be able to monitor the accurate results. Therefore, it is necessary to perform such a blood test when the patient has not eaten anything for a considerable period.
What Symptoms Indicate That You Should Go for a Fasting Blood Test?
There are a lot of diseases that a doctor can not diagnose without checking your fasting blood test reports. Your doctor can advise you to have a fasting blood test if he observes the following symptoms.
- Feeling Extremely thirsty
- Improper wound healing
- Blurred vision
- Pale skin and eyes
- Lethargy
- Tiredness
- Frequent Headache
- Dizziness
Which Blood Tests Need to Be Fasting?
You don’t need to require fasting for every blood test. For some tests such as to check the presence of a bacterial infection, it is not necessary to be in a fasting state.
But, for those tests that are particularly to check the level of certain substances in your blood, it is important for you not to eat anything before giving blood samples. Following blood tests requires you to be fasting.
- Blood glucose level test
- Blood cholesterol level test
- Serum iron level test
- Triglyceride level test
- Vitamin B complex level test
- Vitamin B12 level test
- Gamma-glutamyl transferase test
- Renal function panel
- HDL level test
- LDL level test
How Long Do I Need to Fast Before a Blood Test?
Different types of blood tests require different fasting times. Do people ask how long to fast for a blood or urine test? Mostly, the time of fasting is the average time in which there is no trace of any fresh nutrients in your blood. Following is the description of the period required for fasting before different types of blood tests.
- Blood Glucose Test: This test is used to determine the level of blood sugar and requires a fast for 8 hours.
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel: This is the test used to check blood sugar, electrolytes, f balance, renal function, and liver function. The test requires fasting for 10 to 12 hours.
- Vitamin B6 and B12 Level Test: The test is most useful to check for the presence of anemia. The fasting time for this test is 6 to 8 hours.
- Iron Test: The test determines the level of iron in your blood and requires 12 hours of fasting.
- Gamma Glutamyl transferase test: This test determines the level of enzyme GGT. High levels of this enzyme are an indication of liver disease. For this test, you should also avoid drinking alcohol a few days before the test. The fasting time is 8 hours for this test.
Foods to Avoid Before Blood Test
If your doctor advises you to eat nothing before a blood test, simply follow the instructions. Eating anything that has calories and nutrients can disturb the blood test results. So, just drink water and do not eat anything before the blood test. It means you should avoid all the food items.
What if I Accidentally Drank Coffee before a Blood Test?
A lot of people are curious to know what to do if they accidentally drank coffee before a blood test. The thing is that coffee is rich in caffeine hence it is a diuretic.
It leads to dehydration and it becomes difficult for the technician to find your vein for a blood test. Also, drinking coffee, soda, juice or alcohol can affect blood test results. So you should avoid these drinks before a blood test.
Can You Eat a Mint Before Blood Test?
Many people want to know, can you have a mint while fasting for blood work? So, yes you can chew a few leaves of mint as it has almost 0.2 calories. But always ask your doctor as there are a few tests in which you need to consume nothing except water.
Can I eat a Little Before the Blood Test?
Eating nothing before a blood test means not even a single bite. A lot of people ask, should I eat something before a blood test? So, if it is necessary not to eat anything before a blood test, you should not even eat a little.
Many people say, I ate candy before the blood test or, ate a banana before the blood test. This is true for situations in which eating something will not affect your blood test results. But in other cases, it wouldn’t let your doctor diagnose the disease properly.
What to eat the day before a blood test?
A day before the blood test, you can eat anything except drinks containing caffeine. It is important to eat fruits and vegetables, as they will keep you well hydrated. Also, you can eat food rich in carbs that can keep you energetic for the next day’s fasting.
Tips and Tricks to Fast for Blood Test
Most people find it difficult to fast for a blood test. So, the following are some useful tricks if your doctor has advised you to fast before giving a blood sample.
- Try to schedule your blood test in the morning so that you may spend most of the fasting hours sleeping.
- Drink enough water to keep yourself well hydrated. Also, drinking more water will not make you feel hungry.
- Avoid smoking, chewing gum, and alcohol in fasting as they can influence blood glucose levels.
- Talk to your doctor if you’re taking medicines to continue those while fasting or not.
- Stop doing exercise while fasting as it can make you feel hungry.
- Have something with you to eat right after giving a blood sample.
Accidentally Ate a Mint Before Blood Test: What to Do?
If you accidentally ate before a blood test, it is very important to reschedule your blood testing after talking to your doctor or lab technician. As for getting accurate results, it is important not to eat anything.
If you get your blood tests done after eating, it may affect the results. Your doctor may misdiagnose a disease or most probably, he will be unable to diagnose it. So, it is best to go to the hospital the next day after fasting for a particular period.
FAQs
Question: Can you drink mint tea before a blood test?
Yes, you can drink mint tea if it has zero sugar. Only mint in boiling water is okay. But the sugar in it can interfere with the blood glucose levels and can affect the blood test results.
Question: What happens if you chew gum before a blood test?
The sugar in the chewing gum can interfere with blood sugar levels and affect the test results. Even if the gum is sugar-free, the flavors in it can disturb the results, so it is better to avoid chewing gum before the blood test.
Question: Can I eat something small before a blood test?
No, you can not eat anything before a blood test. Fasting means consuming nothing that has calories. So, you can only drink water or can have drinks that have zero calories.
Bottom Line
Ate a mint before the blood test? Well, that’s safe if your doctor doesn’t advise you to avoid it before a blood test. Some blood tests require you to stop eating for at least 8 to 10 hours.
So that the doctor can a gen accurate blood test to result to diagnose your problem. Also, it is better to hydrate yourself before giving a blood sample.
