ALL ABOUT HAIR MINERAL RETESTS

THE PHILOSOPHY OF RETESTING

The nutritional balancing programs that we design are individualized for each person and will bring up layer after layer of biochemical imbalances, toxic metals, toxic chemicals and nutrient deficiencies. Most people have a number of imbalances and this takes time to uncover and resolve. This is why retesting is a critical part of all nutritional balancing programs.

The purpose of the retest is to give up an update, much like making a mid-course correction during a ship or aiplane voyage. We want to know if we are still exactly on track, or if a person’s body chemistry has shifted in some way that requires a change in diet, nutritional supplementation, detoxification or lifestyle. Otherwise, progress may stagnate or worse, the nutritional program will unbalance the person rather than move them toward better health.

WHY RETEST?

Many people say, “I did not show any toxic metals on my first test, so why should I retest? We also hear people say, “My symptoms have improved. Why should I retest?

These questions tell us that the person does not have a deep understanding of nutritional balancing science and the purposes of retesting. To help clarify, here are five important reasons for retesting the hair on a regular basis while one is on a nutritional balancing program:

1. Keeping the program appropriate. The oxidation rate may have changed, requiring a different diet and different supplementation. Otherwise one may become tired or anxious if one stays on the old nutrition program, or decides to go off the program completely.

Toxic metals may be in the process of being eliminated. This may require different supplements to support the body, or other detoxification regimens, or lifestyle changes to support the process.

2. Dealing with symptoms. Many symptoms such as fatigue, pain, low blood sugar or others may be due to temporary changes in body chemistry that will be revealed on a retest. If we know what is occurring, we can take steps to get rid of these symptoms rapidly and easily.

Mental and emotional symptoms may also be due to biochemical changes have occurred that are revealed on a repeat hair mineral test. This is not uncommon. If we know what is occurring biochemically, we can take steps to rebalance body chemistry. Otherwise, annoying symptoms may occur.

Although nutritional supplements are quite safe, a health condition could become worse instead of better by staying on a nutritional program that is not appropriate. Only through a retest can we be sure the diet and supplement program remain correct for each person.

3. General Knowledge and Monitoring. Retesting is often the best way to assess whether a nutritional balancing program is really helping, especially if one is unsure because symptoms are either not present or have not changed very much.

4. Prevention. Layers of imbalances that were not revealed on the first test are often revealed on retests. These deeper imbalances may be critical for preventing or identifying a serious illness and so corrective measures can be taken early.

For example, only through retests are we often able to identify and remove hidden toxic metals that are deeply buried in the tissues. These will slowly be revealed on retests as the body becomes more able to eliminate them.

5. Cost effectiveness. It is a waste of money and effort to remain on a nutritional supplement program that is not appropriate for one’s body chemistry.

HOW MANY RETESTS DOES A PERSON NEED?

A short answer is that we suggest retesting for at least a year or two to uncover hidden toxic metals and other biochemical imbalances that if ignored might lead to serious illness.

However, this common question does not have a simple answer for everyone. Some people only want to deal with a particular symptom. In this case, they may stop the nutritional balancing program once the symptom has improved. This could happen quickly, or it may take several retests or longer if the symptom is related to a deep layer of biochemical imbalance that is difficult to reach.

Other patients are more interested in a general improvement of their health. This is sometimes called ‘wellness’, in which one desires not only to get rid of disease symptoms, but to raise their level of health and wellbeing so they are not as subject to any illness in the future. This will require, for most people, several years at least on a nutritional balancing program.

The reason for this is that most people have many layers of adaptations and compensations, and many toxic metals that are hidden deep within organs and tissues. To release all the toxins and renourish the body takes several years at least, for most people. The exception would be young children born to healthy parents. They have not had time to become toxic and depleted, as have most adults. To fully understand this fact, the next section discusses the reality of our food, our air and conditions in our modern world.

RETESTING AND MODERN LIVING

An important reason for staying with nutritional balancing programs for several years at least is the living conditions we find ourselves in today. Since this material easily fills several books, I will summarize the situation briefly:

* Most food today is of poor quality, even organically grown. Most people are aware that processed food contains very little nutrition. Often the cardboard box is literally as nutritious as its contents.

However, due to hybrid crops that are not bred for nutrition, genetically modified crops and modern agricultural practices that do not replenish the trace minerals in the soil, even fresh food and even organically grown food has much less nutrition than food grown even 50 years ago. This has been studied extensively and is written in books such as Empty Harvest by Bernard Jensen and Mark Anderson, Avery Books, NY 19990.

* The quality of our water is also very poor, especially tap water. This adds toxicity, even by just bathing in the water contaminated with chlorine, fluoride and often hundreds of other chemicals, prescription and over-the-counter drugs and other contaminants.

* The quality of our air is poor in most locations.

* Electromagnetic pollution due to thousands of stray electromagnetic fields is another challenge that faces almost everyone, 24 hours a day. The sources range from computers and televisions to cell phone towers, wireless devices, auto and aircraft EM fields and thousands of other electronic devices that surround us every day.

All the factors above add stress to our bodies. The poor food most people eat and that all must endure to some extent causes subtle deficiencies, even when we attempt to eat the best quality we can find. Hurried lifestyles and poor eating habits also often add to the nutritional problems that most people develop.

For all these reasons, staying on a nutritional balancing program with regular retests every 4 to 6 months at least, is the best way to utilize hair mineral testing to both alleviate and prevent many health problems today.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS ON RETESTS

A person may feel better, yet a mineral analysis retest might reveal worsened ratios or little significant change. Conversely, a person may feel the same or worse, yet the retest shows improvement. Why does these confusing situations arise?

Compensations And Adaptations

    A key to these phenomena is to undersand adaptation. A fundamental principle of nutritional balancing is that our bodies survive by compensating or adapting to stress. Adaptations are biochemical changes reflected in altered mineral levels and ratios on a hair test. Taken together, the altered levels and ratios are called homeostatic states.

    For example, very slow oxidation is a homeostatic state characterized by the tendency for low energy, depression and low blood sugar. It is, however, the best the body can do at the time. Very fast oxidation is another homeostatic state with different symptoms. High levels of toxic metals is a third state and so forth.

I Feel Better, But The Test Is Worse

    The primary reason this occurs is decompensation. After several weeks or months on a nutrition program, nutrients are replenished and energy improves. The body then does not need to compensate as much and a change of equilibrium or homeostasis occurs. Occasionally, a temporary increased imbalance occurs.

    An example is a patient with a good zinc level, in spite of symptoms such as prostate enlargement, skin problems, decreased sense of taste and smell, poor digestion or other zinc deficiency symptoms. On a second or third test, the zinc level may drop precipitously, yet the patient reports feeling better. What happened?

    The zinc reading was originally displaced upwards, to balance something else or by a toxic metal such as cadmium. Cadmium and other toxic metals can cause physiological mineral levels to appear higher in the hair. As energy increases, cadmium is eliminated from the body. As cadmium is released, zinc replaces it in the tissues and for a while less zinc is excreted into the hair tissue. The retention of the zinc, along with cadmium elimination, causes improvement in symptoms.

    A second example is a chronically ill (compensated) patient with a fairly balanced oxidation rate on the first hair test. This occurs commonly. After one or several tests, the oxidation rate may become very slow or very fast, indicating severe energy loss. However, the patient reports feeling better.

    In this case, the body had compensated for nutrient imbalances by accumulating toxic metals that temporarily balanced the oxidation rate. Cadmium, for example, will raise sodium levels. Lead can replace calcium. In spite of a fairly balanced oxidation rate, the person did not feel well because of the presence of the toxic metals, often hidden deep within the tissues. As body chemistry improved, the body began to eliminate the toxic metals, replacing them with physiological minerals. The person begins to feel better. Yet the oxidation rate may reveal the underlying imbalance and look worse for a while.

    A second reason the test may look worse but the patient feels better is if the patient gains relief from an important symptom. This may produce psychological well-being in the patient, even though other imbalances exist.

    A third reason for an apparent worsening of the test in spite of symptomatic improvement is the practitioner may not understand or may not notice the improvements. For example, higher toxic metals usually means one is actively eliminating of metals, not a worsening of toxicity. An unbalanced oxidation rate may grab one's attention, causing one to overlook an improved sodium/potassium ratio or improved phosphorus or zinc level.

No Change In The Test

    There are several reasons why there may be no change in the hair test, but the patient feels better. Possible reasons include:

• A diet or lifestyle change increases well-being, but has not yet impacted body chemistry enough to show up on the test.

• The practitioner overlooks a subtle improved ratio or level.

• The hair was not sampled correctly. A sample cut away from the scalp will not show recent changes.

• The change may be too subtle to see on one test. For example, a copper level that is rising from 2.5 mg% to 8.5 mg% over the 3 month sampling period will be averaged resulting in a reading of 5.5 mg%. Over the next 3 months, a decrease in the copper level from 9 mg% to 2 mg% will be averaged to also produce a reading of 5.5 mg%. The reading will be the same, but the meaning is very different!

    The only way to detect such a subtle change would be to retest sooner. Eventually, of course, the trend in body chemistry will be revealed, but on a temporary basis it can seem as though nothing has changed.

The Retest Looks Better, But The Patient Feels Worse

    A patient with an improved test can feel worse for several reasons.

• The most common reason is a healing reaction or retracing reaction. This can give rise to many kinds of symptoms. Most do not last long, but chronic conditions may require months for retracing. One patient began to dissolve old kidney stones, which then began to pass, causing extreme discomfort until all had passed.

• As health improves, new challenges may occur in a persons life, creating anxiety or other symptoms.

• The patient may have forgotten some of his original complaints. For this reason, it is always wise to keep a written record of all symptoms and conditions at the beginning of treatment. When a person says there is no improvement, you can refer to this sheet and ask about each symptom. Often half are gone and forgotten.

• Occasionally, improved tests do not correlate with feeling better because the patients increase their activity level. This is common with fatigued patients who are anxious to get back to their old routine. As they improve, they increase their activities, using up the extra energy they gained. As a result, they may not feel better. Careful questioning may reveal an increased activity level, needing fewer naps, or some other subtle improvement.

From THE ARL NEWLETTER – MAY 2007

Copyright 2007, Analytical Research Labs. Material is for educational purposes only.

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