The
test is performed by burning the sample of hair at a high temperature in a mass
spectrometer The technique has been used in laboratories for about 80
years. Computer-controlled
instruments have improved the accuracy and reduced the cost of mineral
analysis.
Minerals
tested include the electrolytes - calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and
phosphorus. Trace minerals tested
include copper, manganese, chromium, selenium, iron, molybdenum, lithium,
cobalt, zinc and others. Toxic
metals tested include lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, aluminum and
others.
NUTRITIONAL BALANCING
Nutritional
balancing science employs hair mineral analysis along with other material
submitted by the client to inform the practitioner of their situation. By interpreting the hair mineral test
properly, one can construct a biochemical picture of the way the body is
responding to stress.
Based
upon this picture, deep correction can be initiated. Progress can be monitored with repeat hair mineral
tests. The science incorporates
and integrates many disciplines including physiological chemistry,
biochemistry, natural healing theory and the theory of the oxidation types.
Many
physicians offer mineral analysis, but use the test symptomatically,
supplementing only those minerals that read low. This is called replacement therapy and is not
effective. Others use the test
just to detect toxic metals. This
is not the best use of the test, as often the heavy metals are not revealed on
the first test. Proper test
interpretation takes several years to learn, and this is work that I love to
teach to practitioners.
WHAT CAN A HAIR ANALYSIS REVEAL?
A
Window Into The Cells. Hair analysis provides information
directly about metabolism at the level of the cells ‑ the
main site of many nutritional processes.
Glucose
Tolerance. Many minerals are involved in the
metabolism of carbohydrates including manganese, zinc, chromium and
vanadium. Ratios of sodium to
potassium and calcium to magnesium also provide information about glucose
tolerance. Toxic metals interfere
with glucose metabolism.
Inefficient carbohydrate metabolism drastically reduces cellular energy
production, leading to many serious health conditions.
Detecting
Toxic Metals. Hair
mineral analysis is one of the few accepted methods to detect chronic toxic
metal poisoning in the body. Toxic
metals may contribute to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, fatigue, depression,
anxiety, infections and many other conditions. Metals that are deeply buried may require a year or more
before they are revealed on repeated mineral analyses.
Assessing
Organ and Gland Activity. Mineral levels and ratios
reflect the activity of glands such as the thyroid and adrenal glands. By calculating these ratios on a tissue
mineral test, organ and glandular activity can be assessed.
Measuring
The Energy Level. Energy is a common denominator of health. Many minerals are required for the
production of energy within the cells.
Hair analysis can help assess and guide the enhancement of the energy
level.
When
energy efficiency is low, many body systems break down. When cellular energy production
improves, many symptoms and conditions resolve by themselves. This is a basic principle of many
natural healing methods.
Determining
The Oxidation Type. Some people metabolize carbohydrates
and fats at a more rapid rate than others. The rate at which food is
burned has been designated the oxidation rate. Each chemical reaction in the body has an ideal rate of
reaction. Hair analysis can help
determine this rate, and identify which foods and supplements would be most
helpful to optimize the oxidation rate.
Identifying
Disease Trends. Prediction and prevention are important
concepts in health care. Over
thirty disease trends can be identified from a properly interpreted tissue
mineral analysis. Tendencies are
often revealed long before they show up on x‑rays and blood tests.
Reducing
the Guesswork In Nutritional Therapy. The precision nature
of hair mineral analysis offers a method of reducing the guesswork in
recommending diets and supplement dosages. For instance, very low hair calcium and magnesium levels
indicate an alarm stage of stress in which the body excretes these minerals as
part of the fight-or-flight response.
In
this stage of stress, one needs more calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, choline,
inositol and vitamin A. These will
help balance the body chemistry.
Other vitamins may be detrimental in this stage of stress. Excessive vitamin C, for example, can
lower copper and worsen this stage.
Amino acids, herbs and other nutrients may also be recommended based on
the mineral ratios.
Monitoring
Progress. Comparing the results of repeated
tissue mineral tests over a period of months is an excellent way to monitor
subtle changes in body chemistry, regardless of which type of therapy is used.
Understanding
Behavior. Tissue mineral analysis is a powerful
tool to identify and correct biochemical causes of mental and behavioral
conditions. Minerals control
neurotransmitters and other neuroactive chemicals. All the toxic metals are neurotoxic. Conditions that often respond include
depression, anxiety, epilepsy, phobias, insomnia, fatigue, mood swings,
attention-deficit disorder and learning disorders.
Replacing
Less-preferred Minerals. When mineral deficiencies
occur, toxic metals replace the missing vital minerals in enzyme binding
sites. This allows the body to
survive in the face of nutrient deficiencies. Nutritional balancing science involves reversing this
process, replacing the toxic metals with the preferred vital minerals.
Improving
Energy Efficiency. When the metabolic rate is too slow or
too fast, energy efficiency declines.
This is analogous to pedaling a bicycle too fast or too slow. Restoring health to the biochemical
system allows thousands of chemical reactions to proceed at their optimum rate.
Hair
tests versus blood tests. Blood
tests do not provide the same information as a properly performed hair
analysis. Hair analysis measures a different body compartment. Minerals are shifted from the tissues
to maintain blood levels. This
means that deficiencies or excesses often show up earlier in the hair than the
blood.
Toxic
metals rarely remain in the blood for long, but often deposit in the hair where
they can be measured. Blood levels
of minerals vary very little, while hair values may vary 10-fold, providing
information not available from the blood.
Blood
tests give an instantaneous reading that may be affected by many factors. Hair analysis gives a long‑term
reading that is unaffected by recent meals, activities such as exercise, or emotional
states. These and other
differences make blood and tissue testing very different, with each providing
valuable information.
SUMMARY
Trace
mineral analysis is an inexpensive, accurate screening method that can be of
great help to understand body chemistry and design individualized diet and
supplement programs. These
can relieve biochemical stress to
help restore and maintain optimum health.
By
correcting tissue mineral levels and ratios with proper diet, supplementary
nutrients and lifestyle modifications, many physical and behavioral health
conditions, including those of long standing, will improve.
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