All information in this article is for educational
purposes only. It is not for the
diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.
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. It is a method of healing that also utilizes the most modern
stress theory of disease, general systems theory and cybernetics. The latter is the study of
self-regulating systems.
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
Tissue
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. For in-depth information on hair
analysis, see The Explore Hair
Analysis article, and Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis.
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