The body is comprised of approximately 92% minerals, all of which are critically important. Some minerals are regarded as nutritious and some are regarded as toxic metals. Disease can result from an excess or deficiency of minerals. In fact, it is possible to acquire a disease based on a deficiency of only one mineral. On the other hand, many illnesses develop, not because of heredity, but through high levels of heavy metal toxicity which depress the immune system, thereby evoking diseases to enter the body. When mineral deficiencies occur, toxic metals replace the missing essential minerals in enzyme binding sites. This allows the body to survive in the face of nutrient deficiencies. Diseases that may result from heavy metal poisoning include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, fatigue, depression, anxiety, infections and many other conditions. However, heavy metal dexification is possible thru nutritional therapy, which involves reversing disease processes by replacing the toxic metals with the preferred vital minerals. By correcting tissue mineral levels and ratios with proper dietary modifications, nutritional supplementation and lifestyle changes, many physical, mental, emotional and behavioral health conditions, including those of long standing, will improve.
One common toxic heavy metal is mercury. Excessive intake of mercury can result in mercury toxicity. But mercury permeates our atmosphere. We breathe it in daily. We get it from eating fish regularly, such as salmon and tuna. We get it from the preservative Thiomersol, which the methyl-mercury used in vaccinations. It is basically injected straight into the body, and can result in symptoms of mercury poisoning. This is why vaccinations are linked to autism, depression and illness in children. We also get mercury from amalgam tooth fillings. An FDA study revealed that people with amalgam fillings have higher concentrations of mercury in their blood, urine, kidneys and brain than those without amalgams.
Mercury toxicity is only one example of heavy metal toxicity. Other toxic metals include Aluminum, Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Bismuth, Cadmium, Lead, Nickel, Thallium, Tin and Uranium. Exposure to toxic metals occurs through an industrial work environment as well as toxic metal chemicals added to food, water, air, household products, hair and skin products, personal hygiene products, tooth fillings, and many other common sources. Toxic metals may accumulate in the body due to chronic exposure and may lead to illness at very small amounts. Various factors may trigger deficiencies of nutrient elements, including poor diet, maldigestion, malabsorption, and toxic metals which deplete the body of nutrients.
What is a hair mineral analysis?
A hair mineral analysis is an inexpensive and accurate tool used to assess the body for numerous conditions and to monitor progress on any healing modality. It reveals abnormalities not detected through other routine tests. Hair analysis provides information directly about metabolism on a cellular level. It assesses glucose tolerance, organ and glandular function, energy level, metabolism [the rate at which food is burned] and disease susceptibility based on the state of the immune system. Hair mineral analysis is also a powerful tool to identify and correct biochemical causes of mental, emotional and behavioral conditions. Minerals control neurotransmitters and other neuroactive chemicals. All the toxic metals are neurotoxic and have a profound effect on the brain. Conditions that often respond include depression, anxiety, epilepsy, phobias, insomnia, fatigue, mood swings, attention-deficit disorder and learning disorders. Additionally, the hair mineral analysis provides a guide for nutritional therapy, as well as a guide for 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. OnIy about one heaping teaspoon of hair is required, preferably from the nape of the neck, but pubic hair may also be used.
This Hair Mineral Analysis test is performed by Genova Diagnostics Lab, formerly called The Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory. It is among the most modern and sophisticated labs, fully equipped with "state-of-the-art" tools for precise and sensitive analysis. This lab is recognized to be a scientific world leader using the highest standards in the industry, and is managed by extremely knowledgeable chemists and microbiologists. It is trusted by thousands of Healthcare Practitioners globally to yield the most reliable results in their assessment of body specimens for physiological function. Commercial hair testing laboratories are inspected by the government, and must adhere to the same standards as blood laboratories. Often they are under greater scrutiny because the test is less conventional.
The Hair Mineral Analysis is performed by cutting the hair sample into small pieces and dissolving it in acid overnight. A carefully measured amount is then burned at a high temperature in a computer-controlled mass spectrometer. The technique has been used in laboratories for about 80 years. Spectrographic analysis is a standard testing method used at laboratories and universities around the world. Computer-controlled instruments have improved the accuracy and reduced the cost of mineral analysis. Its accuracy and reliability, when performed correctly, are well-documented. It measures the levels of 28 minerals in the hair tissue. Hair is tested because it is a rapidly-growing tissue that can be sampled easily and safely. It measure minerals directly in the body tissues or cells. The cells, not the blood or urine, are the main site of metabolism. Hair provides a unique, biopsy type of reading of metabolic activity. 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. Blood levels of minerals vary very little, while hair values may vary tenfold, 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.
