Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is an analytical test that measures the levels of 20 or more essential minerals and toxic metals in the hair. It is a safe and non-invasive test that reflects the level of nutrient and toxic elements in body tissue.
Hair analysis provides a mineral blueprint of one’s unique biochemistry. It is regarded as one of the most valuable screening tools available in everyday and preventative health care.
HTMA is a tissue mineral biopsy that provides a reading of the minerals deposited in the cells of the hair. It provides a lot of information about cellular metabolism that is not revealed in blood and urine tests.
HTMA is considered a standard test used around the world for the biological monitoring of trace elements and toxic metals in humans and animals. Hair is used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in determining toxic metal exposure.
Hair mineral analysis reveals a person’s biochemistry and metabolic type. This allows the correct diet and supplement program to be determined.
At Health Balancing, we use hair tissue mineral analysis performed by Analytical Research Labs (ARL) in the United States. ARL uses the most advanced and sophisticated instrumentation available today, the Perkin Elmer Elan 9000 ICP Mass Spectrometer to assess mineral levels in parts per million or parts per billion.
- Nutritional Elements: Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Iron, Copper, Manganese, Zinc, Chromium, Selenium, Phosphorus
- Toxic Elements: Arsenic, Mercury, Cadmium, Lead, Aluminum
- Additional Elements: Boron, Cobalt, Molybdenum, Lithium, Nickel
- Mineral Ratios: Calcium/Magnesium, Calcium/Potassium, Sodium/Magnesium, Sodium/Potassium, Zinc/Copper, Calcium/Phosphorous
Minerals are the “sparkplugs” of life.
They are needed for millions of enzymes as co-factors, facilitators, inhibitors and as part of the enzymes themselves. As a result, they have a great deal to do with the health of our bodies. By analyzing mineral imbalances in the body, one can learn a lot about the causes and correction of hundreds of common physical and mental health conditions.
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis identifies individual nutritional needs and toxic element burdens not revealed in blood and urine tests. This is because nutritional physiology takes place at the cellular level, not within the blood or any other location. Hair analysis inexpensively provides information directly about cellular activity. Below are reasons why we use hair analysis.
Blood moves nutrients in or out of tissue cells to create homeostasis. For example, when the body is deficient in calcium, the blood borrows from the bone to keep the levels up. Hence the blood test can show normal calcium levels even though there is a deficiency. This explains why many people have normal blood tests even when they are quite ill. Blood results can be a late indicator of a problem. Urine analysis is also of limited value for indicating what the body is utilising and storing.
On the other hand, hair is a safe place for the body to unload excess minerals away from the vital organs. Elevated or deficient mineral levels show up earlier and more dramatically in hair than in other body tissue. Concentrations of most elements in the hair are significantly higher than that found in the blood and other tissues.
Blood or urine shows an instantaneous snapshot of what is happening in the body. Blood and urine readings can vary from minute to minute depending on a person’s activity.
On the other hand, hair samples can give long term metabolic readings and show us where metabolic patterns are deviating from normal over a period of time.
