Why use the hair? Why not use the blood?
Why test for minerals?
What can cause a mineral imbalance?
Can vitamin requirements be determined from a mineral test?

There is a great deal of confusion in the field of nutrition. Part, if not the most of this confusion, is due to the failure to recognize that there is a major difference between diet and nutrition which needs to be distinguished. Diet consists of what is consumed, whereas nutrition, which is more important, is what is obtained from the foods and further, what is excreted unused. Nutrition involves more than just consuming foods from the basic food groups. There are many factors that affect nutrient utilization such as individual metabolic characteristics, neurological activity, endocrine function, bioavailability of nutrients in foods, specific dynamic action of foods, absorption at the intestinal level, utilization at the cellular level, synergism and antagonism between minerals and vitamins, environmental pollutants and stress. If we consider that diet is what we consume and nutrition is what we retain, then we can see that discovering what your body needs when it needs it is a valuable tool in creating health. Inna is concerned with the nutritional biochemistry of each individual because health of the human body as a whole begins at the cellular level. She uses Hair testing to determine whether nutrients are reaching the cellular level, and what the consequences are of too much or too little.

Hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA), is an analytical test which measures the mineral content of the hair. Test results reflect how much of these elements are in your tissues and provide a vivid picture of your internal environment. With this information, a world of metabolic events can be interpreted. Not only can your nutritional status be viewed, but we can also learn much about how efficiently your body is working. A HTMA reveals a unique metabolic world: intracellular activity, which cannot be seen through most other tests. This provides a blueprint of the biochemistry occurring during the period of hair growth and development.

A HTMA reveals a unique metabolic world: intracellular activity, which cannot be seen through most other tests. This provides a blueprint of the biochemistry occurring during the period of hair growth and development.

Sample hair is obtained by cutting off a small piece closest to the scalp at the nape of the neck. It is then sent to a licensed clinical laboratory where it goes through a 3 phase analysis process using highly sophisticated detection equipment and methods. Each of the three phases are controlled by very strict laboratory procedures and reporting protocol for the most accurate results.

Why use the hair? Why not use the blood?

Since hair is a fairly slow growing tissue, there are no daily fluctuations. For instance, if you eat bananas before having a blood test taken, your blood potassium level may be high that day. If you have your blood tested the next day and did not eat bananas, your blood potassium may be normal, or even low. The HTMA potassium level will be reflective overall, of long term dietary habits rather than what is consumed just in a day or two. Furthermore, HTMA reflects the storage levels of minerals rather than just what is being transported in the blood. Trace element concentrations of the hair represent time-weighted exposure values which make it more useful for epidemiological and nutritional studies.

As the hair is being formed, prior to extrusion from the scalp, it is exposed to the blood, lymph, and intracellular fluids. During this time, it accumulates constituents present in this internal environment - minerals, vitamins etc… As the cortex of the hair shaft hardens and protrudes from the scalp, the evidence of this internal metabolic environment is preserved as a convenient record. Even drugs consumed during this developmental process will be present.

For example: 30 to 40 days following an acute exposure, elevated blood levels of lead may be undetectable. This is due to the body removing the lead from the blood as a protective measure and depositing the metal into such tissues as the liver, bones, teeth and hair. Calcium loss from the body can become so advanced that severe osteoporosis can develop without any appreciable changes noted in the calcium levels in a blood test. Symptoms of iron deficiency can be present long before low iron levels can be detected in the blood.

Hair is used as one of the tissues of choice by the Environmental Protection Agency in determining toxic metal exposure. A report from the E.P.A. stated that human hair can be effectively used for biological monitoring of the highest priority toxic metals. This report confirmed the findings of other studies in the U.S. and abroad, which concluded that human hair may be a more appropriate tissue than blood or urine for studying community exposure to some trace elements.

Hair is also an ideal tissue for sampling and testing because it can be cut easily and painlessly and can be sent to the lab without special handling requirements.

Why test for minerals?

Trace minerals are essential in countless metabolic functions in all phases of the life process.

Zinc is involved in the production, storage and secretion of insulin and is necessary for growth hormones. Magnesium is required for normal muscular function, especially the heart. A deficiency has been associated with an increased incidence of heart attacks, anxiety and nervousness. Potassium is critical for normal nutrient transport into the cell. A deficiency can result in muscular weakness, depression and lethargy. Excess sodium is associated with hypertension, but adequate amounts are required for normal health.

In the words of the late author and noted researcher, Dr. Henry Schroeder, trace elements (minerals) are "...more important factors in human nutrition than vitamins. The body can manufacture many vitamins, but it cannot produce necessary trace minerals or get rid of many possible excesses."

What can cause a mineral imbalance?

There are many factors to take into consideration, such as:

Diet - Improper diet through high intake of refined and processed foods, alcohol and fad diets can all lead to a chemical imbalance. Even the nutrient content of a "healthy" diet can be inadequate, depending upon the soil in which the food was grown or the method in which it was prepared.

Stress - Physical or emotional stress can deplete the body of many nutrients while also reducing the capability to absorb and utilize many nutrients.

Medications - Both prescription and over-the-counter medications can deplete the body stores of nutrient minerals and/or increase the levels of toxic metals. These medications include diuretics, antacids, aspirin and oral contraceptives.

Pollution - From adolescence through adulthood the average person is continually exposed to a variety of toxic metal sources such as cigarette smoke (cadmium), hair dyes (lead), hydrogenated oils (nickel), anti-perspirants (aluminum), dental amalgams (mercury and cadmium), copper and aluminum cookware and lead-based cosmetics. These are just a few of the hundreds of sources which can contribute to nutrient imbalances and adverse metabolic effects.

Nutritional Supplements - Taking incorrect supplements or improper amounts of supplements can produce many vitamin and mineral excesses and/or deficiencies, contributing to an overall biochemical imbalance.

Inherited Patterns - A predisposition toward certain mineral imbalances, deficiencies and excesses can be inherited from parents.

Can vitamin requirements be determined from a mineral test?

Minerals interact not only with each other but also with vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Minerals influence each of these factors, and they, in turn, influence mineral status. Minerals act as enzyme activators, and vitamins are synergistic to minerals as coenzymes. It is extremely rare that a mineral disturbance develops without a corresponding disturbance in the synergistic vitamin(s). It is also rare for a disturbance in the utilization or activity of a vitamin to occur without affecting a synergistic mineral(s).

For example, vitamin C affects iron absorption and reduces copper retention. Boron and iron influence the status of vitamin B2. Vitamin B2 affects the relationship between calcium and magnesium. Vitamin B1 enhances sodium retention, B12 enhances iron and cobalt absorption, and vitamin A enhances the utilization of zinc, while antagonizing vitamins D and E. Protein intake will affect zinc status, etc. Therefore, evaluating mineral status provides good clues of vitamin status and requirements. Continuing research involves the recognition of many synergistic and antagonistic interrelationships between minerals and vitamins.

Nutrition, when properly used has tremendous therapeutic effects. However taking supplements without knowing what the body needs, may contribute to deficiencies of other nutrients and can cause health problems by upsetting the natural balance of the body. For example, calcium supplements or high-calcium-containing foods can help prevent osteoporosis in one person, but actually contribute to brittle bones in another. Zinc can help fight the effects of a virus but too much can contribute to bacterial infections. Even though copper is essential, too much can cause depression, weight gain, PMS symptoms and frontal headaches. Iron is necessary to prevent anemia, but too much can cause a type of anemia, and contribute to migraines, arthritis and cancer. In light of this, Inna’s main focus is to restore balance of the body.

After 30 years of research, hair analysis has emerged as the most practical method of testing for mineral balance in your body. This valuable tool indicates which supplements you need and which ones you should avoid. Progressive healthcare providers are now well aware of the vast amount of research linking nutrition to diseases. But what serves as good nutrition for one person may not be good for you. Your hair analysis is designed determine the best nutritional program for you.